Wide Receiver Steal Named Best Fit For Eagles in NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles head into this month's 2024 NFL Draft with eight picks, including the 22nd overall selection. Although the fanbase is wondering who the Eagles will take in the first round, let's not forget that game-changing players can also be found later in the draft.

The Eagles have been one of the better teams when it comes to drafting beyond Round 1 in recent years. Since 2018, Philadelphia has managed to add the likes of Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens all on Day 2 only for those players to become some of the most important on the roster.

With that being said, the Eagles have several needs they must address this month, and one NFL Draft expert has them doing so with a Day 2 steal.

Eagles Draft Rumors: Philadelphia to Draft Malachi Corley on Day 2?

On Thursday, Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman wrote an article about the best Day 2 draft fits for all 32 NFL teams. When it came to the Eagles, Wasserman suggested that they target Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley.

Drafting another legitimate wide receiver is definitely something the Eagles must consider later this month. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both two of the best players at their position, but the rest of Philadelphia's WR room left them high and dry as none of the team's other wideouts could even hit the 200-yard mark.

Yes, the Eagles signed free-agent WRs DeVante Parker and Parris Campbell this offseason, but that doesn't mean the solution is remedied. While Parker and Campbell are solid when they're on their game, the duo brings a lengthy injury history, meaning it remains to be seen how much they'll even play next season.

In other words, it's easy to see why the Eagles would be wise to the Western Kentucky playmaker on Day 2.

"Malachi Corley is dynamic with the ball in his hands and proved it by forcing 73 missed tackles over the past three seasons. Corley would provide a spark to Philadelphia’s RPO and screen games while he further develops his route running."

- PFF's Dalton Wasserman

It's hard not to love the idea of Corley as the Eagles' WR3 behind Brown and Smith. The 22-year-old playmaker has been a scoring machine with the Hilltoppers, amassing 3,305 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns on 259 catches across four campaigns. In fact, 22 of those scores came in the last two seasons alone.

Corley is also projected to be the type of player who can contribute on gadget-like plays with some experts comparing him to San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel. That isn't to say that the rookie will mimic the ex-1,400-yard wideout's career, but being compared to one of today's most versatile weapons is never a bad thing.

The No. 50 to 53 picks are the only Day 2 selections the Eagles hold at the moment, meaning they'd likely need to use one to add Corley (barring a trade). Assuming that he can reach the ceiling that draft experts have put above him, he'd be well worth the selection.

The 2024 NFL Draft takes place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, beginning with Day 1 on Thursday, April 25.

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