May 01, 2015
After selecting a wide receiver and a cornerback with their first two draft picks, the Eagles look to bolster their already bloated ILB corps with Texas ILB Jordan Hicks. The Eagles have now Kiko Alonso, DeMeco Ryans, Brad Jones, Najee Goode, Emmanuel Acho and Hicks on their roster at ILB.
Oh, and Mychal Kendricks.
Hicks has less than ideal size at 6'1, 236, but his Combine measurables were excellent:
Like most Eagles picks, Hicks is known for his excellent character, via NFL.com:
STRENGTHS Looks good on the hoof. Has desired height, weight and speed. Smart and loves the game of football. Scouts say the staff at Texas raves about the way Hicks lifts, prepares for games and takes care of his body. Has football character in spades. Not a thumper but a tackle finisher -- won't miss often. Can glide and chase as plays bounce outside. Has burst to leverage outside runs and cut off angles against mobile quarterbacks. Showed more discipline and improvement after a year under head coach Charlie Strong.
SOURCES TELL US "He'll probably be a coach after he's done with football. He loves it that much. His problem is that it's hard to project the player fitting into his traits because he struggles to make plays outside of the scheme." -- AFC area scout
The Eagles had a second round grade on Hicks, per Chip Kelly:
Coach Kelly: (Hicks) was our highest rated guy by far. We had him in the second round. A lot of exposure to him. pic.twitter.com/CaxuVt9qBE
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 2, 2015
Hicks was a major recruit out of high school, as he was the 16th highest rated high school player in the nation in 2010 by Rivals.com. However, he had season ending injuries both in 2012 and 2013, which he detailed in a long-form piece by Sports Illustrated. First his 2012 injury:
"My first injury was against Ole Miss my junior year," Hicks recalls. "My groin had been aggravating me a bit, but I went out there and played and didn't think much of it. I go to make a tackle, and all of my weight falls on my groin and I just hear a pop. My adductor in my groin had torn off the bone.
"I had to sit out for a few games, and I tried to come back for the Oklahoma game which I think was about three weeks after. Ultimately, I re‐aggravated it and had to sit out the entire season."
And his 2013 injury:
"I came back that fourth game against Kansas State and I end up tearing my Achilles in the third quarter," Hicks says. "For me, that was the true heartbreaker. It kind of defined my career a little bit, being labeled as somebody who is injury prone and whose health is always questioned. Compared to the first injury, it was a lot worse. I wasn't sure what I did wrong."
After signing a number of injury-prone players in free agency, and now drafting one in the third round, Chip Kelly is betting the house on his sports science initiatives.
Highlight reel:
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