After two years of neglect, Eagles looking at offensive linemen at combine
INDIANAPOLIS - The Eagles scouted the offensive linemen at the combine the last two years. But when those drafts arrived, they avoided that pool of players.
INDIANAPOLIS - The Eagles scouted the offensive linemen at the combine the last two years. But when those drafts arrived, they avoided that pool of players.
The Eagles were the only team to eschew the position in both the 2014 and 2015 drafts, and Lane Johnson was the lone offensive lineman selected in Chip Kelly's three years with the team.
Expect that to change this spring, when the Eagles will add to their line with some of their nine draft choices.
"We were leading the league in offensive linemen drafted from, I think, 2000 to 2013," executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said last week. ". . . As we get in here and look at all the prospects, it's an important priority for us."
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said the Eagles "can't draft enough offensive linemen."
Coach Doug Pederson admitted "there are some holes" on the line. Guards were a particular problem last season. Pederson suggested the Eagles could look to free agency for help, which would provide an immediate solution. But the draft will nonetheless supply depth, if not a Day 1 starter.
"This is a good offensive line draft," Pederson said. "So I think we should be able to get some guys who can come in and help the ones that are there and make it a better offensive line. Get more production there."
At No. 13 in the first round, the Eagles are in position to select an offensive lineman who could start right away. The best lineman - Ole Miss' Leramy Tunsil - will be long gone by that point, and the Eagles would be lucky if Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley slips. If both are off the board, then Michigan State's Jack Conklin and Ohio State's Taylor Decker would be popular names discussed for the Eagles.
With Lane Johnson under contract and Jason Peters expected to return, the Eagles don't have an immediate need at tackle. Guards are seldom selected in the first round - eight tackles were selected in the first round in the last two drafts and only two guards - but it's not uncommon to select a tackle who can start his career inside.
That could be the case with Conklin, who measured at 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds and was one of the top linemen in the athletic testing Friday. Conklin can play tackle and guard, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. Getting to the combine is an impressive achievement for a player who did not receive a single scholarship out of high school. After redshirting his first year, he became a three-year starter before leaving with one year of eligibility remaining.
"I was thinking where was I four years ago [on signing day] and I was thinking I had no idea where I was going to be," Conklin said. "To be here now four years later training for the combine and possibly being a first-round pick, it's crazy. I think about it all the time. It's the chip-on-the-shoulder mentality, that's the thing that drives me every day to see how far I've come and how close I was to not having this chance."
Decker, who is 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds, was named the Big Ten's top offensive lineman last season. He started three years for the Buckeyes, including the last two as their left tackle. Decker projects more as a right tackle in the NFL, and he'd be willing to make the move. He saw top pass rushers Joey Bosa and Noah Spence in practice at times in college.
"That can't be [overstated]," Decker said. "I got to play against some really good guys, more than I got in reps in the game."
Indiana's Jason Spriggs is a player who drew attention this week because of his athleticism. The 6-6, 301-pound all-American had the best 40-yard dash and broad jump of all offensive linemen, and Mayock said he could imagine offensive line coaches saying they "want to work with that guy." Stanford's Joshua Garnett and Kansas State's Cody Whitehair are the top linemen who project as guards.
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