Philadelphia Eagles Draft: Day 2 Recap and Day 3 Targets
Day 2 of the Draft is done. Who are the corners the Philadelphia Eagles drafted, and what positions might they target on Day 3?
Hey! We decided to cover receivers this year! Who’s excited?
With an uncharacteristic lack of movement on Day 2 (read: Joe Douglas), Howie Roseman and the Eagles’ front office held fast and let the value come to them.
At #43 overall, the Philadelphia Eagles brought in Washington CB Sidney Jones (profiled here), a Round 1 prospect that fell due to a terribly unfortunate Achilles tendon tear in March. A sticky man-cover corner with smooth feet and hips, Jones may not see the field for quite some time—maybe not at all in 2017—but when he does, he’ll immediately bring plus value, considering the pick spent.
Holding down the fort until #99 overall, Philly watched a slew of cornerbacks and wide receivers slide off the board. Finally, after a massive run on defensive backs, the Eagles brought in the best remaining corner on the board in Rasul Douglas, the long and disruptive West Virginia Mountaineer. Coming in at 6’2, 204 lbs with 32 1/8“ arms, Douglas thrives at the line of scrimmage, where he can disrupt with his reach and his physicality (both of these corners are the Jim Schwartz competitive type).
Douglas was also incredibly productive generating turnovers in his time at West Virginia, with 9 interceptions and 9 pass breakups over 13 starts and 24 total games played. Sidney Jones, over 39 starts and 40 games, only amassed 9 INTs, but disrupted 30 (!!) passes.
The common thread between the undersized, but fluid CB out of Washington and the large, but stiff CB out of West Virginia? Ball skills, baby.
An all-defense (which wins championships, by the way) draft by Philly so far reveals the gameplan going forward for this team. Joe Douglas said Philly wanted to help Carson Wentz out–they’re doing so through the defense.
The plan of attack is this: first, generate pressure with the front four rushers. Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, and Derek Barnett all excel at getting to the quarterback, and the second rotation of EDGE rushers (Vinny Curry and Chris Long) will also produce situationally. That defensive line pressure is the foundation on which this scheme is built.
Then, have the corners capitalize on the quick releases forced by the front-4 pressure. Jones can play—and win—in any scheme on the defensive side, but proved effective near the line of scrimmage, playing press-man coverage with ease and mirroring wide receivers down the field. His greatest weakness on film? Larger receivers who knock him off his spot.
Douglas isn’t a perfect fit in Philadelphia’s scheme. The lack of fluidity in his transitions and his poor closing speed will make it difficult for him to play off-man or deep zone coverage. However, Cover 3 isn’t the staple of Jim Schwartz’s scheme—Cover 2 and press-man looks show up more frequently, and Douglas can survive in Cover 2 and excel in press-man. His length to disrupt at the line of scrimmage and at the catch point will conceal his change-of-direction issues. His greatest weakness? Shifty speedsters who win with twitch and nuance
What does that mean? Where Douglas struggles, Jones thrives. Where Jones struggles, Douglas thrives. And where are they both successful?
Ball skills, baby.
Look for Douglas and Jones to attack short and intermediate routes when the quarterback is forced to release the football early. Philly may investigate having Douglas follow bigger receivers, and Jones follower shiftier ones. Against the Giants, Douglas tags Brandon Marshall, and Jones covers Odell Beckham Jr; against the Cowboys, Douglas takes Dez, and Jones handles Cole Beasley. Douglas’ growth when playing with his eyes in the backfield, and Jones’ recuperation from his Achilles’ tear, will dictate the success of this duo moving forward.
A Look Ahead
Here are the picks the Philadelphia Eagles will have at their disposal tomorrow, the final day of the Draft:
- 4th Round, #119 overall
- 4th Round, #139 overall
- 5th Round, #155 overall
- 6th Round, #194 overall
- 7th Round, #230 overall
Turning to Day 3, we know that the Philadelphia Eagles must address the offensive weaponry they have so far foregone. Controversial running back Joe Mixon was available at #43, but didn’t get the look; likewise, dangerous wideouts such as Chad Hansen out of Cal and Josh Reynolds from Texas A&M could have found a home at #99, but Philly doubled down on CBs. Let’s take a look at my top five available at each position.
