April 26, 2024
Ben Lonergan/USA Today Sports
Speedster Troy Franklin could be a great fit as a slot receiver for the Eagles.
We're hours away from Day 2 of the NFL Draft. I have a lot of thoughts about the Birds right now, so let's get them off my chest before the Eagles get going on Friday night...
The Eagles have two second-round picks in their possession, No. 50 and No. 53. If they want to go all-in on offensive firepower, a receiver who could work in the slot from Day 1 with one of those selections would make a ton of sense. Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey would be an A+ fit there, but he may just be outside their range as an early second-round selection.
A receiver who could be there for them though? Oregon's Troy Franklin. The 6'2" wideout runs a 4.41 40-yard dash. His production backs up the attributes, too. He averaged a whopping 17.1 yards per reception for the Ducks in 2023, totaling 1,383 yards in 2023 while catching 14 touchdowns.
He's also young. He won't turn 22 until after the NFL regular season. DeVonta Smith, who starred as a rookie for the Birds, turned 23 during his first pro season in 2021 for comparison. The Eagles' usage of Quez Watkins the last two seasons showcased that team wanted a fast, vertical slot threat in their offense despite the diminishing returns Watkins provided. Franklin could go leaps and bounds beyond what Watkins did.
The Eagles' defense was a catastrophe down the stretch of the 2023 season, but it was clear that the offense was not at its peak 2022 level, too. Why not try as much as possible to make the O slump proof?
To paraphrase Duke Leto Atreides, the Eagles have outside receiver power. They must now cultivate slot receiver power.
The Eagles' big contract extension for DeVonta Smith finally came earlier this month. For the fan base, that new deal had become a foregone conclusion. Merit wise, it absolutely should've been. In reality, I wonder just how committed the Birds would be financially to the wide receiver positional group. Then came the gigantic A.J. Brown deal right before the first round of the draft that will pay him $32 million per year.
They're all locked in. Good.
How rare is it in the modern NFL to have both the quarterback and two wide receivers on monster contracts?
The Cincinnati Bengals have Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. After getting franchise tagged this offseason, Higgins requested a trade. That trade has not come and it looks as if Higgins will be in Cincy for 2024, but he likely won't be after this year.
That's not the Birds' fate, however, as Smith and Jalen Hurts are under contract through 2028. Brown is under contract through 2029. Hey, if anyone is going to figure all of this out, it's going to be Howie Roseman.
The Eagles did everything they could to keep the young-ish offensive core of Smith, Hurts, Brown, Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson together as long as possible. The Eagles are working with, at minimum, a top-two receiver duo. They might both be top-10 guys. Eagles fans should be rejoicing.
I was among the people who thought the Eagles would, and should, build for the future at offensive line in the first round. Before pick No. 22 came, however, there was a huge run on offensive tackles that took the top guys off the board for the Birds. What did work out in their favor was that they then had their choice of any defensive back in the class. They went with Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell.
Your newest Eagle, Quinyon Mitchell: pic.twitter.com/dhSV5t3Ull
— Word On The Birds (@WordOnTheBirds) April 26, 2024
I understand if taking a MAC cornerback in the first round gives Eagles fans pause. From what we've seen from Howie Roseman over the previous three drafts, taking a small-school player this early feels out of character. Hell, taking a non-Georgia or non-Alabama player does as well, especially when corner Terrion Arnold was right there, too.
Much has been made of the Eagles not drafting a corner in the first round in 22 years, not since selecting former All-Pro Lito Sheppard back in 2002 with the 26th-overall pick. If Mitchell is the exception to the Eagles' multi-decade team-building philosophy, that speaks volumes as to how they view him as a player.
Roseman and the Birds are not the only ones who think so highly of Mitchell. For all the talk of him being a small-school player, he turned down the opportunity to make a leap in the transfer portal to a major college power.
Here's what former Alabama head coach Nick Saban said regarding Mitchell:
Nick Saban on ABC about Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell: "He was our No. 1 guy in the portal last year to try to get him to come out of the portal, and he would never get in the portal."
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) April 26, 2024
If Mitchell played for the Crimson Tide in 2023, he's going in the top 15, not sliding to 22. Hey, he's a loyal guy. I like that in a player's demeanor. He's ready to crush pro competition now.
Since Howie Roseman resumed total front office power ahead of the 2016 season, the Eagles have used two Day 2 selections on linebackers. First came Davion Taylor in 2020. Bust. Next came Nakobe Dean in 2022. The jury is still out, but the injuries woes have continued for him as an undersized backer and the early returns are not good.
Will Roseman target that position once more with one of the team's two second-round picks with how teams physically tore the Eagles' defense apart at the second level in 2023?
People in Philly will obviously clamor for Jeremiah Trotter Jr., the son of an Eagles legend and a former Saint Joe's Prep star.
It's funny to watch post-retirement Jason Kelce now tweet about football, to our own Jimmy Kempski no less, like a regular ol' Eagles fan:
This is usually the case, but sometimes guys can slide out later. Tyler smith is probably doing it this coming year for Dallas unless something changes in the next few days.
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) April 25, 2024
If you're looking for a place for freelance writing this season, Jason, hit up this deputy sports editor...
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