Philadelphia Eagles: Auburn’s Jack Driscoll is the best of both worlds

Like K’Von Wallace before him, Jack Driscoll is an experienced college player who can fill multiple roles for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 and beyond.

After going defense with their first pick in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, selecting Clemson safety/cornerback K’Von Wallace, the Philadelphia Eagles used their first of two compensatory picks to select Jack Driscoll, offensive tackle, Auburn.

Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 306 pounds, Driscoll appeared in 45 games over his college career, 20 at UConn and 25 at Auburn as a graduate transfer. At Auburn, Driscoll was as sure-handed as they come, allowing only one sack, two QB hits, and 19 hurries on 1,620 total snaps in the absolutely stacked SEC West.

And for a team like the Eagles, who appreciate players with a big body of work on Day 3, he fits right in.

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While some have questioned whether Driscoll is strong enough to be a long-term NFL starter, as he only recorded 23 reps on the bench press at the combine and has smallish arms for a player his size (33 inches), core strength is less of an issue for a team like the Eagles, who run a zone-blocking scheme.

What is essential, however, is speed and athleticism at the position, and among the linemen available on Day 3, Driscoll is one of the more athletic. At the combine, Driscoll recorded a 29.5-inch vertical, a 114.0-inch broad jump, and just narrowly missed tracking five seconds at the 40-yard dash with a 5.01 40 yard dash.

Just for context, Driscoll’s athletic testing numbers are more or less identical to those of 2019 first-round pick Andre Dillard who went 123 picks earlier in last year’s draft.

Driscoll was also on the honor roll, which is always nice.

If the Eagles selected Driscoll solely to serve as a Dennis Kelly-style swing tackle, he would provide pretty good value in the fourth round, but here’s the thing about Jeff Stoutland’s newest recruit: Many scouts, including Mel Kiper Jr., project him as a guard.

Granted, Driscoll would probably have to put on a good bit more muscle to avoid being pushed around on the inside by bigger defensive tackles – and to be fair, he’ll probably have to bulk up a bit regardless – but it’s always easier for an athletic player to add strength and weight, as opposed to a bigger guy adding athleticism.

Huh, I guess the Eagles can add a developmental prospect and a Day 1 contributor with the very same pick, who knew?

As a rookie, Driscoll projects as the team’s top reserve tackle with an ability to enter games on either side as a sixth offensive tackle when Doug Pederson wants to go big in a heavy running package. Theoretically, Driscoll could also push Matt Pryor for playing time on the inside as well, as he’s far better suited for the Birds’ interior stunts than the 332-pound TCU product.

I’m sensing a trend here, experienced college players who can play multiple positions. That’s a winning strategy if I’ve ever seen one. Certainly better than pick any player named Jalen.

Is Jack Driscoll the heir apparent to Isaac Seumalo, who in turn is the heir apparent to Jason Kelce? Maybe, maybe not, but for the price of a fourth-round pick, his floor as a four-position backup is worth the price of admission alone.