April 26, 2015
Gene J. Puskar/AP
Could Penn State OT Donovan Smith be booed on draft day as vigorously as Donovan McNabb was?
As always, all of the below is a lot of wasted text if the Eagles find a way to trade up and draft Marcus Mariota. However, if the Eagles stand pat at pick No. 20, the following mock drafts give an idea of what players might be available when they are on the clock on draft night.
In case you missed any of the mock drafts we put out this offseason so far, you can find them below:
• Eagles only mock draft: Version 1.0, pre-Combine edition
• Eagles only mock draft: Version 2.0, post-Combine edition
• Eagles only mock draft: Version 3.0, post-free agency edition
• Eagles only mock draft: Version 4.0, Pre-draft doldrums edition
Onto the experts:
Drafting an offensive lineman after a tumultuous offseason might seem like a letdown for some Eagles fans, but Collins' combination of underrated athleticism, power and tenacity could make him a surprising fit in Philadelphia. At this point in the draft, he would also provide exceptional value.
#JimmySays: I love Collins' fit with the Eagles, as he was the first round pick in my Eagles only mock draft, version 4.0. What the Eagles lack is a player who can move defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage with sheer power. With power runners like DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews in the backfield, it makes sense to add a more physical presence to the interior of the line. That's not to say the Eagles have to change what they do. They still have more than their share of players who can get up to the second level or out in front of backs and receivers in the screen game. But they don't have anyone they can really feel great about running behind in those important drive-extending short yardage situations.
Collins can be that for the Eagles, initially at RG, and eventually kicking out to RT. And it's not as if he can't hold his own in the athleticism department. Athletically, at a minimum, he'd be an upgrade over the recently departed Todd Herremans.
Connecting the pro day dots, Chip Kelly has paid close attention to big, athletic defensive back prospects this spring. Eric Rowe is in the conversation, but Jones is the better fit and should surprise no one if he's drafted this high.
#JimmySays: The Eagles have indeed done extensive homework on Jones, and I have him as the most likely player the Eagles will pick if they don't trade up for Marcus Mariota. Jones checks the boxes in terms of what the Eagles are looking for in a defensive back. He's big (6'1, 199, 32" arms, 10" hands), he's versatile, he's physical, and he's a stellar character guy, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
Philly has to improve its secondary and Johnson is a player who can cover. He isn't big, but could excel in man coverage.
#JimmySays: While the Eagles certainly need to improve their secondary and Johnson is a player with polish, he falls short on the size-speed combination that Ed Marynowitz talked about a few days ago.
(Note: Brinson has the Eagles trading up to #2) Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon? Chip gets his guy through some fancy draft-day finagling. It theoretically does cost him a lot in this draft if he has to pay an expediency tax to the Browns and Titans, but the thinking here is he loves Mariota enough to push hard once draft day rolls around.
#JimmySays: Yep.
Perriman is one of the most polarizing players in the draft.
#JimmySays: Bleh. Perriman has the size/speed combo the Eagles are looking for, so he makes sense in that regard. However, this draft is loaded with talent at wide receiver. The Eagles can probably get a wide receiver nearly as good as Perriman in rounds two or three. There will be plenty of players at other positions available at 20 who are every bit as appealing as Perriman, in my opinion. This is not the spot to be taking a wide receiver unless one of the big three falls.
Dorsett might be the toughest player to account for in space in this entire draft and Chip Kelly understands how to create space for his weapons.
#JimmySays: I'm a huge Dorsett fan and think he'd be a great fit in Chip's offense, but again, this is too early to be drafting a wide receiver when you can get one who will nearly just as good in rounds two or three.
The Eagles’ leaky pass defense allowed too many big plays down the middle of the field. Collins is an instinctive ballhawk with a feel for making plays on the ball.
Ed Marynowitz was asked about Collins, and he hinted that while Collins has some nice strengths to his game, they don't match up with what the Eagles value at the position.
(Note: Brinson has the Eagles trading up to #2) Once Mariota slides past the Jets, the Eagles will get on the phone to deal up and acquire their perfect match.
#JimmySays: Mariota isn't lasting until pick 12.
Surprise? Smith checks all the boxes the Eagles (apparently) look for: Senior Bowler, athletic and visited the team’s facility. I don’t love Smith’s game, but teams who do likely think he can play guard and tackle. They must be able to unpack the traits he offers.
#JimmySays: Josh has a good understanding of the way the Eagles think, but if they took Donovan Smith at 20th overall, he'd be booed 20x worse than the other Donovan was in 1999.
I think the coachability concerns are more muted at this point and I want to give Chip Kelly a cornerback he really needs and believe he'll make it work. Peters can be a turnover-maker in the secondary. This is a clear need area as well.
#JimmySays: Muted? There are no new incidents involving Peters, so OK, he's got that going for him. But are the Eagles going to ignore all the character concerns associated with him in the past just because he kept his nose clean for a few months leading up to the draft?
Byron Maxwell certainly was paid like a No. 1 cornerback—the former Seahawk got $63 million with $25 million guaranteed to bolster Philly's anemic secondary. Even if Maxwell lives up to that deal, he'll need a bookend, and the Eagles are trying to find the right fit. Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher are gone, Brandon Boykin is a slot corner, and guys like E.J. Biggers and Walter Thurmond probably aren't going to get the job done. Peters may very well be the best cornerback in this draft class, and he'd most likely be a top-15 pick were it not for the issues with Washington's coaching staff that got him kicked off the team in 2014. Peters then went back to Oakland, thought it all through, apologized to his former coaches and was invited to participate in Washington's pro day. That put a lot of concerns to rest and pushed the focus back to Peters's game tape—which, for any team looking to add an aggressive press cornerback to its roster, should be sufficiently impressive.
#JimmySays: I guess I'm just skeptical that someone who turns on the charm for a few months in an effort to make more money is suddenly a good guy. I do give Farrar a lot of credit for backing up his picks with some actual analysis instead of a one or two sentence blurb.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski
