Mock drafts: Who will the Eagles take?
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Mock drafts: Who will the Eagles take?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's a roundup of mock drafts and who they have the Eagles taking:
ESPN.com's Mel Kiper still has the Birds going with Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi in the first round:
I have offensive tackle as the top need for a team that has to make sure they don't take the athleticism of their starting quarterback for granted. In Carimi they get a guy who loves to run block and will sustain those blocks. But he can also take on great pass-rushers, and has shown enough that it figures he could fill in at either tackle position early, potentially starting on the right side with the goal to become a starting left tackle.
ESPN.com's Todd McShay also has the Birds going with an offensive lineman, but it's Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod:
I struggled with this pick more than any other in the first round, having a hard time finding a player who fits Philadelphia's needs and was worthy of the pick. In the end, guard and tackle are priorities and Sherrod has the versatility to contribute at both positions. He's not explosive or dominant and is a bit of a reach here, but Sherrod consistently gets into position and rarely makes mistakes, and recent off-field issues for current OT Jason Peters could increase the urgency to address the offensive line. The Eagles could also consider the top available cornerbacks here, but all come with questions.
Off-field issues for Peters? C'mon. I can say with confidence that Peters' little run-in with the police will have zero effect on who the Eagles take in the first round.
WalterFootball.com has the Birds taking Carimi:
The Eagles' most glaring weakness is the offensive line. They surrendered 52 sacks this year, including six in that weird Tuesday night game against the Vikings.
Gabe Carimi, drawing comparisons to Jon Runyan, is perfect for Andy Reid's blocking scheme. He can take over for Winston Justice, who was benched in the playoff loss to Green Bay.
Adam Caplan of FoxSports.com has the Birds taking Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith:
Smith, who visited the Eagles last week, would be a perfect fit for the way the coaches use their cornerbacks in the secondary — a lot of man coverage. And they would like to be more physical at that position. Pouncey would also make a lot of sense since they need competition at center and have an opening at right guard.
Rob Rang of CBSSports.com has the Birds going with Carimi, and Chad Reuter of CBSSports.com has them taking Smith.
Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly gives the Birds Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers:
The Eagles could use help on both of their lines, and, with Victor Abiamiri returning from injured reserve, are one of the few teams with enough talent to consider drafting Bowers and shelving him for a year, if necessary. Teams have expressed serious concerns after Bowers clearly appeared hobbled at his pro day, and his Combine reevaluation could go a long way toward determining his draft status.
The National Football Post tabs Colorado offensive lineman Nate Solder for the Birds:
A major position of need in Philadelphia is filled by the athletic Colorado OT for Andy Reid’s offense.
Brian Baldinger of NFL.com says it'll be Carimi:
When the Eagles benched starting RT Winston Justice in the playoff loss to the Packers, it spoke volumes about the need for an immediate upgrade. They have missed the steady presence of Jon Runyan since his retirement, and Carimi carries himself with the same type of confidence. Carimi gets the task of protecting Mchael Vick's blind side.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com has the Eagles going with Smith:
The Eagles' playoff loss to the Packers revealed a secondary that lacks the depth or talent to hold up against sophisticated aerial attacks. Smith comes with baggage, but his cover skills are undeniable and he should thrive playing opposite Asante Samuel in an aggressive scheme.
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I don't know that Smith would be a good pick with a brand new defensive coordinator. Don't know enough about Johnnie Lynn to know how he'll handle his attitude. Right tackle to protect Vick's blindside would be a good investment.— HandNik- Do the right thing— shawnmac
- Drafting Bowers to take Abiamiri's place on injured reserve makes perfect sense.— armchairGM
- LOL! and right on. The eagles are just arrogant enough to think their all set and only need to draft for depth anyway.
- I have the Eagles trading the pick for a cheesteak and hoagie.— Justaschmuck
- Can we please get to the actual draft soon! These mock draft articles are like watching TV re-runs (for the tenth time!)— wordsword
- Patrick Hill #30 University of Miami The Best Blocking Fullback Coming out of College!!!!!!— DJ_Bootleggah
- Looking forward to Andy pulling a rabit out of his hat!— Powelton villager
- AND HE CAN CATCH!!!!! AND HE PLAY SPECIAL TEAMS!!! AND INSANE SHORT YARDAGE SITUATIONS!!!— DJ_Bootleggah
- Since the majority choice sem to be Carimi, he will probably be gone by the time the Eagles pick. Therefore they will use that as an excuse to trade out of the first round. Oh, and this Nawrocki guy, analyst for Pro Football Weekly. He gets paid for saying something stupid like that?— watsonmr
- So now that they cannot trade Kolb for any pick at this point, I'm not quite sure what to make of the position of taking a OL with the first round pick. Justice is signed long term, so do they try to move him inside? What do they do about Austin Howard, who IMO, could become a starter in the NFL at some point. The guy just needs seasoning. If they do go OL with that pick, they MUST acquire a solid CB and LB in FA, in addition to a capable DE to fill in for last year's 1st rounder recovering from surgery.— beegal99
- Everyday there's an article about "mock draft;who will the eagles take" it's getting really old reading the same s#!t over and over!Hey Sheil, if you and the rest of the league want to know who the eagles take, just read the comment section! watsonmr seems to be pretty accurate!I'll put my money on him!— Geno D
- If the Carimi comparisons to Runyan refer to attitude, get him! Though isn't the logic of 'start on the right then move to the left' sort of bass-ackwards with a left handed QB?— raoool
- we all know the eages will NEVER make the logical pick carimi or pouncey, but they will pick bowers(due to his injury) or trade out of the first round— bigjay215
- we all know the eages will NEVER make the logical pick carimi or pouncey, but they will pick bowers(due to his injury) or trade out of the first round— bigjay215
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