Philadelphia Eagles land Ja’Marr Chase in Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft

With the NFL Draft just a couple of weeks away at this point in time, renowned ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. chimed in with his second official mock draft, this time with trades included. When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles and what they should be prioritizing in this year’s draft, Mel’s mock really couldn’t have shaped up any better.

With just one major trade happening prior to Philadelphia’s pick, Kiper Jr. had standout LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase falling all the way down to the Eagles at sixth overall:

Right off the bat, I genuinely think this would be the best case scenario for Philadelphia. Chase looks like a generational talent at the WR position, which isn’t a term that I tend to throw out there lightly. Outside of Trevor Lawrence, I straight up have Chase as the second best prospect on my own personal “big board.”

I wrote the following a little over a month ago on Chase when evaluating his game compared to Alabama’s DeVonta Smith:

"When it comes to Chase, there’s simply a ton to like about him.More from Section 2154 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster SpotsBest Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn SipossCowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak PrescottDevon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on EaglesHe’s big, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s a great route runner, he’s fantastic at the catch point, he’s a good run-blocker, and he’s still somehow just 20 years old(!). In terms of what modern day front offices prioritize in their “WR1s”, Chase ticks off every single box.Like mentioned previously, Chase really took the collegiate scene by storm during his sophomore season. He broke the SEC’s single-season receiving record for both yards and TDs (at the time), and was LSU’s main playmaker alongside Burrow as they cruised to a National Championship.It’s tough to really give Chase a “player comp”, because he looks like a specimen that’s simply one in a million. There’s been plenty of elite WR prospects to come out of the talent-rich SEC, but very rarely do we see someone produce the numbers that Chase did at such a young age. If the former LSU product were to be drafted in the first round this spring, he wouldn’t even be 27 years old by the time his rookie contract expired."

Logging 84 catches, 1,780 yards, and 20 touchdowns as a 19 year old kid playing up against some of the best college competition in the world, Ja’Marr Chase has all the makings of a true WR1 at the professional level. Whether it’s Jalen Hurts under center for the longterm or someone else, having Chase as the Eagles primary pass-catcher for the next 5+ seasons would be an extreme luxury.

Chase at 6 would be a dream scenario for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now when it comes to analyzing Kiper Jr.’s mock draft, there are a few “flaws” worth pointing out.

The Dolphins passed on Ja’Marr Chase at pick #3, and then the Eagles passed on quarterback Justin Fields with the sixth overall pick. While the Tua-Smith connection is worth highlighting, I’d be pretty surprised to see Miami go WR with the third overall pick and it not be Chase. Additionally, I believe Howie Roseman would jump at the opportunity to select someone like Fields should he slip a few spots come draft night

Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock drafts have been pretty “hit or miss” over the last couple of years (more so on the miss side), but it’s promising that at least one major draft analyst has Chase falling to the Eagles.