March 04, 2017
John Ross is 5'11" deep threat from the University of Washington that is being linked to the Eagles in many NFL mock drafts. Here is what NFL.com's Bucky Brooks said:
The Eagles could opt for a DeSean Jackson clone to add some speed and playmaking to the passing game.During his marathon NFL.com conference call, Mike Mayock loved the fit of Ross and the Eagles. Specifically, he cited the speed element that Ross would bring to Carson Wentz and the rest of the offense:
"Ross is intriguing to me from an Eagles perspective. He's got some medical issues," Mayock said. "Take the medical concerns off the table for a second. He's probably the best vertical threat in the draft. That would help the rest of the Eagles underneath. They desperately need speed. You're talking about a guy that's going to run a 4.35, which I think he will, and he's also quick."
Ross doesn't come without some risk, though. Before the combine, our Jimmy Kempski wrote about his injury history:
Ross is as explosive a player as there was in college football last season. If he didn't have such an overwhelming number of injuries, he too would be in the conversation as the pick at 14/15. As is, he's probably a little too risky to take that high. If he's sitting there in the second round though, you can bet the Eagles will be interested.
The Daily News' Paul Domowitch also wrote about the Ross-Eagles fit, and it turns out that he's already friends with DeSean Jackson, who he is frequently being compared to. We'll see if Ross can live up to those lofty expectations.
One thing is for sure, though: Ross' draft stock won't take a hit after the NFL Combine, where he just ran a record 4.22 second 40-yard dash. Holy cow:
Officially the fastest 40-yard dash... EVER.
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2017
4.22.
Congratulations, @WatchJRoss! #NFLCombine https://t.co/nlos6YyKM8
Whether the Eagles draft Ross or trade for Brandin Cooks, it seems like there's at least a chance that Wentz will be throwing to a burner next season. It will be interesting to see if Ross starts to shoot up mock drafts after running such a blazing time.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