Top-5 RBs:
- Elijah Hood, North Carolina, RB8 (#110 OVR)
- Samaje Perine, Oklahoma, RB9 (#111 OVR)
- Jamaal Williams, BYU, RB10 (#118 OVR)
- Jeremy McNichols, Boise State, RB11 (#123 OVR)
- Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State, RB12 (#134 OVR)
Interesting tiers here. Elijah Hood, Samaje Perine, and Jamaal Williams are only separated by eight slots on my board. Hood and Williams run in similar styles: one-cut backs who love to slice on inside/outside zone plays, hitting their holes with burst. Hood has better pad level and runs angrier, while Williams has superior open-field movement skills. Pick your poison—or just go for Samaje Perine, a huge tone-setter of a back that can mow over defenders in the box. He’s a Philly sort of player, if you ask me.
Keep an eye on Donnel Pumphrey, one of the most elusive backs in the Draft. He’s undersized and may be available in later rounds, but his usage in the NFL will mirror Darren Sproles’. And we like Darren Sproles.
Top-5 WRs:
- Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M, WR8 (#65 OVR)
- Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech, WR11 (#87 OVR)
- Chad Hansen, Cal, WR15 (#115 OVR)
- Ishmael Zamora, Baylor, WR16 (#127 OVR)
- K.D. Cannon, Baylor, WR17 (#145 OVR)
Josh Reynolds could develop into a split-end, WR1 at the next level, with elite skills at the catch point, sticky hands, and solid routes. Perhaps a larger frame has held him back into Day 3, but his floor is a low-end WR2, and his value at #119 would be fantastic. Likewise, speedster Isaiah Ford and body control freak Chad Hansen (a draft crush of mine, who we mocked to Philly last week) would fit the bill for the Eagles.
Ishmael Zamora and K.D. Cannon both come from a Baylor offense that hampered their draft stock in its simplicity. But Zamora has an intriguing height/weight/speed profile, while K.D. Cannon plays with the top-end speed of a poor man’s John Ross. Both could interest the Eagles, should they look for a high-ceiling selection.
In the deep, dark, and scary later rounds of the draft, I expect Philadelphia to target depth at three positions: offensive line, linebacker, and defensive tackle. After the departure of Bennie Logan in free agency, band-aid Timmy Jernigan was acquired from Baltimore. With only one year left on his deal, it’s unlikely that Philadelphia pays the disruptive athlete enough to stick around after 2017. Competition should be brought in for the 1-tech shade on that foundational defensive line. Keep an eye on Jaleel Johnson, a real bothersome tackle out of Iowa, in Round 4. I like Davon Godchaux out of LSU in Round 5 as well.
With two solid linebackers on the roster in Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham, Philly looks set to run their base nickel package. But the depth behind those two players is mighty scarce, especially when you consider Mychal Kendricks’ impending departure. Jalen Reeves-Maybin was another of our mock subjects to Philly, but he’s a Round 4 player. I like Tanner Vallejo out of Boise State in Round 5, or Houston’s Steven Taylor in Round 6.
Finally, an offensive line starting (potentially) Allen Barbre, Jason Kelce, and Jason Peters is an old offensive line. With Lane Johnson and Isaac Seumalo waiting in the wings to take on bigger roles, there’s reason to be excited. But patchwork options like Stefen Wisniewski and Chance Warmack mean little for the long-term depth at the roster, as does uninspiring second-year Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Bringing in a guard with tackle experience like Sean Harlow from Oregon State or Jordan Morgan out of local school Kutztown in Round 5 could benefit this group immensely. Erik Magnuson from Michigan is a personal favorite to watch in Round 6—Allen Barbre-esque player.
Next: Meet The Prospect; Sidney Jones, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
Keep an eye out for our in-depth film breakdown of all these Eagle rookies, starting with Derek Barnett and the two corners of today (we’re finally going to cover wide receivers, guys!)