Skip to content
Eagles
Link copied to clipboard

Eagles' draft needs: Cornerback

Third in a series focusing on positions of needfor the Eagles in the run-up to the NFL draft.

Third in a series focusing on positions of need for the Eagles in the run-up to the draft (Thursday-Saturday):

CORNERBACK

What they have: The Eagles got rid of both 2014 starters, Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams. They've added a couple of ex-Seahawks, Byron Maxwell at six years for $63 million, and Walter Thurmond, at the much more modest $3.25 million, along with former Buc and Redskin E.J. Biggers. They also have returnees Brandon Boykin, Jaylen Watkins (possibly tabbed as a safety) and Nolan Carroll.

What they need: A tall, long-armed, long-term bookend to Maxwell. The Eagles' scheme puts a lot of pressure on the corners; they need above-average starters at both spots, which they haven't had thus far in the Chip Kelly-Bill Davis regime. If either Boykin or Carroll ends up starting, they will have to be replaced in nickel and dime, respectively.

What's available: This is one of those areas where you definitely could see need and available talent intersecting in the early rounds. The Eagles almost certainly aren't going to have a shot at the top corner, Michigan State's Trae Waynes (6-foot, 186), but they might be able to snag LSU's Jalen Collins (6-foot, 228), who seems to have everything you'd want, but started just 10 college games. A report surfaced last week about Collins flunking multiple drug tests in college, but damaging character information that leaks out just before the draft is always suspect.

Collins is raw, though, and might be more of a second-round prospect just based on experience.

There's Marcus Peters (6-foot, 197), who clashed with the new coaching staff at Washington, and Kevin Johnson from Wake Forest (6-foot, 188), whose name has often been linked with the Birds. He is said to be very good in man coverage, but takes penalties. Utah's Eric Rowe (6-1, 205) can jam and press the way the Eagles like, but might not have deep speed, and could end up as an NFL safety.

There's also Quentin Rollins (5-11, 195) from Miami of Ohio, the four-year basketball, one-year football guy, projected as a safety by NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock. After the first few rounds, keep in mind that Ifo Ekpre-Olomu would have been a top corner prospect had he not suffered an ACL tear in December. Ekpre-Olomu is just 5-10, 185, but he played at Oregon, so, we'll see.