Philadelphia Eagles Draft | 6 East-West Shrine Game Targets

The East-West Shrine Game will feature many draft-worthy prospects. Who will the Philadelphia Eagles have their eye on?

College football’s first and longest-running all-star game, the East-West Shrine Game, will be played this Saturday, January 21st and televised on NFL Network. (Eventual) Hall of Famers John Elway, Tom Brady, and Brett Farve, along with current Philadelphia Eagles OG Brandon Brooks and S Rodney McLeod, all used the game as an opportunity to showcase their skills pre-draft . Not necessarily a star-studded event, the Shrine Game gives some big-school, mid-round prospects the platform to raise their draft stock, and some lesser-known names the exposure to start generating some buzz.

So which prospects are the Philadelphia Eagles talking to? Who might interest them deeper in the draft? We have 5 names that might fight the bill.

Josh Tupou, NT, Colorado

If the Eagles don’t retain DT Bennie Logan this offseason, they’ll need to generate a replacement. While DT Beau Allen has flashed over the past year, he’s no Logan, who had a marked effect on the Eagles’ run defense:

Tupou was seen speaking to an Eagles scout after the first day of practice–I expect they’re interested in him primarily due to his size. Tupou will be one of the largest DTs to enter the draft in recent memory, standing tall at 6’3 and weighing in at a whopping 362 lbs. An absolute monster on the inside, he would gobble up double teams to free DT Fletcher Cox.

Don’t mistake Tupou for a pure space eater, however: he has shined in the explosiveness and quickness drills in St. Petersburg, especially considering his size. Playing for the West squad, he moves quick off the line, throwing interior lineman around at will. Don’t try to run the ball at him.

Tupou has a very speckled past, which includes charges for assault, trespassing, and various other misdemeanors–he was removed from the team for the 2015 season as a result of his crimes. The Eagles will have to be comfortable with Tupou’s behavior moving forward if they decide to bring him on in the later rounds.

Projected Round: 6th

Trey Hendrickson, DE, Florida Atlantic University

The player about which I’ve heard the most hype this week? East Team’s Trey Hendrickson. Kid’s straight yoked, running around the field with his jersey Ezekiel-Elliot-crop-topped and embarrassing every offensive lineman put opposite him.

I’ve heard three really big things regarding Hendrickson: motor, a variety of moves, and suddenness. On the few rushes during which Hendrickson hasn’t gotten home, he plays relentlessly, constantly fighting to penetrate the pocket. He’s a high effort player.

His pass-rushing arsenal is fearsome. In various clips, I’ve seen him win with a spin, a rip and bend on the outside, a straight bull rush, and an awesome swim move right here:

This play was for bragging rights. The defense put out their best EDGE rusher; the offense, their best OT. The losing squad had to carry the pads of the winning squad off the field. The coaching staff chose Hendrickson for that battle.

Watch it from a different angle–talking about suddenness, see how he flashes inside to set the OT’s feet, then quickly relocates laterally to win the edge. His swipe on the OT’s left arm? Money.

After a cursory glance at the tape, I can tell you Hendrickson sets the edge nicely against the run, so he can stay on the field on all three downs. He’s a perfect candidate for the third DE spot behind incumbents Vinny Curry and Brandon Graham.

But it only gets better: Hendrickson led the nation with four blocked punts this year–four. The Eagles love to snag ST contributors, and with the likely release of LB Bryan Braman looming, Hendrickson’s effort and production could slide into Braman’s role on Dave Fipp’s squad seamlessly.

Predicted Round: 4th

Here’s a guy that the Eagles have been meeting with a ton. Mike Kaye of First Coast News reported it first:

The thing about Cox isn’t the talent–he’s fluid, quick, and explosive–it’s the consistency. During the East Team drills, Cox demonstrates all of the physical traits necessary to excel at 4-3 defensive end in the NFL; during live work, Cox can vanish for extend periods of time. His motor will come into question, as will his temperament–he’s already gotten into a scuffle at St. Petersburg–but the upside is there for him to develop.

If the Eagles miss on Hendrickson, Cox is a late-round guy they could take a flyer on. Don’t forget, they did the same with his teammate, DE Alex McCalister, last year.

