Eagles Go CB Again – Rasul Douglas
Posted: April 28th, 2017 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 89 Comments »The Eagles spent pick 99 on West Virginia CB Rasul Douglas, who led the nation with 8 INTs this year.
I have mixed feelings on Douglas. You get a big CB with great ball skills. He didn’t run well at the Combine and was a one-year wonder at WVa. That scares you a bit. Still, at pick 99, that’s a place you can take a chance.
Here are some Senior Bowl notes on Douglas.
CB Rasul Douglas had a great year, picking off 8 passes. He has played pretty well down in Mobile. Douglas is aggressive and physical. He likes to get his hands on receivers and fight them as much as he can. He also likes to jump routes, as you might have guessed.
There are a couple of issues Douglas has to work on. He is too upright in his backpedal when playing off coverage. NFL receivers will eat that up. Douglas also can be too handsy with receivers. That will draw a lot of flags at the next level.
CB Rasul Douglas impressed me all week. He broke up multiple passes every day. Douglas wants to get his hands on every pass thrown in his direction. He has good instincts and good ball skills. He also takes chances. There are times when he will get burned. Teams that like aggressive CBs will want Douglas. He is a playmaker. On Thursday he broke up a short pass as well as a deep ball.
I picked him for the Eagles in a mock draft for PE.com.
Fifth Round (No. 155 Overall): CB Rasul Douglas – West Virginia (6-2, 209 pounds)
Douglas is another player I watched a lot at the Senior Bowl. He absolutely seemed like a Schwartz guy to me. Douglas loves to jump routes. He led the nation with eight interceptions in 2016. He spent the whole week in Mobile jumping routes and trying to get the ball. Douglas isn’t afraid to get burned because he knows he will make his share of plays. He has excellent size at 6-2. Douglas can match up with big receivers. The biggest downside to him is pure speed. He ran 4.59 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine. Most teams want corners to be at 4.55 or less. Douglas will have a chance to run better at his Pro Day on March 31. That will be huge for him. Douglas isn’t as experience or polished as Sutton, but his size and ball skills would be welcome additions to the Eagles’ secondary. I think he could challenge for playing time right away.
I had Douglas rated as a 4th round pick. He ran 4.59 and that is the only reason I pushed him back from the 3rd round. If you’re comfortable with his speed because of his size (6-2 with 32-inch arms), then he is absolutely worth pick 99.
I do love the fact the Eagles are building the secondary. They took Sidney Jones in the 2nd and Douglas in the 3rd. They are not relying on one player. The Eagles might not be done yet. They could take another CB or a S on Day 3. You build a unit by bringing in depth and trying to create competition.
The defense got better today. I can’t promise either of these guys will start this year, but they will come in and compete. Douglas will do that right away. Jones will when he gets healthy.
_
Pair him with Jalen Mills: Slowest CB duo in the NFL
Brilliant…?
QB is on his back. Don’t matter.
well that could be part of the thinking. Invest in getting a DC that is known for getting to QBs, invest in a front 7 that gets to QBs, then get aggressive DBs with good ball skills (that may or may not be top speed guys – Jones is good speed wise, Douglas not so much) to go get the ball because QB’s will be spraying the ball around while falling on their backs. And the other team will focus on short to intermediate passes to get the ball out quickly to avoid Graham, Curry, Barnett and Cox and Hicks on the blitz (unleash Hicks), so don’t have to worry about the other team having the time to take advantage of a slow CB with too many long passes.
Exactly. If you hire Schwartz to run his stuff, you need the players to support that.
I have the solution
https://68.media.tumblr.com/9341e0c3ecc551331e07c3d4ea8159cb/tumblr_numd8r42ov1skqw0co1_500.jpg
Sherman and Maxwell were right up there for slowest CB duo in the NFL the year Seattle won the SB – and were also among the best. Speed obviously matters at CB but it’s not ALL that matters.
Just leaving this here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja-eAPgFioU
Dude is one aggressive son of a bitch…I love the way he attacks. He’s definitely a football player. And, has some really phenomenal skills going up and catching the football. Lack of speed is definitely evident but doesn’t seem to be so slow that he can’t make it.
