Pass-rushing defensive ends on display at combine

INDIANAPOLIS - Most of the discussion about the Eagles' offseason needs includes calls for a No. 1 receiver and some semblance of starting cornerbacks. But one of the Eagles' under-the-radar needs is defensive end, where the team must bolster a pass rush that underperformed last season.

The position could undergo changes in coming weeks. Connor Barwin is a candidate to be traded or released while the team tries to create salary-cap flexibility. The most probable solution is giving more time to Vinny Curry, who had only 21/2 sacks last season and could not secure a starting job even after signing a five-year, $46.25 million contract last offseason.

"When we re-signed Vinny last year, he had nine sacks in the NFL and we felt very confident that he'd fit in this scheme," top executive Howie Roseman said. "Going back and looking at the cut-ups and the tapes through the course of the season, he's a guy that got a lot of pressure. As we go forward, here's someone that we're counting on for a large role. We know he can get pressure. . . . We need more out of him, but we feel confident that we're going to get [it]."

But if the Eagles go into next season with Curry and Brandon Graham as starters, they'd have a pair of 29-year-olds rushing the edge and little proven depth behind them. That's partly the result of Marcus Smith's inability to emerge into a reliable pass rusher, and also a scheme change that brought different requirements for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's edge rushers than what the Eagles sought the previous three seasons.

That's why the draft - and potentially even the first round - could be a spot where the Eagles seek a pass rusher. At No. 14 overall, the Eagles don't pick high enough for top pass-rushing prospects such as Texas A&M's Myles Garrett, Alabama's Jonathan Allen, and Stanford's Solomon Thomas. But Michigan's Taco Charlton, Tennessee's Derek Barnett, and UCLA's Takkarist McKinley all could go in the range of the Eagles' pick.

"I've got eight guys that have potential first-round grades as edge rushers," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. "They're not all going to be first-rounders."

Charlton will be. The 6-foot-6, 277-pounder emerged as a top pass rusher in his senior season at Michigan, when he had 91/2 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss while making first-team all-Big Ten. He doesn't have a long track record of consistent production, but teams can also view the steady development as a sign that there's still potential to reach. His long, muscular frame is ideal for the position and is unlike anyone the Eagles have on the roster at the position.

"I'm a 6-6 guy, big and strong," Charlton said. "So, I study a lot of guys that got that similar body type. Guys like Carlos Dunlap, guys with that similar body size that learn how to use their leverage and use their long arms. So, I studied them just to see how I can use my body. And then I studied the Justin Houstons, the Tamba Halis just because the way they use their hands is almost an artwork. And pass rush to me is artwork a little bit."

Barnett was ill this week, but he did participate in events on Saturday. The defensive linemen have on-field work on Sunday. Even if Barnett is not healthy enough, NFL evaluators can put on a game film and see a player who started in the SEC as a freshman and had double-digit sacks all three seasons. He is 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds and has ideal production for the position.

"He's a hellacious pass rusher," Mayock said.

At 6-2 and 250 pounds, McKinley doesn't have the same height as Charlton or bulk as Barnett. But he had 10 sacks, 18 tackles for a loss, and six pass breakups as a senior at UCLA. He might also be appealing to teams that play a 3-4 defense - the Eagles are more focused on downfield rushers.

"Some teams have me as a 4-3 rush end, some teams have me as a 3-4 outside linebacker," McKinley said. "I tell them I can do both. . . . I'm here to get the quarterback. The league now is a passing league. They need young guys who can get to the quarterback and I feel I'm the best pass-rusher in this draft class to do that."

The Eagles could also find a developmental defensive end after the first day who learns behind Graham and Curry. Villanova's Tanoh Kpassagnon, a Wissahickon High School graduate, measured at 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds and his athletic testing on Sunday could drive his stock. Kpassagnon might be a few years from reaching his potential, but he has the frame and athleticism that are difficult to find.

Wherever it comes, the Eagles need pass-rush help. Five defensive ends totaled only 161/2 sacks for a defense built around a four-man rush. It might not get the attention of wide receiver or cornerback, but it's a position to watch in free agency and the draft.

The Eagles agreed to a one-year contract with defensive back Jaylen Watkins, who was an exclusive rights free agent. They are going to place a second-round tender on restricted free-agent tight end Trey Burton, according to a league source.

Watkins, 25, was a 2014 fourth-round pick who was cut by the team in 2015, later returned and carved a role as the third safety last season. As an exclusive rights free agent, he could not sign elsewhere. Watkins had 24 tackles and three passes defended while playing 38 percent of the defensive snaps in 2016.

By giving Burton a second-round tender, the Eagles would receive a second-round pick if they did not match an offer sheet Burton signs. Burton can also sign the Eagles' one-year tender, which is the most likely scenario. Burton, 25, is a key special teams player whose role grew on offense last season when he caught 37 passes for 327 yards and one touchdown.

Washington wide receiver John Ross set a combine record with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash.

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm