April 28, 2017
After taking a defensive end in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Eagles made sure to address their most-glaring need on Day 2: cornerback.
In the second round, the Birds took Washington corner Sidney Jones with the 43rd-overall pick. Unfortunately, he's still recovering from a torn Achilles' tendon and won't be able to immediately improve a position in desperate need of help. So with their other pick on Friday night, the Eagles took another cornerback, West Virginia's Rasul Douglas, to make it three straight defensive picks.
Here's a look at what you need to know about the newest member of the Eagles:
Born: August 29, 1995 | East Orange, N.J.
Height: 6'2" | Weight: 203 lbs.
High School: East Orange High School (NJ)
College: West Virginia
2016 Second-Team All-American (Associated Press)
2016 Second-Team All-American (Walter Camp)
2016 First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
2016 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (ESPN)
8 INTs in 2016 tied for most in nation
| YR | GM | TOT (SOLO/AST) |
TFL | INT | FF/FR |
| 2015 | 5 | 7 (6/1) |
0 | 1 | 1/0 |
| 2016 | 13 | 70 (49/21) |
3.5 | 8 | 1/0 |
| CAREER | 18 | 77 (55/22) |
3.5 | 9 | 2/0 |
Here's what NFL Network's Mike Mayock had to say about the Eagles' pick: "Defense, defense, defense. Douglas is a long corner. Exactly what Jim Schwartz likes."
And here's the scouting report on Jones, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:
STRENGTHS Tall, sporting an angular frame with good overall length. Very aware from zone coverage. Will roll out of his coverage area and overlap in order to make a play. Reads quarterbacks drops and will break early to race ahead of slants and make a play on the throw. Finisher when the ball is there to be had and flashed ball skills of a pro. Plays with strong hands. Able to go up high and win the 50-50 balls and needs very little time to have hands interception-ready. Good recognition of route combinations and will shift from pattern to pattern. Not a physical tackler but gets guys down. Length allows him to catch stray running backs breaking contain.
WEAKNESSES Tall corner who plays upright in his pedal, which affects his balance and transition quickness. Very average in his pattern matching and has below average closing burst to the ball. Won't be able to match quick-footed receivers from press coverage. Athletic and coverage limitations could limit his scheme fits. Doesn't have the downfield juice to stick with burners on go routes. Makeup speed is below average. Inconsistent hitter who may lack necessary aggressiveness as tackler to project to safety. Defaults to arm tackles.
NFL COMPARISON Daryl Worley
BOTTOM LINE Douglas has rare size for the position and his 2016 interception total will add to the level of intrigue for NFL teams. There is no doubting Douglas' ability to make plays on the ball when he's in position, but his lack of long speed and closing burst could make his big senior season an anomaly. Douglas is a zone corner with press and trail ability but needs to run a reasonable time at the combine to solidify his draft slotting. [NFL.com]
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