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 draft.
Malik Washington, WR, Virginia (5'8, 194): Duke at Virginia, 3:00 p.m.
Washington is second in the nation in receiving yards. On the season, he has 88 catches for 1199 yards (13.6 YPC) and 7 TDs. He has produced at least 100 yards receiving in 8 of 10 games so far this season for Virginia:
Opponent | Rec | Yards | YPC | TD |
Tennessee | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 0 |
James Madison | 5 | 119 | 23.8 | 1 |
Maryland | 9 | 141 | 15.7 | 0 |
North Carolina State | 10 | 170 | 17.0 | 2 |
Boston College | 9 | 97 | 10.8 | 1 |
William and Mary | 7 | 112 | 16.0 | 1 |
North Carolina | 12 | 115 | 9.6 | 1 |
Miami | 12 | 152 | 12.7 | 0 |
Georgia Tech | 11 | 109 | 9.9 | 0 |
Louisville | 9 | 155 | 17.2 | 1 |
Virginia stinks (they're 2-8), so Washington has been a rare bright spot but has also flown under the radar. He is built like a running back, and he gets yards after the catch. He is also capable of making plays down the field from the slot.
Quez Watkins, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Julio Jones are all under contract for a few more months, and then the Eagles will likely be looking to help at receiver. Washington would be a nice fit as an extension of the run game on the perimeter, and a guy who can take advantage of favorable matchups over the middle. He can probably be had on Day 3.
Mohamed Kamara, Edge, Colorado State (6'1, 250): Nevada at Colorado State, 3:00 p.m.
Kamara is a lesser-known but very productive prospect who had 6.5 sacks in 2021, 8.5 sacks in 2022, and already has 10.5 sacks in 2023.
Kamara is a violent player who could probably tone it down a bit (see his targeting penalty against Colorado earlier this season), but who probably has a future in the NFL as situational pass rusher and special teams contributor. Day 3.
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame (6'0, 204): Wake Forest at (19) Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m.
Watts is a converted wide receiver who entered 2023 with 0 career takeaways, but he leads the country in 2023 with 7 INTs. Here's his monster day against Caleb Williams and USC earlier this season:
The Eagles are averaging 1.2 takeaways per game this season, which is 20th in the NFL. They need more players who can take the ball away, and obviously some added help at safety.
Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State (6'6, 334): (5) Washington at (11) Oregon State, 7:30 p.m.
Fuaga is a RT prospect from Oregon State with prototype size and plenty of athleticism who is beginning to get some first round love. In pass protection, Fuaga can retreat with quick feet and wait for rushers to come to him (Jeff Stoutland style), or attack at the snap near the line of scrimmage (Howard Mudd style). In the run game, he can move bodies against their will and reset the line of scrimmage. But it's his explosiveness when he pulls to the outside or when he bolts to the second level that is what has scouts excited. You can see all of those traits on display here in his game against Utah earlier this season:
Fuaga's fit in Philly is pretty easy. He can understudy under Lane Johnson for however long Johnson wants to continue to play while also potentially cross-training at RG in the short-term.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas (6'0, 207): (7) Texas at Iowa State, 8:00 p.m.
Brooks has had to sit behind Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson at Texas the last couple of seasons, but now that they have moved on to the NFL, he was having a breakout season before tearing his ACL last week.
Jonathon Brooks | Rush | Yards | YPC | TD |
2021 | 21 | 143 | 6.8 | 1 |
2022 | 30 | 197 | 6.6 | 5 |
2023 | 187 | 1139 | 6.1 | 10 |
Brooks also had 25 catches on the season, so he is a factor in the passing game. Here are all of Brooks' touches against Kansas earlier this season:
Brooks would probably be best served to go back to Texas for another season, but if he comes out he could be a bargain on Day 3.
Previously profiled players
- Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
- Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame
- Matthew Hayball, P, Vanderbilt
- Calen Bullock, S, USC
- Dorian Singer, WR, USC
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
- Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
- Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
- Maason Smith, DT, LSU
- Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State
- Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
- Demani Richardson, S, Texas A&M
- T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
- J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama
- Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
- Jer'Zhan Newton, iDL, Illinois
- Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
- Kai Kroeger, P, South Carolina
- Jacoby Windmon, SAM, Michigan State
- Oronde Gadsden II, WR, Syracuse
- Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
- Dontay Corleone, DT, Cincinnati
- Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
- Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
- Tory Taylor, P, Iowa
- Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
- Jimmy Horn, WR, Colorado
- Eric Gentry, LB, USC
- Graham Barton, OL, Duke
- Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
- Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
- Smael Mondon, Jr., LB, Georgia
- Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
- Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri
- Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
- Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
- Deshawn Pace, LB, Cincinnati
- Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
- Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
- Kamren Kinchins, S, Miami
- Kalen King, CB, Penn State
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
- TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
- Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
- Cole Bishop, S, Utah
- Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
- Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
- Frank Gore, Jr., RB, Southern Mississippi
- Tykee Smith, S, Georgia
- Nazir Stackhouse, DT, Georgia
- Cooper DeJean, S, Iowa
- Javon Foster, OT, Missouri
- Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia
- Bralen Trice, DE, Washington
- Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky
- Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
- Jack Nelson, OT, Wisconsin
- Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
- Josh Newton, CB TCU
- Jordan Burch, DE, Oregon
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