April 26, 2024
Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft is (almost) in the books (or it already is, depending on when you read this), and the Philadelphia Eagles have landed a pair of cornerbacks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Here are 12 players who make sense for the Birds in Round 3, where they have one pick (78th overall).
• Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan: Wilson is an explosive slot receiver with sub-4.4 speed who can win on deep balls down the field or make defenders miss after the catch on crossing routes or on quick screens. He is also surprisingly effective on 50-50 balls despite a lack of size.
• Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky: Corley has speed, and he is a YAC machine who does not shy away from contact. Corley could bring a physical element to the Eagles' offense out of the slot.
• Trey Benson, RB, Florida State: Benson is a big back who can run through tackles, but he can also pick his way through traffic with nimble feet and he has good long speed (4.39 40) for a guy his size that allows him to run away from defenders in the open field.
• Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State: In an Ohio State offense that was absolutely loaded with wide receiver talent, Stover found a way to become a productive, efficient tight end, catching 41 passes for 576 yards (an impressive 14.0 YPC for a TE), and 5 TDs. Love his effort and ability after the catch. Stover has good hands, he runs good routes, and he is also thought of as a good blocker. If there's a negative, it's that he won't be confused for Kyle Pitts on the athleticism front, but when you look at a player like the Cowboys' Jake Ferguson, for example, his measurables suck but he's simply a good football player because he does all the things well that tight ends need to do.
• Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU: In addition to being a premier athlete, Suamataia also has plenty of nastiness in his game. As an added bonus, he has experience playing both at LT and RT, which means that he could be a swing tackle off the bench early in his career before eventually taking over for Lane Johnson at RT.
• Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale: Amegadjie has experience starting at LT and RG for Yale, so, you know, two different positions and on both sides of the line. His 2023 season ended early with a quad injury, but before he got hurt, he was dominant against lower level competition. He may require some development early in his career, which for the Eagles' purposes is fine in terms of a potential takeover down the line for Lane Johnson, but he also has the versatility to maybe fill in at RG in the short-term.
• Cooper Beebe, OL, Kansas State: Beebe has played LT, RT, LG, and RG at KSU, but his forever home in the NFL will likely be at guard, with maybe some cross-training at center. He has a squatty body type at 6'4, 335, and he is able to effectively anchor against bull rushes, but his lack of length is always going to be prohibitive on the edge at the NFL level. Beebe can move defenders with his pure strength and the line of scrimmage, but I was surprised by his ability to get on the move. He doesn't give off "athlete" vibes just to look at him, but this dude is fun to watch getting to the second level and burying linebackers and defensive backs.
• Payton Wilson, LB, NC State: Let's get Wilson's downside out of the way first. He has torn his right ACL twice, he dislocated both shoulders in the same game in 2021 (necessitating surgery), and he'll be 24 by the time he's drafted. There are red flags galore. However, he's a complete linebacker with size (6'4, 233) and speed (4.43 40) who can cover, who can play the run, who can get sideline-to-sideline, and who had outstanding production in 2023 (138 tackles, 17.5 for loss, 6 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 PBUs, 1 FF).
• Junior Colson, LB, Michigan: Colson led Michigan's defense with 95 tackles, 30 more than the next-closest Michigan defender. He's an outstanding run defender. He is also a good athlete, especially for a big linebacker, by today's standards, at 6'3, 247. He has the height-weight-speed combination to run with tight ends and get them to the ground after the catch.
• Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State: Isaac had a great week of practices at the Senior Bowl, giving highly rated offensive tackles like Taliese Fuaga and Kingsley Suamataia fits with his speed around the edge. He had 16 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks for PSU in 2023.
• Javon Bullard, S, Georgia: Bullard is a slot corner / safety hybrid who tallied 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 2 INTs (both in the National Championship Game) in 2022. In 2023, he had 56 tackles and 2 INTs. Bullard is a hitter with athleticism. He makes plays and then lets you know about it. His swagger gives me some Chauncey Gardner-Johnson vibes. The Eagles need more players who can play in the slot, and Bullard would give them some safety versatility on top of that.
• Cole Bishop, S, Utah: Bishop is a tough, instinctive safety with good size. He is a good tackler and run defender who is at his best near the line of scrimmage, though he can cover tight ends and even some bigger slot receivers. I like him in a dime linebacker role.
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