Mock drafts: Who will the Eagles take?
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Mock drafts: Who will the Eagles take?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the weekly roundup of mock drafts with projections on who the Eagles could take:
In his first version over on Eagletarian, Paul Domowitch of the Daily News has the Eagles taking Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn.
Adam Caplan of FoxSports.com has a new name going to the Birds: Arizona outside linebacker/defensive end Brooks Reed:
The selection of Reed here probably will be a surprise to some because the team has shown no interest in him. The Eagles, if you recall correctly, kept their interest in defensive end Brandon Graham a secret before last year's draft. Reed is well respected by the scouting community, which is a big reason why he could go higher than most fans think. Reed could fill the “joker” role.
SI.com's Peter King has the Eagles taking Baylor offensive lineman Danny Watkins, but says they should take Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith:
Baylor coach Art Briles has been saying for the past year that Watkins, the former firefighter from Canada who didn't play football until junior college, would be a first-round pick. And he was hooted down. Art, you're going to have the last laugh. Philadelphia would consider pass rushers Aldon Smith and Adrian Clayborn here. But Andy Reid has an affinity for O-linemen, and Watkins is the kind of tough player Eagles fans will love.
ESPN.com's Todd McShay has the Eagles taking Smith:
Smith is neck-and-neck with Amukamara from a talent standpoint and is on the rise as teams get more comfortable with his character and their ability to keep him focused. He would be a steal at this point and step in right away opposite Eagles CB Asante Samuel to help upgrade a pass defense that allowed a franchise-record 31 touchdown passes in 2010.
Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com has a three-round mock up. He's got the Eagles going with Temple defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson in the first round:
Capable of playing the five-technique defensive tackle spot in the 3-4 or the DT position in the 4-3, Wilkerson did both in his three years at Temple. A former hoops star from Linden, N.J., he’s a run stuffer inside with pass-rushing capabilities. Andy Reid loves building from the inside out, and in Wilkerson, he can add depth to a defensive line that was ravaged by injuries last season.
Schrager has Lehigh offensive lineman Will Rackley going to the Birds in the second round and Cortez Allen, a cornerback from The Citadel, going to the Eagles in the third.
Rob Rang of CBSSports.com has the Eagles taking Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi in the first round, while Chad Reuter has them going with Smith.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com also has the Birds going with Carimi:
Andy Reid would love to address the Eagles' vulnerable secondary with this pick, but the top three cornerbacks are already off the board. By selecting Carimi, he addresses the suspect play at right tackle with a big, physical blocker with excellent skills in the run game.
Brian Baldinger of NFL.com has the Eagles taking Watkins:
I can see the Eagles trading down and gaining some picks here. Andy Reid likes taking linemen, and the Eagles need to protect Vick more than they did last season. They played musical chairs at right guard, and Watkins steps in as the starter. He has great hands, and you have to pass protect first in Philly. The Eagles need a cornerback, but they won’t take the risk involved with Jimmy Smith, who isn’t an Eagles-type pick.
Charles Davis of NFL.com has the Birds going with Smith:
Questions abound about Smith, but not about his on-field abilities. A bit of a gamble for the Eagles, but they need a CB with his size and speed.
Evan Silva of ProFootballTalk.com also has the Eagles taking Smith:
A legitimate top-15 talent with shutdown ability, Smith’s character concerns won’t cause him to slip past an Eagles defense that may be one right cornerback away from a Super Bowl appearance. Smith is a true man-to-man, “press” corner with enough physicality to also fill hard in run support.
