Philadelphia Eagles: 3 under the radar Day 2 targets in the 2020 NFL Draft
Nick Harris, Guard/Center, Washington
The Philadelphia Eagles roster is complicated.
On one hand, the team is returning 20 of their 25 starters from the 2019 season – the lone exceptions being Ronald Darby, Malcolm Jenkins, Nigel Bradham, Jason Peters, and, of course, Agholor – but they also have questionable depth at many positions across the board.
And if the Eagles are smart, they’ll strongly consider investing a premium pick on an offensive lineman even if ‘sexier’ players like Grant Delpit, K.J. Hamler, and Jonathan Taylor are on the board.
Why? Because the Eagles’ offensive line depth is downright nasty.
With Peters still unsigned, Andre Dillard a starter, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai now a member of the Detroit Lions, the Eagles’ top reserves going into 2020 right now are Matt Pryor, Nate Herbig, and Jordan Mailata.
If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.
So needless to say, if the Eagles still plan on contending in 2020, they should probably invest at least one pick on an offensive lineman with experience in a zone-blocking scheme.
Bonus points if he can play multiple positions.
Nick Harris checks all three boxes.
A four-year contributor who played his first 25 games at guard and final 25 games at center, Harris lead the way for four straight 1,000-yard rushers while allowing only four sacks, three QB hits, and 21 hurries over his final 2,514 offensive snaps.
While he may not be the biggest interior offensive lineman in the draft, as he only measured in at the combine at 6-foot-1, 302 pounds, Harris made up for it by recording a 103-inch broad jump, a 29.5-inch vertical jump, and by running a 5.1 40 yard dash – tied for the second-highest mark of any center in attendance behind first-round pick Cesar Ruiz.
Athlon Sports compared Harris to a poor man’s Jason Kelce, and I could think of no better player to add on Day 2 than a prospect who compares to the team’s current center.
According to Pro Football Focus, Harris was the best zone blocking interior offensive lineman in this year’s class, which should be music to Philly fans’ ears.
Could the Eagles instead opt to target a developmental tackle who could kick inside just in case Dillard falters as a full-time starter? Yeah, that would make sense, but with six tackles already off the board on Day 1, why not take the second-best center in this year’s class instead of a mid-tier tackle? Between Nick Harris and Isaac Seumalo, the Eagles should be able to replace Jason Kelce when he eventually leaves football for the greener pastures of being a full-time parader.
Other options: Ohio State‘s Jonah Jackson, TCU‘s Lucas Niang
Pro comp: Jason Kelce