Philadelphia Eagles: A deep look into potential 2019 NFL Draft picks
Linebacker
That mostly wraps up the offense and now brings us to the defense and the Philadelphia Eagles game plan there. While their top pick could be a defensive tackle like some are saying the Eagles are sitting pretty with Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson. Although another big body on the line like Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, or Dre’Mont Jones would really make the defensive line something scary it’s not their biggest priority on the defensive side and will most likely only be taken with their top pick if a DT happens to be the best available which could be a possibility.
A position that the Philadelphia Eagles should be looking to draft high is linebacker. At Will linebacker, they have the talented Nigel Bradham but at Mike and Sam is LJ Fort and Kamu Grugier-Hill. Fort played in 15 games for the Steelers last season recording 38 solo tackles and one sack while Grugier-Hill played in 16 games getting 33 solo tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. The Eagles could use a more solid linebacker ahead of at least one of these two making it a prime position to target in the draft.
Devin White and Devin Bush are the top two linebackers in the draft, but unless the Eagles make a trade to move up in the draft, it’s highly unlikely they get either one of them. However, the third-ranked LB Mack Wilson is in a projected position to be drafted by Philly. Wilson is projected to go in rounds two or three and can very likely find himself as one of Philadelphia’s two second-round picks.
In 2018 Wilson tallied up 71 tackles five of which for a loss, with five pass breakups and two interceptions. He is credited with the ability to cover running backs and tight ends in the passing game as well as being able to play with strength, toughness, and speed.
After him, the prospects at linebacker start falling into the fourth round and later. This can actually prove helpful towards the Philadelphia Eagles giving them a chance to get a solid linebacker in the middle and back-end of the draft. North Carolina State’s Germaine Pratt is a capable LB slated to go in the fourth round.
As a senior Pratt led the team with 10.5 tackles for a loss as well as totaling up 104 tackles and tying the team-high in sacks with six. Pratt was originally a free safety before turning into a linebacker giving him unique coverage skills at linebacker.
Another possible later draft pick for Philly is LB out of USC Cameron Smith who is a projected fourth or fifth round pick. Smith has been a stud throughout his NCAA career but only played in 10 games in 2018 while still leading USC in tackles with 81, 7.5 of which was for a loss. Smith is a linebacker that isn’t known for his size or huge splash highlight reel. However, he brings play recognition and speed to his game as well as the ability to use technique to get the best angles and shed blocks.
Other names to look for include: Te’Von Coney, Vosean Joseph, and Bobby Okereke.