Philadelphia Eagles: Senior Bowl only 7-Round 2019 mock draft
“Oh no, a quarterback!? The Philadelphia Eagles already have a franchise quarterback; it’s Carson Wentz. This is a waste of a draft pick”.
Well, no, not necessary.
Yes, the Eagles do have a franchise quarterback already on their roster in Wentz, arguably the hottest commodity in the entire NFL, but behind him, the team is thin.
Sure, the Birds could in theory retain Nick Foles either by way of the franchise tag, or by picking up his 2019 option (though he could always pay back $2 million and test the market), both the Super Bowl 52 MVP and his backup, Nate Sudfeld, could very well be playing elsewhere next season, leaving the Eagles with Wentz and really that’s it.
Drafting a quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft could effectively mitigate that issue for the next four years.
While it was tempting, very tempting to make the case for drafting a player like Drew Lock, as he looks like the perfect blend of Wentz’s mobility and Foles mentality (with a pinch of Patrick Mahomes‘ flash for good measure) a la the Redskins‘ decision to draft Kirk Cousins fresh off the heels of selecting RG3 second overall, the Birds have more pressing needs than a high-profile developmental quarterback, and could snag a solid player in the waning rounds of the draft to serve a similar role.
Trace McSorley could excel in that role.
Though he doesn’t posses Wentz’s size or arms strength, McSorley is a winner, as fans from Happy Valley will tell you. As Penn State‘s all-time winningest quarterback with a number of other records next to his name, McSorley always seems to find a way to keep his team in a game, as his statline, 9,899 yards and 77 touchdowns vs. only 25 interceptions would suggest.
Sure, his size will be a hindrance to some, and an asset to others (the Browns), but McSorley could excel in a read and react system like the Eagles ran with Foles under center, where he could use his rock solid decision-making and above average athleticism to make plays both in and out of the pocket in an RPO-heavy Bird-Raid scheme.