NFL draft: Looking at players taken with the 25th pick and other spots the Eagles will select
From Tim Tebow to Ted Washington, there's been mixed results at No. 25. And the last time the Eagles had pick No. 53, they took LeSean McCoy.
![The Eagles, barring a trade, have the 25th pick in Thursday's first round.](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/eJAhk_AJ_xaJIbh0-Ottw_Zlezk=/760x507/smart/filters:format(webp)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/VYKJCXT52VCPJJ3OMXQN35KUTY.jpg)
Will Howie Roseman take an offensive player at No. 25? A defensive player? How about a trade?
There’s never been a Hall of Famer picked at No. 25, but there have been some decent players. The Eagles have picked 25th four previous times. One never played football, another turned out decent. One was a bust, another was terrific — all you had to do was ask him.
Here’s a whimsical look at some of the players taken previously in the spots where the Eagles are currently selecting (picks Nos. 25, 53, 57, 127, 138, 163 and 197). Read quickly, though. You know Howie’s gonna make some trades.
Eagles all-time at No. 25
Freddie Mitchell, WR, 2001: Mr. 4th-and-26 tweeted this week that Donovan McNabb ruined his career. Ah, the drama.
Jon Harris, DE, 1997: Ray Rhodes reached for Harris in the first round and paid for it. Harris played two seasons for the Eagles before Andy Reid traded him back to Rhodes, who by 1999 was the Packers head coach.
Jermane Mayberry, G, 1996: Played nine seasons for the Eagles and played in three NFC Championships. His legacy, though, is the Eagles Eye Mobile, which travels the area providing eye care to underserved school children. Mayberry, who is legally blind in his left eye, kickstarted the Eye Mobile with a $100,000 donation his rookie season.
Alvin Dark, B, 1945: Was a quarterback at what is now Louisiana Lafayette, but chose to play baseball after his service in World War II. Dark was baseball’s 1948 rookie of the year. Cleveland pitcher Gene Bearden finished second. Phillies outfielder Richie Ashburn was third.
» READ MORE: Some theories on why high draft picks just don’t work out
Five best at No. 25
» Stanley Morgan, WR, 1977: Good receiver who went to four Pro Bowls in 13 years with the Patriots.
» Ted Washington, DT, 1991: Run-stuffer for seven teams and 17 seasons. Played six years for Buffalo and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots.
» Butch Byrd, DB, 1964: Spent seven seasons in Buffalo where he won two AFL championships and was first-team AFL All-Pro three times. His 40 interceptions still stand as the Bills record.
» Stew Barber, OL, 1961: Another No. 25 who helped the Bills win those 1964 and 1965 AFL titles. A Penn State product, Barber missed one game in nine seasons.
» Dont’a Hightower, LB, 2012: A three-time Super Bowl champion with New England. Had two sacks in the Patriots most recent championship, a grinding 13-3 win over the Rams. Also made the tackle of Marshawn Lynch before Malcolm Butler’s miracle interception which won Super Bowl 49.
The last five
2018: Hayden Hurst, TE, Ravens
2017: Jabrill Peppers, S, Browns
2016: Artie Burns, CB, Steelers
2015: Shaq Thompson, LB, Panthers
2014: Jason Verrett, DB, Chargers
» READ MORE: Jabrill Peppers sent to New York for Odell Beckham Jr.
Other triviality
» Tim Tebow was the 25th pick in 2010. He played just 35 games in the NFL, but had an 8-6 record as a starter and won a playoff game in his second season. He was a training-camp arm for the Eagles in 2015 and is currently with Syracuse, the New York Mets’ triple-A affiliate. Tebow, an outfielder, entered the week hitting .163.
» The only other Heisman winner besides Tebow taken No. 25 was Johnny Rodgers, who was drafted by San Diego in 1973. Rodgers, who won the Heisman in 1972, opted to play his first four pro seasons for Montreal of the CFL. He played parts of two seasons with the Chargers in 1977 and 1978 before retiring.
» Billy Cannon Jr. was drafted by the Cowboys at No. 25 in 1984. He was the son of the 1959 Heisman winner.
» The Cleveland Browns haven’t been to the playoffs in 16 years. The quarterback who beat them in the wild-card following the 2002 season, Pittsburgh’s Tommy Maddox, was picked 25th in 1992 by Denver. Maddox also was once property of the Philadelphia Soul, though he never played in the arena league.
Eagles’ 2019 picks and history
A look at the seven places the Eagles are picking this year and some players who’ve been selected at those positions through the years.