April 29, 2016
Kim Raff/AP
There are a lot of logical players of interest remaining for the Eagles, including UCLA RB Paul Perkins.
In case you missed our Eagles draft board, we listed 60 players we thought were logical draft targets and arranged them by the round where it would be appropriate to select them.
Here are 25 players who could make sense when the Eagles are on the clock in the fifth round at picks No. 153 and No. 164:
• Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech: Dixon was really impressive during the week of Senior Bowl practices, especially as a receiver out of the backfield. He'll enter the NFL a more polished receiver than most of the running backs already collecting paychecks in the NFL. Safeties and linebackers couldn't cover Dixon, and often looked silly trying. If Doug Pederson's offense is anything like Andy Reid's, he'll want his running back to be a weapon in the passing game. Dixon can be that for the new regime. As a runner, Dixon is tough and physical, as evidenced by his 72 career rushing touchdowns.
• Paul Perkins, RB, UCLA: Perkins has a lot of LeSean McCoy in his game, as he is a very shifty runner who often makes defenders completely whiff on tackle attempts. Perkins is also effective as a receiver, as he had 80 receptions over his three-year college career, although those mainly came on simple short passes. The reason he has lasted until the fourth round is because he is probably not a three-down back, as he is not a runner who is going to consistently fall forward after contact. That is likely going to force him off the field in short yardage and goal line situations at the pro level. There will also be concerns about his ability to pass protect because of his small size, although he was a willing blocker at UCLA.
• Jonathan Williams, RB, Arkansas: Williams did not play in 2015, but he was elected a team captain by his teammates even after he was lost for the season after having surgery to insert two screws in his foot to help repair damaged ligaments. In 2014, he rushed for 1190 yards and 12 TDs on 211 carries. Unlike the other running backs on this board, Williams does not have impressive reception numbers, but he is a physical runner.
• Devonte Booker, RB, Utah: Booker tore his meniscus this season, but not before racking up 1261 rushing yards as Utah's workhorse back. He turns 24 in May, which will turn teams off, so if he fell to the fifth round (unlikely), that would constitute good value.
• Charone Peake, WR, Clemson: At 6'2, 209, Peake has an impressive size-speed combination, but put up average numbers at Clemson, due in part to having to sit behind other talented receivers, and injuries. Peake lacks polish and has iffy hands, but his impressive measurables make him a high upside guy.
• Kolby Listenbee, WR, TCU: Listenbee was a track star at TCU, and averaged 19.9 yards per catch in 2015. In Indy at the NFL Combine, he ran a blistering 4.35 40. He has elite speed but needs a lot of work as a receiver.
• Demarcus Robinson, WR, Florida: Robinson was suspended four times during his career at Florida. As a result, his career numbers are unimpressive. For example, 27 receivers had more TD receptions last season than Robinson had in his entire collegiate career. Still, Robinson does have talent. He is thought of as a speed guy, although he only ran a 4.59 40 at the Combine.
• Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia: Mitchell ran the fifth-best 40 time at the Combine among a group of 44 receivers. In his final season at Georgia, he caught 58 passes for 865 yards and 5 TDs. Mitchell was a player who impressed me during the week of Senior Bowl practices. His health will be evaluated as much as his play on the field, as he tore an ACL in 2013.
• Mike Thomas, WR, Southern Mississippi: Thomas ran a 4.4 at his pro day, and averaged an extremely impressive 19.6 yards per catch on 71 catches. It's important to note the number of catches here. Oftentimes receivers might have very high yards per catch averages, but it's misleading because they have a low number of catches. Averaging nearly 20 yards per catch on 71 catches shows a higher level of consistency getting down the field and making big plays.
• John Theus, OT, Georgia: This guy has some Runyan in him. All week long at the Senior Bowl, Theus was getting in fights with his defensive line teammates. In the actual game, per my buddy Tommy Lawler if IgglesBlitz.com, he yanked Notre Dame's Sheldon Day to the ground by his dreads. Again, this was in an all-star game. Being feisty doesn't exactly make him good. However, Doug Pederson has in the past noted that he likes his offensive linemen to have "piss and vinegar in their neck." Theus was the 23rd highest rated player in the country coming out of high school, according to Rivals.com, and he has started at OT in the SEC since he was a freshman. That is some incredible experience.
• Kyle Murphy, OT, Stanford: Murphy played RT for Stanford as a junior and moved to LT this season. With Peters' career winding down, Murphy could follow in the footsteps of Lane Johnson, who played both RT and LT at Oklahoma.
• Brandon Shell, OT, South Carolina: Shell is a relative of Art Shell, the former OT and head coach of the Raiders. He played both LT and RT at South Carolina, and was also a four-year starter in the SEC, so he has extensive experience facing off against now-NFL pass rushers. In the NFL, Shell is probably best suited at RT.
