Philadelphia Eagles: 3 potential “sleeper picks” to consider at 12
By David Esser
It seems like a majority of the people doing mock drafts these days have reached some sort of general consensus when it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jaycee Horn, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle have become the popular picks at 12, with just a few leaning towards the offensive/defensive line.
Horn or one of the two Alabama receivers definitely makes sense in the first round, but Howie Roseman isn’t exactly one to always make the “safe” pick. Pretty much everyone in the universe had the Eagles landing Justin Jefferson during last year’s draft, and Howie of course opted towards the lesser known Jalen Reagor (a move that backfired quite spectacularly).
With that in mind, it’s definitely worth looking at some potential “sleepers” when it comes to the Eagles’ first-round pick this offseason.
Some sleeper options in the first round for the Philadelphia Eagles:
Rashod Bateman, WR
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“WR4” on most scout’s draft boards, I could see two scenarios playing out where the Philadelphia Eagles seriously consider Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman at 12.
The first being if Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith are all no longer available by the time the Eagles’ name is on the clock. If Philly is still hellbent on landing a new starting receiver for Jalen Hurts this offseason despite their shock trade-down, drafting Bateman would be a half decent consolation prize compared to the main SEC pass-catchers.
The second scenario is if Howie Roseman once again tries to “outsmart the league” with his first-round pick.
The decision to take Reagor over Jefferson last year was due to a flawed evalautuon of scheme fit within the Eagles offense, something that really shouldn’t play a factor when it comes to high-tier draft picks. If Roseman employs that same logic once more this offseason, I could totally see him targeting Bateman over the likes of Waddle or Smith due to Bateman being a “better fit” alongside Reagor in the offense.
As you can probably tell, I don’t personally view Bateman in the first-round as a good plan of attack for the Eagles.