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This draft situation would have been right on point for the Birds if if if the deal to get this union thing over. Kolb would have been traded. They could take a No. 1 and trade down for lots of picks. Now they best trade down for the picks to fill so many spots. They could get very lucky and grab alot of O talent as well as D and fool a lot of naysayers.— Koons- SS1073, RIIGHT YOU ARE !!! johnnyu— john ullman
- Wait till after the draft and then read Spadaro's take on each player. That's when you'll find out the real truth about each pick! My prediction is every player they take has "pro bowl" potential and is the best player at thier position and should be a long time starter in NFL!— Geno D
- Whoever it is, it won't be any of the aforementioned guys. Remember people - Reid NEVER takes the people we expect (or even think) he should. Chances are VERY likely we're trading down (maybe even out of the first rd) & we'll be taking guys who won't be impact players as rookies. Just how Reid works. Expect them to find a way to sign Asomugha. Birds have a track record w/free agents they want - they go out and get them. Period. (see Runyan, Jon. Kearse, Jevon. Samuel, Asante.)— thomaspfoolery
- Playboy says CU is the #1 party school in all the land, so the Birds must draft Smith b/c Heff can't be wrong!— 5280philly
- Who will the draft at 23? I'd say its a safe bet it won't be a linebacker.— watsonmr
- Look for the birds to grab Temple safety Jaiqwuan Jarrett in the 3rd round. A real solid player who will ultimately replace Q. He's better then Kurt Coleman right now.— ss1073
- lst pick should be a top grade bail bondsman, 2ond pick should be a professional photograher for better mug shots, 3rd rounder should be a good mechanic capable of changing flat tires, and 4th rounder should be a top line chef to cut done on the grease of Andy's daily consumption of cheeseburgers.— jwatson
- No matter what, if they go defense in the first chances are it will be a someone nobody had rated that high. The defense has consistantly gone down since the ex-R.R. and Tom Modrak players have moved on. It's the reason it is the worst defense in over 20 years!
- I don't think they will take anyone in 1st. I believe the Lions will go after Smith and Carimi will eb long gone. The Eagles will trade out of 1st and get talent in 2nd like Aaron Williams.— crohnkiller
- Who Cares— btsucceed
- DRAFT JIMMY SMITH!!!!! WE NEEED ANOTHER GOOD CORNER!!— Mustang35
- @ HandNik, I know I know, it's just they act so cheap. They failed to bring in Randy Moss, Tj Houshmanzadeh, Julius Peppers and couple others. But recieving core is good. But if they want a good OT then Draft Gabe Carimi. But I highly recommend they draft Jimmy Smith if he's available. If not then do so but I wouldn't mind seeing Brandon Harris.— Mustang35
- Mustang, you must not pay attention to football much. The Eagles have so much cap room it's ridiculous, and they can print money. Not saying they will wind up with Asomugha, but it's not an affordability problem. If they aren't going after him, they should draft corner. Otherwise, right tackle is key.— HandNik
- Bring in Jimmy Smith or Brandon Harris. Take it from a Bears fan, we all know that y'all can't afford Nnamdi Asomugha in REALITY. Just draft Jimmy Smith and bring in Casey Matthews in the second round if he's available Then try to find a SOLID OT with the next couple of picks. Don't waste y'all time with undersized chunky Defensive Tackles get a cornerback. Hell, nobody even thinks Asante Samuel is long-term anymore so your best bet is is to find a Corner and try to trade up for Albert Haynesworth. But if defensive tackle is that important then draft Corey Liuget. HE'S A DEFENSIVE TACKLE Y'ALL DESPERATELY NEED.— Mustang35
- Bring in Jimmy Smith or Brandon Harris. Take it from a Bears fan, we all know that y'all can't afford Nnamdi Asomugha in REALITY.— Mustang35
- How about they concentrate on settling an agreement so all this can take place as a normal event... basbeall rules at this point of time (as it should)...— M60tanker
- @Eagles_Nation - You must not read much of Sheil's work. He already posted an in depth analysis of who he would take at 23 and participated in a mock draft where he made the selection. Also, I appreciated the gathering of all this information in one place. Sure, I can Google. But if it is organized for me, it saves me time.— borntosuffer
Heres another idea, why dont you reporters, who are paid to give the news, insight and their opinion, actually offer their opinion and insight on what they think the eagles will do, insead of blindly relaying information that we can find ourselves by simply googling "nfl mock drafts"- I hope they take an undersized DE with a great motor again. Brooks Reed is that guy, we dont have enough of them. I love that Danny Watkins too, 26 year old OL are rare in the Draft, as such they should jump all over them. This eagles brain trust is the gold standard, just as good as the Steelers, as fans we know nothing. We should just wait and see who the eagles pick and praise the eagles for being so smart!
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