Philadelphia Eagles Mock Draft Mondays: Week 9 Edition

Darius Slay, though still elite, is getting older, Steven Nelson will likely either be traded or become a free agent, and there isn’t much on the depth chart at corner after that, so shockingly, after applying a dollar-store band-aid, the Eagles cornerback position is still in a precarious spot.

Thanks to Carson Wentz’s fourth-quarter/overtime collapse, however, that all could change as the Eagles’ first-round pick they receive from the Indianapolis Colts has moved from thirteenth to ninth, and with the ninth overall pick, the Philadelphia Eagles could finally address the much-needed position of cornerback.

The Eagles have not drafted a cornerback in the first round of the draft since Lito Sheppard way back in 2002. That pick would out wonderfully, so it’s shocking that the team has not since placed heavy importance on drafting that position high.

Things seemed like they had a chance to change during last season’s draft; however, the team opted to instead draft their third first-round wide receiver in seven years. While Devonta Smith was at least a successful pick, a return to investing draft capital into the cornerback position is a need, not a want, and Andre Booth Jr. is a fantastic player to break that trend with.

Booth is just what you want in a corner athletically. He’s explosive and flexible with an impressive wingspan. In that way, he is reminiscent of Baltimore Ravens star corner Marlon Humphrey.

That’s a heck of a name to be compared to, and the similarities don’t end with the shared size and athleticism. Both corners are hyper-competitive, physical players who will do whatever it takes to win their assignment.

The Philadelphia Eagles could have themselves a true “number one corner” with a player like Andrew Booth Jr out of Clemson. One who can help solidify the secondary for years to come.