January 31, 2017
The Senior Bowl is in the books, and a lot of the heavier hitters have begun churning out their first mock drafts of the offseason. Let's take a look at who the national folks see the Eagles picking:
Williams would instantly become their top weapon and give Carson Wentz some needed help. He could go much higher than 15, but if he's there, expect the Eagles to run the card up to the table.
#JimmySays: Yep.
The Eagles need a long, rangy corner capable of playing bump-and-run or Cover 2 in Jim Schwartz's scheme.
#JimmySays: Tabor is one of about six corners you'll see mocked to the Eagles during the pre-draft process, for obvious reasons
Everyone in Philadelphia knows the Eagles have to find a cornerback who can match up with the talented targets in the NFC East. Humphrey has some deep-ball coverage issues, but he's big, fast and physical.
#JimmySays: Humphrey is one of the more entertaining corners to watch in this draft, for his willingness to hit like a linebacker.
Desperate for help in the secondary, the Eagles find the draft's top corner waiting to be picked.
#JimmySays: Unless NFL teams discover some kind of injury, Lattimore isn't falling this far.
The Eagles’ offense was better in 2016 when Darren Sproles was RB1 ahead of Ryan Mathews, in part because of how dangerous Sproles is as a big-play threat. The problem: Sproles isn’t built to handle a 20-plus-carry workload. Cook is, and he’s just as capable of taking one the distance.
#JimmySays: There's a debate among fans as to whether the Eagles should draft Dalvin Cook or not. I've been promising an article on that for a while now, and I'm leaning against the Eagles going in that direction if given the opportunity.
I love Dalvin Cook’s game. The Eagles offense can shift with any “type” of running back. They showed that in 2016. Cook is a big play threat who also wins after contact.
#JimmySays: He is good, buuuuut....
The Eagles need a cornerback and they need wide receivers. The wide receiver class isn’t as deep as the cornerback class — OK, it's not even close — so the Eagles can wait on helping out the secondary. They can’t get another player like Williams if they pass on him here.
#JimmySays: I too subscribe to this thinking. I don't know you, Dieter, but nice job.
How good of a prospect is Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis?
"Yeah, he's not tough to evaluate," an unnamed general manager told NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah.
Davis is a special talent. He could even overtake Clemson's Mike Williams as the draft's top wide receiver prospect.
Major college football's all-time leader in receiving yardage is an obvious fit in this slot. The Philadelphia Eagles have a dire need at wide receiver after last year's group disappointed.
There is talent among the team's current wide receivers. Jordan Matthews is a good slot receiver. Nelson Agholor is a former first-round pick. And Dorial Green-Beckham has the physical tools teams want at the position.
Consistency never materialized, though.
Quarterback Carson Wentz needs another security blanket. Tight end Zach Ertz, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards last season, can control the middle of the field. A wide receiver who can win his matchup on a consistent basis is necessary too.
Davis is explosive at the top of his routes, runs away from defenders after the catch and creates with the ball in his hands. The 6'3", 213-pound target is everything the Eagles need to upgrade their skill positions.
#JimmySays: Man, Brent wrote an entire book.
I respect the effort, and the pick is fine, but I simply won't stand for any praise whatsoever for the Eagles' current wide receivers.
The Eagles have their quarterback. Now they need to get him better targets -- Jordan Matthews has been inconsistent, and Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham have been disappointing. Corey Davis probably is the most complete wide receiver in the entire draft. The Western Michigan star has the size at 6-3 and 213 pounds, which he uses to his advantage in 50-50 situations. He's a very crisp route-runner for someone of his size and can make defenders miss in the open field. Davis has lined up outside and in the slot, giving him extra versatility. He's a legitimate No. 1 option for an Eagles team desperately in need of one.
#JimmySays: Another vote for Davis, and I don't disagree.
Lattimore was the pick for Philadelphia last week, but the differences between he and Humphrey are minimal. Humphrey specializes in getting physical at the line of scrimmage and pushing receivers around.
#JimmySays: Is anyone going to mock anything other than CB, WR, or Dalvin Cook to the Eagles?
Week after week, the Eagles try and go in a different direction with this pick, only to end up right where we always do with Dalvin Cook. Marshon Lattimore was strongly considered; however, he does not satisfy one very important criterion: help for Carson Wentz. Corey Davis and John Ross do check that box, but the thought here is that despite some recent examples to the contrary, wide receiver is one of the positions that can take the longest to master. Ideally, the Eagles could get immediate help at WR in Free Agency, use a later pick on a WR to develop, and use the 1st round for a player who can help Wentz this year.
Cook is a guy that could be the #1 RB for the Eagles on Day 1. A true dual threat, he has amassed 3,500 rushing yards and 38 TDs in the last two years alone, as well as 730 yards and 2 TDs as a receiver over the same span. With numerous 50+ yard scoring plays, he's a threat to score from anywhere on the field any time he touches the ball. The one red flag teams must be comfortable with is his history of shoulder issues. Running backs and shoulder injuries go together like fat people and cheap trampolines. Cook underwent surgery on his right shoulder in 2014 as well as 2016, and had surgery on his left shoulder in high school. It only gets tougher in the NFL, so buyer beware.
#JimmySays: The shoulder is indeed a very serious concern, as are his off-the-field incidents and his fumbling issues.
A coin toss held at the 2017 NFL Combine will determine who will pick first between the Eagles and Colts. Jeremiah, Brooks, Zierlein, Reuter, Burke, Norris, Sobleski, Klopsis, and Drafttek all think the coin toss will go the Colts' way, while only Kurtenbach and Kadar see it going the Eagles' way.
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