Eagles mock draft roundup
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Eagles mock draft roundup
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's a roundup of the latest mock drafts, along with the Eagles' picks:
SI.com's Don Banks has the Eagles going with Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe at No. 15:
Poe finds his NFL home, and it's not surprising to see Andy Reid taking the athletically gifted big man from Memphis. The Eagles need more strength up the middle of their defense, and the hope is that newly acquired linebacker DeMeco Ryans was just the beginning of that upgrade.
It's worth noting that Banks has Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox coming off the board at No. 9 to the Panthers, but he has Michael Brockers falling all the way to 25.
Charles Davis of NFL.com has the Eagles taking Brockers:
The Eagles want to get stronger down the middle of their defense, and this redshirt sophomore from the bayou is only going to get better.
Davis also has Cox going to Carolina. He's got the Cardinals taking Poe at 13.
Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com also has the Birds taking Brockers:
Before trading for DeMeco Ryans, just about everyone (including me) had the Eagles drafting Luke Kuechly, the do-everything middle linebacker out of Boston College. With the linebacker position addressed via Ryans, Philly can go a variety of directions with the 15th pick. Brockers may fulfill a huge area of need—Philly already has Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson at DT—but he could be the best player on the board. An active, big body, Brockers came on strong towards the end of the 2011 season and had a fantastic week at the Combine.
Rob Rang of CBSSports.com has the Eagles taking Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly:
No, I didn't forget that the Eagles traded for quality middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Perhaps the better question might be if you forgot how poorly Philadelphia's entire linebacking corps fared last season. In proving his athleticism at the Combine (and his jaw-dropping consistency throughout his entire career), Kuechly is earning top 15 grades from some clubs as an outside linebacker, as well as for the inside position. The addition of Ryans and Kuechly would turn what was the Eagles' worst unit into one of the team's greatest strengths.
ESPN's Todd McShay has the Eagles taking Alabama safety Mark Barron. He thinks Kuechly could still be an option though too:
Don't rule out Kuechly if he should fall this far. Yes, Philadelphia brought in ILB DeMeco Ryans via trade, but Kuechly might be too good to pass and has the ability to move to the outside.
The Sporting News mock draft predicts Cox will last to the Eagles:
Philadelphia wants to add a playmaker to the interior of its defensive line. Cox is the most explosive, dynamic inside force in the draft and a perfect fit in the Eagles' scheme.
Russ Lande of The Sporting News has the Birds taking Poe:
The Eagles want to improve the strength and production from their interior defensive line. They could get much bigger (346 pounds) and athletic with Poe.
Albert Breer of NFL.com has the Birds going with Poe too:
One scout told me you can assemble 40 or so plays on tape to make Poe look like a star. Philly hopes Jim Washburn can draw more out of him.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com thinks the Eagles will draft Cox:
General manager/head coach Andy Reid likes using his first-round picks to bolster the defense, and Cox has a chance to be an effective pass rusher next to Cullen Jenkins, who turned 31 in January and received a restructured deal this offseason that may have lessened his grip on the team's cap.
Wes Bunting of the National Football Post has the Eagles landing Cox too:
Cox is the kind of potential three-technique who can create behind the line of scrimmage and stop plays before they start. The Eagles don’t have a huge need at DT, but Cox could still mature into a playmaker inside, at a position where Philly lacks an impact guy.
ESPN's Mel Kiper goes with Cox as well. In the second round, he has them taking North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown and Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen:
My top tight end for much of the year, Allen didn't test well, but he's there on tape.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has the Eagles taking Brockers.
Evan Silva of Pro Football Talk has the Birds taking Cox:
Cox fits line coach Jim Washburn’s scheme as a gap shooter.
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I think our D line will be good enough this year with Jenkins, Patterson, Landri, and Dixon. I worry about a BC guy with good combine numbers ue to Mamula disaster but it would be great to see our LB core become a real strength! Maybe Barron falls and we trade back up and grab him too!— connorjr- Cox, Poe, Kuechly or Barron. At least one of these guys should be there at 15 and I'd be happy with any of them. If somehow they are all gone, I'd be OK with Brockers too. Let's just hope the Eagles don't ruin a pretty good offseason so far by getting cute and reaching for some stiff no one is talking about. We've seen that happen way too many times.— mish798798
- If DeCastro is still available at 15 I don't think they pass him up even though guard is not an immediate need. DeCastro can be a pro bowl caliber player for you for ten years. He's that good of a guard prospect.— soulman386
- I wish Mel Kiper was the Eagles GM this year. If the Eagles could snare all three of the players Mel has going to them in the first two rounds, it would be a bonanza.— dgreen14
- We need to get younger and stouter at DT. Any one of the top 3 would work, though Poe would fit better in a 3-4 since he doesn't move laterally very well. I also like the 3 because they are a little taller than Andy likes. I like the greater height to block the downfield view and bat down passes.— 4thand10
- Patterson, Landri or Dixon simply aren't good enough on the inside. The Eagles have long needed better production and pressure from the Tackle position. Under no circumstance is a Linebacker taken in the top 20 unless it's in desperation. The Eagles can get a capable linebacker out into the second round to come in and contribute. It is not difficult to replace the Eagles linebackers, all of them are very young and inexperienced and all of the linebackers available in this draft are not game changers in a passing league.
— Dexter - I really don't want Poe. I don't want a guy who is a combine performer, not an on-the-field performer. The Eagles brain trust may become arrogant though, and figure that Jim Washburn can get something out of him, that his college coach couldn't.— Bobphxville
Comment removed.- In justifying the selection of Kuechly, I love these lines by Rob Rang: "No, I didn't forget that the Eagles traded for quality middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Perhaps the better question might be if you forgot how poorly Philadelphia's entire linebacking corps fared last season." I think a lot of people are forgetting. I truly hope the Eagles don't ignore that position.
— Penfold18 - Will the morons please stop this "I'm scared of a BC guy with good combine numbers because of Mamula" nonsense? Lots of good NFL players have come out of BC.— p-diddy
- Of course, what this all means is that Andy and Howie will draft an Offensive Lineman....— topwonk
- Trevor Laws & Broderick Bunkley... Dont draft Dt's high. They rotate out and guys like Antonio Dixon as a rookie free agent and Derek Landri (journeyman)end up making a bigger impact.— FABER
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ESPN's Mel Kiper goes with Cox as well.
HAHAHAAHAHA like we didn't already know this was the case.— LGbalsac 
Wasn't Mamula an outside LB whom the Eagles though could be a DE and figured wrong?- Enough with the Mamula was merely a combine freak. He went ballistic his last year at BC, especially against Syracuse -- Marvin Graves was running for his life all day long. That year BC also had Stephen Boyd, and together with Mamula were really productive. Mamula's biggest problem is he had to play against Erik Williams too often. I think I just read where Mike Patterson can't play on the inside? And I wonder why Eagles fans drive me crazy? Seriously, dexter, whachoo smoking? If they end up with the first two picks in Kiper's draft I would be a happy fan. For a vanity pick I want them to fall back just a bit, pick up an extra late round pick, and then select LaMichael James.— Murrayman
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