Philadelphia Eagles: Predicting what the team’s “big board” looks like at 12
By David Esser
1. Jaycee Horn, CB
The player likely sitting atop the Philadelphia Eagles big board at the moment, Jaycee Horn fits exactly the type of mold that Jonathan Gannon tends to prioritize in his cornerbacks. He’s tall, he’s physical, he’s got great athleticism, and he’s got a bit of a “mean streak” to him that NFL defensive backs are normally expected to have.
While all the points about the Eagles not really prioritizing their secondary in the first-round still ring true when it comes to Horn, I think he’s the type of player that Roseman is going to have a really tough time talking himself out of if he’s still on the board at 12. Not only would Horn give the Eagles two formidable starting corners in 2021, but his development over the course of 1-2 seasons gives Roseman the capacity to move off Slay in the near future as a form of cap relief.
As much as Philadelphia Eagles fans may like and admire Slay, his contract is one that the Eagles front office is likely regretting.
When it comes to evaluating Horn vs Waddle, the main difference I’m leaning on is that WR is a position the team has already poured a decent amount of assets into the last few years. Roseman would probably like to see what Nick Sirianni can do with the likes of Reagor, Fulgham, Watkins, Hightower, and even JJAW before investing further capital into the position, whereas the CB room simply doesn’t have enough bodies to field a starting defense with at the moment.
Outside of Avonte Maddox (who should be moved back to the slot), the Eagles don’t have a single corner on their roster who they actually drafted. It’s well past due for Roseman to reinvest back into the position following the failures of Rasul Douglas and Sidney Jones.
If Horn can make it past the Cowboys, he feels like the top choice for Philly at 12.