Thanks for posting this.
Tommy, do you think he would benefit from losing 5-10 pounds to get a bit faster?
10 pounds is a lot. He would have to lose muscle mass, probably. Not really what you want, probably. I mean, he would have to stop lifting or something.
Dude is 210 pounds.
That’s sort of irrelevant. What matters is wether you think there is excess fat on his body. I don’t see that. Losing muscle mass is a transformation of his build, and that is a little dangerous. What will that mean for his explosiveness or physicality? Remember he is also 6″2. Long frame. If he was below 200 he’d be outright skinny for an athlete.
You don’t know that and neither do I.
Well sure, I mean, we are all just amateurs speculating about shit we dont understand. Or at least, I know I am.
Is LB Walker still on the availiable?
If you mean the guy from Northwestern, apparently yes!
It kind of feels like a positional pick rather than BPA. Or did we get lucky and the BPA just happened to be a position of immediate need?
I don’t think BPA is what you are looking for 100 picks into the draft. At this point there are a lot of similarly talented players available. You want to find the ones that best fit team style of play and also need.
BPA at this point of the draft is incredibly hard to determine outside of a teams draft room. Based on value boards, he went around where you would expect, so at the very least, it’s hard to call him a “reach.” But I think ICDogg said it well. You are looking for guys who best fit your scheme and can fit a position of need or provide valuable depth.
I may not agree with the picks due to a difference in philosophy, but one thing that normally leads to success is identify they players that you really want and take those guys regardless of value. I do believe that the eagles really liked these 3 guys and identified them as good scheme and character fits.
Daniel Te’o Nessheim and Jaquan Jarrett endorse this comment.
It’s very possible that the Eagles felt that their BPA options were all relatively at the same talent level therefore need was the deciding factor. Nothing wrong with that.
I know nothing about the guy, but Mike Mayock had him listed as the best available player left when we selected him. So by whatever stock you put in that, I don’t think he was a reach.
Exactly. I’m the first person screaming and yelling about reaching, but I don’t see Douglas as a reach.
Aggressive, physical ball-hawk with similar physical attributes to Richard Sherman. This has been a fantastic draft.
Cowgirls took Awuzie and Lewis. CBs with average to above-average speed.
Redskins took Fabian Moreau who is actually really fast, physical but grabby.
Our division rivals don’t really have the fastest CBs so getting a very speedy deep threat might really help our offense.
Moreau has stiffer hips than our guys we drafted too. He’s not going to turn as fast and get the ints maybe. Moreau also had a lisfranc injury in 2015.
I’ve seen people bring this up and I just don’t see it. He flips his hips very well and his backpedal is very clean.
Perine? Isaiah Ford?
When do we go for a slot CB? Elder or that other dude.
If you’re talking about Corn, I’m all ears
Him or Kazee
Or both!
Aw shucks.
All husks.
There’s a kernel of truth in that.
RB
Marlon Mack
Jamaal Williams
Brian Hill
Matthew Dayes
WR
Isaiah Ford
Shelton Gibson
Stacy Coley
Chad Hansen
Jalen Robinette
Josh Malone
KD Cannon
Dede Westbrook (yea I know)
CB
Damontee Kazee
Corn Elder
Jalen Myrick
Josh Reynolds still available?
yes
I somehow confused him for Chad WIlliams but yes he still is available.
I think Mills is our slot guy. Robinson plays outside until Jones is up to speed.
Are you putting Rasul Douglas as our other starting CB?
We already had a bunch of slot guys on the roster before the draft
If the next 3 names were Perine, Ford, and Elder, that would would be great value.
If Douglas were a small (sub 6′ w/ short arms) guy who ran a 4.59 but had good technique, the lack of timed speed would worry me more. But there’s plenty of precedent for big, physical guys with ball skills succeeding as NFL CBs with that kind of athletic profile. Richard Sherman is one. Our own Bobby Taylor was another. I have no idea if Douglas will be good but I don’t look at his combine numbers and assume he won’t be.
