Philadelphia Eagles: Finding the Answer at Running Back

The Philadelphia Eagles have many avenues they could take when addressing the running back position in this year’s draft.

The three top prospects in this year’s draft are Leonard Fournette from LSU, Christian McCaffrey from Stanford, and Dalvin Cook from Florida State. Fournette will be a top ten pick come Thursday night while McCaffrey should be gone in the top 15, maybe even the top 10. Cook has been sliding down some draft boards due to off the field issues. He should go later in the first round, early second round for sure.

I made it quite clear that I am on the Christian McCaffrey train. I would be thrilled to see him in midnight green next season, he would be an excellent fit in Doug Pederson’s offense. With that said, it has been reported that he may not even be available when the Philadelphia Eagles are on the clock come Thursday night.

If McCaffrey is not on the board when the Philadelphia Eagles pick this Thursday, or if the birds decide to forego drafting a running back in the first round, there are plenty of other options out there. A popular name that isn’t Cook, Fournette, or McCaffrey, is Alvin Kamara. A seemingly perfect fit for the West Coast offense is the running back from Tennessee. He is expected to be drafted early in the second round. The biggest knock on Kamara, however, is his inexperience coupled with never having more than twenty touches a game.

Alvin Kamara is an enticing option for the Philadelphia Eagles at 43. If he’s available Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas will take a long look at him. Ultimately I think the birds pass on him. The next most popular name among fans is D’Onta Foreman from Texas. He is a second or third round prospect.

I love his physical style and I think he would fit in well with our offense here in Philly. Unfortunately, I think he would be a reach at 43 and will probably be off the board by the time the Birds are back on the clock at 99. If the Eagles can make a trade to work back into the mid third round I could get on the D’Onta Foreman train for sure.

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Outside of Christian McCaffrey, I wouldn’t address running back until the fourth round of this year’s draft. There is some serious value in these rounds. If for some reason McCaffrey isn’t the Eagles choice, keep an eye out for this name in the fourth round: Jeremy McNichols. McNichols was the do-it-all back for the Boise State Broncos for the past two years.

He has put up incredible numbers during his time as a starter. In 2015 he ran for 1337 yards on 240 attempts and 20 touchdowns. He also caught 51 passes for 460 yards and six touchdowns. In 2016 he ran for 1709 on 314 attempts and 23 touchdowns. He caught 37 passes for 474 yards and four touchdowns. McNichols also has experience in the kick return game and could make an impact immediately on special teams. McNichols could be an electric player in this offense and be “the poor man’s McCaffrey”.

The other name the Philadelphia Eagles should look for in the later rounds is James Conner from Pittsburgh. Expect to hear his name called in the late fourth to fifth round. Conner is an absolute beast. Coming in at 6’1″, 233 lbs, he is a force to be reckoned with when the ball is in his hands. Conner is best known for being the captain of the Pittsburgh Panthers that beat Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His story is touching and the mental toughness that he showed to beat cancer and come back and tear up the ACC is astounding.

Last season he ran for 1092 yards on 216 carries and 16 touchdowns. He added 21 receptions for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Back in 2014, he ran for 1765 yards on 298 carries and 26 touchdowns. That year he was a nonfactor in the passing game, catching five passes for seventy yards. If you are looking for a hard-nosed running back to push the pile and get the nitty-gritty yards, Conner is your guy. I love this guy, I would love to see him in an Eagles uniform next season. He would be a great addition to this team on the field and an even better guy to have in the locker room.

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Even though Christian McCaffrey is the “sexy pick”, there are other options who could bring good value in the late rounds. Just remember those two names at the end, Jeremy McNichols and James Conner. Both guys put up impressive numbers in college and have styles that should translate well to the pros. That said, both guys would be excellent, late round additions for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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