October 19, 2024

Five college prospects who could interest the Eagles in the 2025 NFL Draft

Louisville pass rusher Ashton Gillotte is among the names to keep an eye on this Saturday in college football.

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Jamie Rhodes/Imagn Images

Louisville DL Ashton Gillotte (9)

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.

Ashton Gillotte, DL, Louisville (6'3, 275): (6) Miami at Louisville, 12:00 p.m.

Gillotte is an inside-outside versatile defensive lineman who is stout against the run, and who has explosive traits as a pass rusher. He had 4 sacks as a freshman in 2021, 7 sacks as a sophomore in 2022, and 11 sacks as a junior in 2023. Some 2023 highlights:

If you watched that entire video, you can see that he can win with quickness (0:39 mark vs. NC State) and with pure power (1:00 mark vs. Notre Dame).

Brandon Graham is playing his last season as an Eagle, and Milton Williams is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason. Gillotte has some similarities to both of them, and feels like a very logical Day 2 target.

Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson (6'6, 240): Virginia at Clemson, 12:00 p.m.

Briningstool is a tall red zone target with 14 career TDs who can post up smaller defensive backs and run away from linebackers. He is a good route runner who understands how to separate vs. man coverage and find the holes against zone.

Reminds me a little of Mike Gesicki. Day 2 guy.

Nick Emmanwori, S/LB, South Carolina (6'3, 227): South Carolina at Oklahoma, 12:45 p.m.

Emmanwori plays safety for the Gamecocks but because of his size is likely to move to linebacker in the NFL. He's a playmaker. In 2023, he had 2 INTs and 8 PBUs. In 2024, he already has 2 INTs, both of which he returned for TDs, though one was called back on a penalty. He's a physical player, and a high-level athlete:

He fits the profile of modern NFL linebackers who can cover running backs and tight ends.

Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia (6'3, 235): (5) Georgia at (1) Texas, 7:30 p.m.

Mondon was a five star recruit out of high school. He was ranked 21st in the country by 247Sports and 11th by ESPN recruiting. He didn't play much as a freshman in 2021 in Georgia's loaded defense, but he led the 2022 National Champion Bulldogs in with 76 tackles. He has ideal length to get into passing lanes, as well as impressive quickness and change of direction ability. A look:

Mondon is often used in Georgia's defense as a QB spy, and the Eagles are going to have to deal with Jayden Daniels for the foreseeable future.

David Bailey, EDGE, Stanford (6'3, 250): (21) SMU at Stanford: 8:00 p.m.

Bailey is something of an EDGE/LB hybrid, who is mostly playing on the edge in 2024. He has 3 sacks in 6 games. Here he is harassing Syracuse's QB all game (via @Sam_Teets33). He's No. 23:

Bailey is probably just a developmental prospect at this point, but he is in the same mold as a guy like Zack Baun, who can line up at linebacker and move into an edge role pre-snap.

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