As long as you’re under 4.6 you can still succeed at CB in the NFL for the most part if you’re big and physical enough. With the exception of the very few outliers, timing over 4.6 seems to be a relative death sentence.
Douglas just makes it!
Bobby could flat out run though. Pretty sure he was a 4.4 guy if not better. He just couldn’t turn 🙂
Weston Steelhammer is still available.
Weston. Steelhammer.
https://media.giphy.com/media/WeL4qGM1EjfsQ/giphy.gif
Weston Steelhammer? That’s a “Game of Thrones” character, not a football player.
Would pair well with Long Cox
Unfortunately I think every player the eagles wanted in this draft went a few picks before them. Lattimore which wasn’t worth trading up for but still tough. Cook was obvious. Then hunt. Those two hurt.
Tends to always work this way. Teams focus on the weaker and less deep position groups and then come back around and draft the strength of the class later due to its depth.
You would rather take a WR at no.5 and a CB at no.37 than the other way around in this draft. Having said that a LOT of DB’s have been taken already – something crazy like 25+ already they were saying on NFL network at some point, so its not as if defence hasn’t been being selected.
28 secondary guys in the first 100 selections
i heard 8 interceptions, and i thought not bad for 2 or 3 years as a starter likely, not bad. then i hear it was 8 interceptions just this past year, and only started as a senior (not great of course that he did not start earlier, but great that he has 8 interceptions in one season)
Why does Howie seem irked by something? I think Douglas ran the show or at least convinced everyone to picking these guys over the guys that Howie wanted. Just my opinion.
I didn’t see the interview you’re talking about when did he seem irked?
Think it was the awkward one podium/open press conference with 3 people answering questions format. I got the sense Lurie demanded it but it was impracticle.
DId we draft Cook yet?!
Joking aside I strongly believe we will sign Jamal Charles after this draft..
that’d be sick
ehh…Charles is old, washed up and injury prone…not sure how exciting that would be
I’d still take him over Ryan Matthews. Also we have to wait how the final rounds of the draft will unfold. However Charles would provide a bandaid this season should the Eagles not come away with a promising rookie RB this year..
I’d be excited for league minimum
Seems like people are a bit surprised the Eagles have gone all defense so far.
Seems like joe Douglas is weighing game tape over combine/athleticism more than other teams.
Unfortunately sacks and interceptions in collage don’t always mean success in NFL. Example MS3 was the sack leader. But the skills that got them the sacks or ints may very well translate.
MS2 sacks were completely different than Barnett. Smith racked up a bunch of sacks by running unmolested to the QB. He didnt’ beat anyone, he had a bunch of mostly unblocked sacks.
Barnett shows good bend and power. He is actually beating OL. I don’t think Smith compares much to Barnett at all.
Plus is 40 time (Barnett) is way overrated. QBs don’t take 40 yard drop backs. Also Barnett has a really good 3 cone drill which is more important than long speed for a DL.
GMs basing their picks on combine numbers wont be be GMs very long.
“QBs don’t take 40 yard drop backs”
Apparently you are unfamiliar with Nick Foles’ work.
HAH!
Good thing he’s already on our team
That definitely appears to be the MO of this draft. I’m not sure whether or not that was a trend in Baltimore under Newsome. I have seen a study from the past that showed that in the first round particularly the top of the first round, players with better combine numbers more often than not out performed the players with worse numbers, however, by the time you got to the 3rd through 6th rounds the trend started to reverse itself, and paradoxically the players with the worse combine numbers historically out performed the ones with higher numbers.
The conclusion was that elite measurables matter when you have the tape to already put you in the discussion for the top of the first round, but after that you’re better off drafting football players that fell due to poor times than drafting track stars with insane measurables that fell because they didn’t have great tape.
I’m pretty sure Joe Douglas and his team watch all the plays, not just the highlights.
Isiah Ford and Elder are my picks for the 4th. Then trade kendricks for another 4th or 5th.
