During the college football season each year, as long as you're watching the games, we point out five players each week to keep an eye on who make logical sense for the Philadelphia Eagles in the following year's NFL Draft.
Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan (6'3, 339): (11) USC at (18) Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
Grant came in at No. 3 on Bruce Feldman's "freaks" list this year.
Anyone doubting Grant’s speed (a max of 18.75 mph on the GPS) only needed to see him run down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen in the open field last year,” Feldman began. “His ability to fly up Michigan’s reactive plyo stairs test, a series of seven 26-inch-high stairs that players attempt to jump up as fast as possible, is truly freakish. This offseason, Grant pressed a 115-pound dumbbell 34 times on his right and 27 times on his left. He vertical-jumped 29 inches and did a Turkish get-up with a 150-pound dumbbell.
Here's the chase-down play referenced above:
29 tackles (5 for loss), 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, 5 batted passes in 2023.
The Eagles will have to decide next offseason if they want to exercise Jordan Davis' fifth-year option.
Emery Jones, OT, LSU (6'6, 315): UCLA at (16) LSU, 3:30 p.m.
Lane Johnson said during training camp that he thinks he could play until he's 40, but that more realistically he'll probably play another two-to-three years. Of course, he's been saying he'll play another two-to-three years for each of the last three years, so maybe he will play until 40. 🤷♂️
If during the offseason Johnson were to indicate to the team that the 2025 season will probably be his last, then RT will become a major need, and Emery Jones would be an obvious replacement candidate.
Dude plays with bad intentions:
He also has the power, nastiness, and anchor to be a guard, despite only weighing 315 pounds.
Collin Oliver, LB, Oklahoma State (6'2, 240): (12) Utah at (14) Oklahoma State, 4:00 p.m.
Oliver is a off-ball linebacker / edge rusher who has had outstanding production in his first three years at OSU.
| Collin Oliver | Tackles (TFL) | Sacks | PBU | FF |
| 2021 | 29 (15.5) | 11.5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 28 (7.5) | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 73 (15.5) | 6 | 5 | 4 |
Fun, twitchy player:
There's a place in Vic Fangio's defense for players like Oliver, who can fill a role similar to Zack Baun's.
Dasan McCollough, LB, Oklahoma (6'5, 223): (6) Tennessee at (15) Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m.
McCollough is another hybrid linebacker, but one who has defensive back responsibilities playing the "Cheetah" position in Oklahoma's defense.
He has length, athleticism, and toughness:
His father (Deland McCullough) and grandfather (Sherman Smith) both played running back in the NFL.
Again, Fangio loves him some versatility, and McCullough can do a lot of things.
Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa (6'6, 247): Iowa at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
Iowa produces a ton of NFL tight ends:
• 2017: George Kittle, Round 5
• 2019: T.J. Hockenson, Round 1
• 2019: Noah Fant, Round 1
• 2023: Sam LaPorta, Round 2
• 2024: Erick All, Round 4
Lachey is in his fifth year at Iowa, and he doesn't have eye-popping production having played along with LaPorta and All. His 2023 season was off to a good start, but he broke his ankle in the third game, had surgery, and missed the rest of the year.
Quick highlight reel below. He has great size, he's a good route runner, he makes contested catches, and he is thought of as a good run blocker.
He'll likely be a Day 2 pick with a good 2024 season.
Previously profiled players
- Nazir Stackhouse, DT, Georgia
- Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
- Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
- Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia
- Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
- Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
- Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
- Dontay Corleone, NT, Cincinnati
- Xavier Nwankpa, S, Iowa
- Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
- Malachi Moore, S, Alabama
- Jack Nelson, OT, Wisconsin
- Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
- Jordan Burch, DL, Oregon
- Caleb Prieskorn, TE, Ole Miss
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