December 21, 2024
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.
Reed is an aggressive, physical, downhill safety who makes plays at the line of scrimmage as a run defender, and who also has some ballhawk skills (3 INTs and a FF this season).
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) December 18, 2024
Roberts played sparingly his first three seasons at Miami before transferring to SMU, where he had 10 sacks in 2023 and 5.5 sacks in 2024. He's built similarly to Brandon Graham, with inside-outside versatility:
#SMU EDGE Elijah Roberts has excellent inside-out pass rushing ability that allows him to be effective in multiple spots along the d-line. Heavy, active hands, plays with power and leverage at 6-4, 278. Could see him being a big edge or 3 tech at NFL level. pic.twitter.com/lVggKzadV3
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) May 14, 2024
And, I mean, he wears a neck roll. You don't see those anymore. Go get that guy.
Barron is tied for third in the nation with 5 INTs, and he is this season's Jim Thorpe Award winner, which is given to the nation's top defensive back. He's a safety / slot corner / dime linebacker hybrid who plays the "star" position in Texas' defense. He's extremely versatile, he's physical, and is thought of as a highly intelligent and prepared player:
This is a hell of an INT by Jahdae Barron. It’s also a prime example of his football IQ, boundary CB with no responsibility finds some work and he’s rewarded with an INT. pic.twitter.com/rLnBc2OaZ3
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) August 31, 2024
The Eagles have a very good secondary with a lot of young pieces who have been a big reason for their success this season. Even if stacked on the back end, guys like Barron are good long-term investments, because they can fill so many different roles, and you never know where you might have a need from season to season. And certainly, Vic Fangio places a high value on versatility.
Sawyer is a very good run defender from the edge and an instinctive player, but he lacks elite athleticism and impressive pass rush numbers (18.5 sacks in 50 games). A quick highlight reel:
With Brandon Graham likely retiring, the Eagles will have a need for an early down run stopper on the edge, with some room to grow as a pass rusher.
Norman-Lott transferred from Arizona State to Tennessee, and he has had 9.5 sacks last two years in a low number of snaps in a heavy defensive line rotation. When he has gotten opportunities, he brings energy and hustle, and he has a lot of raw physical traits.
One of my early favorite DTs in the 2025 class is Tennessee's Omarr Norman-Lott. Violent, powerful, and explosive pic.twitter.com/4jlK6fEs6o
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) December 13, 2024
Jalen Carter is probably playing more snaps than he should be, and Milton Williams is in a contract year. The Eagles need more contributors on the interior of their defensive line.
Follow Jimmy & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @JimmyKempski | thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
Add Jimmy's RSS feed to your feed reader
