Mock drafts: Who will the Eagles take?
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Mock drafts: Who will the Eagles take?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Too early for mock drafts, you say?
Never.
The Scouting Combine in Indy is less than two weeks away, and there are hundreds of mock drafts already out there.
For those of you who think this is all nonsense, and point out that no one had the Eagles trading up and taking Jeremy Maclin last season in the first round, you are probably right.
But for those of you who like fun (really like fun, not just saying you like fun) and are going through withdrawal realizing there will be no football Sunday, well, read on.
Here's a roundup of the mocks out there. Interesting to note that I chose seven predictors from seven different sites, and there are no repeats in terms of who the Eagles will end up with.
Six of the seven have a defensive player.
Among the group: two linebackers, two safeties, two defensive ends and an offensive linemen.
Here you go...
SI.com's Don Banks has the Eagles going with Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes with the 24th pick:
The Eagles linebacking was in such need early last season that Philly had to go sign Jeremiah Trotter for a third time. Spikes plays mostly inside, and with Stewart Bradley recovering from ACL surgery, Spikes is at least a very smart insurance policy for Philly in 2010.
Wes Bunting of the National Football Post sees the Eagles taking Ole Miss offensive lineman John Jerry:
The Eagles have questions all over their offensive line, and Jerry gives them a big, versatile lineman who could mature into a very good right tackle or guard.
Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com has the Eagles taking USC defensive end/linebacker Everson Griffen:
2009 was Griffen’s first and only as a fulltime starter at USC and he made the most of it. The hybrid DE/OLB had 8 sacks, 9.5 tackles for a loss and 45 tackles overall. Sean McDermott’s defense got a lot of solid pass rush production from Trent Cole and Juqua Parker in ’09, but could use another young lightning rod coming off the edge. Griffen fits the mold.
Evan Silva of NBCSports.com has the Birds going with Texas safety Earl Thomas:
Thomas played the strong side at UT, but his speed makes him likely to move to "centerfield" in the pros. Second in the nation with eight interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) last year, Thomas offers the best ball skills in the draft and is plenty physical. The consensus first-team All American forced five fumbles in his final two seasons.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com has the Eagles landing USC safety Taylor Mays:
Andy Reid underestimated the impact of losing Brian Dawkins in the back end, so he nabs Mays to become the new anchor of the secondary.
Nolan Narwocki of Pro Football Weekly sees the Eagles ending up with Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap:
A strong-willed coaching staff has proven it can maximize the talent of an exceptional player with some character flaws.
Scott Wright of Draft Countdown has the Birds taking Sean Weatherspoon, linebacker out of Missouri:
A fantastic all-around player, Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon really is the total package. In addition to his impressive measurables and top-notch intangibles Weatherspoon is constantly around the action and just has a knack for making the big play. Weatherspoon would be a perfect fit on the outside in the Eagles scheme and if Stewart Bradley continues to battle injuries he is also capable of playing the middle.
Don’t know too much about the college LB’s mentioned, but if the Eagles are indeed in the market for a MLB, the Giants released Antonio Pierce. Pierce already stated he wanted to stay and play in the NFC East. If the price is right, he could be a really nice insurance policy at the linebacker position.
Me thinks the Texas safety seems intriguing. That would allow Mikell to move to SS, which seems to be a more natural fit for him. Not big on Mays, or Dunlap. Spikes would be a good choice as well. We seem to get bit in the arse when we assume guys are gong to come back healthy, and they don't.— The Reddgie- @ Reality- AP is trash. We'd be better off with Trot out there than a dude whose best days are five years behind him.
- "For those of you who think this is all nonsense, and point out that no one had the Eagles taking Jeremy Maclin last season in the first round, you are probably right." Nobody had the Eagles taking Maclin because he was rated higher than the Eagles slot by everyone and nobody was willing to project that Al Davis would be a bonehead..again...and take a guy that had no business being drafted in the Top 10 so that Maclin would slide down to us.— JimG
- By the way, any draft "expert" who has the Eagles taking a LB in the 1st round is just admitting that they don't actually follow the NFL teams. The Eagles have NEVER valued LBs highly in their system while Reid has been there. Reid is never going to take a LB with a 1st round pick.— JimG
Trade McNabb to Tampa for the 3rd pick in the 1st round and draft ERIC BERRY, S, TENNESSEE.- @friggin, trots best days r 5yrs behind him to!— jxnphillyfan
- JimG, while I agree, they also said that he doesn't take WR's either. Seems things are bound to change at some point.— MVKrum
- No offense, I appreciate the collection of resources and the work that entails, but don't you have an opinion on the matter? You know the Eagles better than all the "experts" don't you?
- Senseless game trying to think who'll get picked by the birds when they haven't made a move yet, we know they'll trade at least one of the QB's and maybe two, you'd have to figure in those picks and if #5 goes then it will be a high pick, so right now "why bother", just sayin'...— DJ
- JimG - You're right. I should have said "No one predicted they'd trade up and take a WR" last season. I changed the wording. Midnight Mayor - Still doing research. I'll have an opinion. Just not yet. Can't say I've watched all these guys closely (not that the "experts" above all have either). - SK— skapadia
i want brandon graham. taylor mays = roy e williams. a fast 40 aint the same a coverage skills. mays is an undead al wet dream. 4.3 in the 40. DHB is fast, but cann't catch a cold. he made b edwards seem like he has good hands. mays will be riding the bench in two seasons (he'll get two to prove he's a bust). graham would be the every-down LDE we need.- Brandon Spikes has size and alot of playing time, in big games, playing the middle. He could come in and start on day one. I think Bradley needs to move outside, so he can cover the TE or a back. Also, they need to keep Jordan as insurance. Witherspoon, Spikes, Bradley/Jordan in 2010. I'm good with that.— beegal99
I could throw darts an be as much of an "expert draftnik" as these clowns are.- I really would like to see them take a safety. I think they need to add guys who could be impact players at LB, S, and DE in a bad way. Peppers, Vanden Bosch, Kampman, Porter, Dansby are all good FA options but top flight safety talent is only available in draft this year. I think Mays will suck, please do what you have to to land Earl Thomas or Berry (pipe dream but god he's good). That said, as a Mich alum who has watched every game the past 5 years, I can tell you that Brandon Graham will be an ABSOLUTE STUD in a few years. Easily the best defensive player we've had since I've been watching and Lamar Woodley and David Harris have done pretty well for themselves in the pros. Our defense was absolutely atrocious and Graham was doubled the entire year and still couldn't be kept out of the backfield. Strong, off the chart athletic, and a motor that never ever stops (and that's pretty hard to do mentally when your defense is getting torched for 2 straight yrs) I think he's gonna be a perennial pro bowler and wouldn't mind them waiting on a safety if it meant Graham in midnight green.— Funboy
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