Projected Round: 7th

Austin Calitro, LB, Villanova

Another member of the East Team the Eagles have taken a look into. Turron Davenport of The Eagles Wire had the report:

Another potential special teamer for Philadelphia. Remember, the Eagles picked up Joe Walker, MLB out of Oregon last year, and he had a great camp until an ACL injury cut his rookie season off. Calitro is one of the biggest linebackers at the Shrine Game, weighing in at 250 lbs–meanwhile, Walker’s a touch undersized for the position and might benefit from a move to outside linebacker, where the Eagles lack depth. Calitro does an excellent job sifting through traffic and plays with great range for his size. He’s a natural MIKE.

Calitro would take stud MLB Jordan Hicks‘ backup position permanently, while Walker would back up WLB Mychal Kendricks for the foreseeable future.

Projected Round: 6th

Erik Magnuson, OT, Michigan

Another East Team player, Magnuson is an excellent mid-round guy to fill Philadelphia’s needs. He started his Michigan career inside at guard, eventually kicking out as a two-year starter at tackle. At 6’3 303 lbs, he has the size to play either position, a skill the Eagles value tremendously. I project him as a decent starting guard at the next level, with RT abilities if necessary.

Jeff Risdon, a scout currently at St. Petersburg, has been a fan for a while:

That movement in the run game particularly makes me feel good about his transition to guard. He’s a mauler that likes to take people out, with the quickness and flexibility necessary to reach block, and the lateral speed and athleticism to pull on sweeps and tosses.

A move to guard would also mask Magnuson’s greatest weakness at tackle: inside moves. He regularly gets burned by spins and counters, lacking the necessary foot speed to recover. At guard, he’d no longer be asked to stonewall edge rushers on an island. With help on either side, he wouldn’t have to kick-slide as aggressively, minimizing the interior window that defenders know to exploit.

Given the recent rumors about Jason Kelce’s impending departure from Philly, interior line could suddenly become a pressing need. 2nd-year OL Isaac Seumalo would move to starting C, leaving 32-year-old OL Allen Barbre to start at LG. OL Stefen Wisniewski is his presumed back-up, but as an impending free-agent, the future is murky at guard for Philadelphia. Magnuson and Barbre have similar build (Barbre’s 6’4, 305 lbs) and similar abilities, in that they both can swing between guard and tackle. The second level of the Eagles’ offensive line would have Vaitai/Tobin/Magnuson at tackle and Magnuson/Tobin at guard. Once Barbre retires/gets cut, Magnuson would likely step in and start. All that remains is a back-up center, and Philadelphia’s offensive line would be set for years to come.

Projected Round: 4th

Jalen Robinette, WR, Air Force

I’ve been a big Robinette fan for a while. Playing in Air Force’s run-heavy option attack, Robinette barely saw the volume of most collegiate receivers. However, with incredible size (6’3, 33″ arm length,10.75″ hands) and great speed for his length, Robinette led NCAA football with a 27.40 yards per catch average this season. That’s more than a fourth of the field, people.

In the triple option offense, Robinette played in the slot far more often than you’d expect for a wideout his size. As such, he learned how to block effectively and with physicality, and that tough style of play, coupled with his ideal frame, makes him a real difficult responsibility in man coverage.

Moreau (another prospect to keep an eye on) plays this about as well as he can, but Robinette just dominates. Check out the length as he stiff-arms Moreau at the line, separating from the press, and then the hand strength to win that ball through contact.

Robinette’s tape shows a player who can high-point in traffic, but also run clean routes with smoothness. He really moves well for a player of his size, and reminds me more and more of now Minnesota WR Laquon Treadwell, when he came out for the Draft last year.

Robinette’s ability to extend the field would really open up the Eagles’ offense. He wouldn’t likely be the first wide receiver drafted by Philadelphia, but would nicely compliment pass-catchers such as Virginia Tech’s Isaiah Ford, Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp, or fan-favorite and potential first-rounder Corey Davis from Western Michigan, who all do the majority of their damage underneath.

Robinette also bows to the referee every time a flag is thrown on the defensive back covering him, which I find pretty darn funny.

Projected Round: 5th

Next: Philadelphia Eagles Draft | Isaiah Ford the Projection

If you can catch the East-West Shrine Game this Saturday (3:00 EST on NFL Network), make sure you keep an eye on these six players. Both Tupou and Robinette play for the West; everyone else, for the East. Finding mid-round contributors and late-round gems has always challenged the Philadelphia Eagles and GM Howie Roseman in the past. Hopefully, with new personnel man Joe Douglas’s experience in Baltimore, a franchise renowned for discovering talent late in the Draft, the Eagles can bring in pieces that compliment last year’s promising rookie class, and give Philadelphia a young foundation in which they can place their hopes.