• Cole Toner, OT, Harvard: At Harvard, Toner played LT and RT, and he said that he has begun working on snapping in case NFL teams see him as a potential fit center. Doug Pederson has already stated that the Eagles will prioritize versatility in their offensive linemen, and Toner could be a late-round developmental player who can pay multiple positions.
• Landon Turner, OG, North Carolina: Turner isn't very athletic (he ran a 5.58 40), and is likely going to have pass protection issues early in his career in the NFL, especially when teams move quicker edge rushers inside on obvious passing downs. However, Turner would give the Eagles something they don't currently have much of on their roster – a road-grading interior offensive lineman who can move defenders off the line of scrimmage against their will.
• Christian Westerman, OG, Arizona State: Westerman is a former big-time high school recruit (27th in the country by Rivals.com), who is an athletic freak. Westerman reminds me a lot of Evan Mathis, in that he is a beast in the weight room, and wins on the football field with athleticism and technique.
• Joe Dahl, OG, Washington State: Dahl is an offensive lineman with positional versatility. At Washington State, Dahl played both at guard and tackle. He'll almost certainly move back to guard in the pros. While Dahl does not have great athleticism, he's the kind of "try hard" player head coaches love.
• Evan Boehm, C, Missouri: Athletically, Boehm is not going to remind anyone of Jason Kelce. However, what Boehm does is move defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage against their will, which is a rare trait for centers in the NFL these days. He also played 52 consecutive games at Missouri, both at LG and C, which means he'll play through pain, and he is regarded as a very smart player. From the Eagles' perspective, Boehm could compete for a starting job at guard while also serving as a backup to Kelce.
• Ronald Blair, DE, Appalachian State: My friend Tommy Lawlor of IgglesBlitz.com is an App State alum and, therefore, biased, but he likes Blair as a fit in Jim Schwartz's defense as the #NextTrentCole. Blair was the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 when he had 7.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. At 6'2, Blair's short stature could turn some teams off, so he could be available in the middle rounds as a rotational defensive lineman.
• Dadi Nicolas, DE, Virginia Tech: Nicolas often could not hold the point of attack at Virginia Tech in the run game as a 235-pound defensive lineman, and probably shouldn't have been asked to. In the NFL, he'll have no chance as he'll often be battling offensive tackles outweighing him by around 100 pounds. However, he is a very good pass rusher with 35 1/2" arms who gave OTs competing at the Senior Bowl fits all week with his speed off the edge. In Jim Schwartz's wide nine looks, Nicolas could be very difficult for opposing tackles to deal with when given a lot of space to work. He could be an interesting fit as a situational pass rusher.
• Hassan Ridgeway, DT, Texas: Ridgeway had six sacks from his interior defensive line spot in 2014, and has talent as a pass rusher. However, he had a variety of injuries in 2015 and had conditioning issues at Texas. If the Eagles think they can motivate Ridgeway and still believe in their sports science program with Chip Kelly gone, Ridgeway could be a good value in the third round if teams pass on him because of those concerns.
• Joe Schobert, LB, Wisconsin: Schobert finished his season with 10 sacks as an edge rusher in Wisconsin's defense, but at 6'2, 236, he's probably going to have to transition to a 4-3 linebacker in the NFL. Schobert is a good athlete, so I don't foresee that being an issue.
• Nick Kwiatkowski, LB, West Virginia: The Eagles gave Kwiatkowski a little extra attention at the Senior Bowl, and then they reportedly met with him at West Virginia's pro day. And then they had him in for a pre-draft visit to the NovaCare Complex. Obviously, the Eagles have interest. Over the last three seasons, Kwiatkowski has racked up 275 tackles, with good pass breakup numbers in 2015 from his linebacker spot.
• Steven Daniels, LB, Boston College: In 2013, Daniels finished third on his team with 88 tackles. In 2014, he was second with 72 tackles. And in 2015, he led the Eagles' defense with 82 tackles. Daniels will not wow anyone with his measurables, as he is only 5'11, and he ran a 4.86 40 at the NFL Combine. However, much like some of the defenders the Eagles have brought into play in Jim Schwartz's defense this offseason, Daniels can thump.
• Rashard Robinson, CB, LSU: In 20 career games at LSU, Robinson had 33 tackles, 1 INT, and 4 pass breakups. In other words, he didn't exactly rack up numbers like some of the other corners in this draft. That's because Robinson didn't play all that much. He was suspended indefinitely from the team in November of 2014 and was arrested in July of 2015. He missed the entire 2015 season because of off-the-field incidents.
• Jeremy Cash, S, Duke: Cash doesn't play a ton of deep safety, and is almost more like a linebacker. He has good size for a safety and plays with a physical demeanor. Cash's numbers are awesome. In 39 games over the last three seasons, Cash had 38 tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles. If Jim Schwartz is open to adding a linebacker/safety hybrid type, Cash could be a great fit.
