Philadelphia Eagles Draft: 5 Below The Radar First Round Prospects

1. OJ Howard, TE, Alabama

Given the extensions of TEs Zach Ertz and Brent Celek last season, the Eagles definitely don’t need to invest a first-rounder at the position. But when you take a closer look at the contract situations, things get interesting, quickly.

First and foremost, the Eagles need another player at TE if they let RFA Trey Burton walk. I anticipate they’ll try to keep him, but a few other teams will definitely make a play if they can.

Furthermore, Brent Celek’s contract extension wasn’t so much a reward for being an over-the-hill blocker, but a reallocation of cash into later years. For Howie to dole out the contracts he did last year, he needed to open the space. In the upcoming season, Celek’s $5 million/year contract will have $4M in dead cap. In 2018, that number drops to $1M. I expect Celek to hear his name called come cap cuts next season.

Ertz’s contract will definitely keep him safe through the 2018-2019 season, so he’ll have a couple more years to continue his perpetual “breakout” season. But it is conceivable that he could be the only tight end of the current roster that remains after 2018.

Which brings us to O.J. Howard. While it’s far more likely the Eagles replace a departing Burton with a mid- or late-round pick in a deep TE class, Howard is the blue-chip offensive weapon to grab if the Eagles’ RB and WR targets don’t make it to #15.

That’s a TE, people. Nothing deceptive about that speed, let me tell you.

Doug Pederson loves to utilize run sets with six offensive linemen–but with Howard on the roster, he can operate as that sixth man. That’s how well he can block. Instead of swapping Celek and Ertz for run and pass plays, respectively, Howard could stay on the field for every down and distance, threaten all three levels of the passing game, and win one-on-one match-ups with any athlete on the defensive side of the ball.

Despite the bigger needs at RB and WR, don’t miss the full picture: the Philaelphia Eagles need playmakers. No defense could successfully cover Howard and Ertz for an entire game. As Howie Roseman, Joe Douglas, and Co. search for playmakers for QB Carson Wentz, they’ll take a long look at O.J. Howard.