Philadelphia Eagles: Drafting Christian McCaffrey would be a mistake
By Chuck Booth
The Philadelphia Eagles need a running back. That running back shouldn’t be Christian McCaffrey.
Christian McCaffrey is an electric playmaker who could make an impact on whatever team he lands with. But, if the Philadelphia Eagles take him with the 14th overall pick in the NFL Draft, it would be a mistake. Personally, I don’t think that it’s in the best interest of the team to draft a running back in the first round.
If they decided to go with one, it should be a three-down back and not a tweener. McCaffrey is a talented versatile running back. He can return the ball. He can jump into the slot. McCaffrey also has big play potential in the backfield. But, he isn’t a three-down running back. The versatility is why McCaffrey has jumped in the draft but it doesn’t mean that he fits with every running back-needy team.
The best fits for McCafferey are the Carolina Panthers and the Indianapolis Colts. In Carolina, McCafferey would play second fiddle to Johnathan Stewart while spending time in the slot. This would be the best situation for him as a pro. He’d get 15-20 carries per game with a mobile quarterback while also getting 20+ snaps at receiver on a relatively weak staff. With the Colts, it would be a similar situation except that most of McCaffrey’s receptions would come out of the backfield.
But why wouldn’t Christian McCaffrey work for the Philadelphia Eagles?
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Since reports came out that McCaffrey has been guaranteed that he’ll be selected in the teens, people have been trying to pinpoint the team. In a lot of the speculation, all roads point to Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Eagles currently have five running backs on the roster. They are Ryan Matthews, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, Byron Marshall and
Terrell Watson.
Matthews is the closest thing to a feature back on that list but the Eagles have a lot of people who could work out as situational backs. McCaffrey, while talented, would complicate things further in Philadelphia. If the Philadelphia Eagles choose to take a running back in the early rounds, it should be Dalvin Cook or Joe Mixon.
Both backs will likely be available in the early or mid-second round which is a much better value for the Eagles. What’s more likely, however, is that the Eagles address the running back issue in the third or fourth round.
If the Philadelphia Eagles don’t pick McCaffrey, who will they take?
The best plan would be for the Philadelphia Eagles to roll with defense in the first round. While it’s a deep draft at corner, if Gareon Conley were to fall to 14, the Eagles would have a hard time passing. The same could be said if Derek Barnett is available when the Eagles are on the clock.
This isn’t to say that McCaffrey isn’t talented because he is but he would likely be far from the best player available when the Eagles are on the clock. With it looking like 2-3 quarterbacks will be taken before the Eagles pick, skill position players could easily fall to them. The quarterback questions surrounding the Browns, Jets, and Cardinals are music to Joe Douglas’ ears.
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In the first round, the Philadelphia Eagles need to focus on grabbing either a top receiver or an impact player on the defensive side of the ball. McCaffrey doesn’t fit that bill and if he’s still there at 14, the Eagles should take a hard pass. He’ll be a successful pro but McCaffrey coming to Philadelphia isn’t the best decision for either him or the Eagles.