Philadelphia Eagles: Poor draft record picking in the 20’s
The Philadelphia Eagles hold the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and it’s a situation in which they’ve done poorly, going back decades.
You are no doubt excited about the sense of sports normalcy offered by the NFL Draft. And if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan, you can’t wait until they’re on the clock with the 21st pick.
But hold that thought.
The Birds might want to consider trading up, down, or sideways…basically anywhere but where they’re at currently. Because, when it comes to first round picks that have come in the 20’s, the Eagles have been almost historically bad. And this extends back into the 20th century.
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In 1996, they actually did pretty well by taking Jermane Mayberry at #25. I can’t knock that one. But then they decided to get some help for the D-Line in 1997, when they again picked 25th. They chose highly touted defensive end Jon Harris, who was a Mamula-level bust. He played just two years for the Eagles (a pair of miserable campaigns that spelled the end of Ray Rhodes), and he never appeared in the NFL again.
Because of their rebuild, the Eagles had high picks in each of the next three drafts, but they were back at #25 once again in 2001. That’s when they took can’t-miss wideout Freddie Mitchell. Give him credit for essentially making his career on one play, but I think we can all agree the Eagles might have fared slightly better if they had taken Reggie Wayne or Chad Johnson, both of whom were available when they nabbed Fred-Ex.
The Eagles took Lito Sheppard at #26 the following season, and I can’t really argue with that one. He gave the Birds seven good years, and he had an awesome middle name on top of it. Then, for a long time, the Eagles managed to never pick in the 20s.
But that all changed in 2011, when they called Danny Watkins‘ name at #23. Talk about not doing your due diligence. All Watkins wanted to do was fight fires, and the Eagles never got anything out of him except two years of regrets. But at least they got this guy 168 picks after Watkins, which is insane and makes you question why we even bother listening to experts.
Three years later, the Eagles made an all-time blunder when they chose supposed pass-rusher Marcus Smith at #26, passing on the likes of DeMarcus Lawrence in doing so. Smith spent three years with the Eagles, though you could have fooled me, because his impact was nil. He recorded four sacks in that time, and he never started a game in Philadelphia before going briefly to Seattle and Washington, out of the league at age 26.
In 2015, picking at #20, the Eagles selected Nelson Agholor. Enough time has passed to also label this one a bust, though at least nobody from that draft sticks out as a missed opportunity that the Eagles would have been better off taking instead of him. Plus, when you win the Super Bowl a couple years later, it really cushions the blow.
The jury is still out on last year’s top pick, Andre Dillard, who was taken 22nd overall. But we may have a very good inkling of whether or not the Eagles hit the mark as soon as this year if Dillard takes over for the departed Jason Peters. It would be nice to hit on one of their picks in the 20’s this century, Lito aside.
Next. Eagles-only Mock Draft. dark
No, the Eagles’ current regime isn’t responsible for a large majority of these players who didn’t pan out. But it still helps to put things into historical context and maybe temper your expectations a little about how things might go if the Eagles pick in the 20’s in the first round, as they’re currently slated to do. It doesn’t lessen the pain of a blown pick, but it gets you prepared, just in case.