Id be happy with Marlon Mack or TJ Logan too at some point tomorrow
Jake Butt is still available. I know nothing about him except his name is Butt and he’s a Tight End
I like Jake Butt and I cannot lie…
“I saw him bench press a car one time in the middle of the night and he tried to act like he didn’t do it. He was curling the car too, I think.”
– Junior RB Daniel Brooks on teammate Samaje Perine’s insane strength
http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=210262415
Needs work on routes but
17. Chad Hansen WR
Perhaps most impressively, the wide receiver did not drop any of his 16 deep targets at Cal.
Even though Hansen does not necessarily have the measurables (6-2, 202 pounds) and ran a 40-yard dash of just 4.53 seconds, he excelled at catching deep passes and winning contested catches last year.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/draft-best-remaining-draft-prospects-for-day-3/
18. Isaiah Ford, WR
Ford may not have what it takes to be the No. 1 guy on a team, but he should be able to provide a very valuable complementary role wherever he ends up.
22. Mack Hollins, WR
He effortlessly blew by defenders throughout his career, evidenced by his 20 career touchdowns on just 71 receptions.
No thanks on Hansen. Even Teez could keep up with him.
I hope our draft ends up like this
4th
Desmond King S
Isaiah Ford WR
5th
Dorian Johnson OG
6th
Jamaal Williams RB
7th
Elijah Lee LB
Replace either of those 4ths with Samaje Perine because I’m tired of not scoring from the one yard line and I’m all aboard
He was one of my most frequently stalked mock draft target. I’d love him. But I can deal with Williams in the 6th.
Dorian won’t last much longer. Frankly he shouldn’t be around right now.
So as it turned out Mixon wasn’t on the Eagles draft board at all, contrary to the belief of 95% of the Philly journalists.
Only The great Howard Eskin was right all along..!
Maybe he was on the board below Sidney Jones.
Just like he was on the Ray Rice issue. Eskin, although often a total choad, is very well sourced.
3 74 Baltimore Ravens Chris Wormley DT Michigan Big Te
3 75 Atlanta Falcons Duke Riley LB LSU SEC
3 76 New Orleans Saints Alex Anzalone LB Florida SEC
3 77 Carolina Panthers Daeshon Hall DE Texas A&M SEC
3 78 Baltimore Ravens Tim Williams DE Alabama SEC
3 79 New York Jets ArDarius Stewart WR Alabama SEC
3 80 Indianapolis Colts Tarell Basham DE Ohio MAC
3 81 Washington Redskins Fabian Moreau CB UCLA Pac-12
3 82 Denver Broncos Carlos Henderson WR Louisiana Tech
3 83 New England Patriots Derek Rivers DE Youngstown State
3 84 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chris Godwin WR Penn State Big Ten
3 85 New England Patriots Antonio Garcia OT Troy Sun Belt
3 86 Kansas City Chiefs Kareem Hunt RB Toledo MAC
3 87 New York Giants Davis Webb QB California Pac-12
3 88 Oakland Raiders Eddie Vanderdoes DT UCLA Pac-12
3 89 Houston Texans D’Onta Foreman RB Texas Big 12
3 90 Seattle Seahawks Shaquill Griffin CB UCF The American
3 91 Los Angeles Rams John Johnson S Boston College ACC
3 92 Dallas Cowboys Jourdan Lewis CB Michigan Big Ten
3 93 Green Bay Packers Montravius Adams DT Auburn SEC
3 94 Pittsburgh Steelers Cameron Sutton DB Tennessee SEC
3 95 Seattle Seahawks Delano Hill S Michigan Big Ten
3 96 Detroit Lions Kenny Golladay WR Northern Illinois MAC
3* 97 Miami Dolphins Cordrea Tankersley DB Clemson ACC
3* 98 Arizona Cardinals Chad Williams WR Grambling State SWAC
This is the list of guys to whom we lost access due to the Jernigan trade.
If they sign Jernigan to a new deal, nobody on this list strikes me are more valuable than Jernigan long term.
If Jerningan is one and done for a possible 2019 comp pick of mystey; I’m irked we lost access to several guys on this list.
If Jernigan is one and done, but causes catastrophic injuries to Eli, Scam, Dak, Rivers, and/or Paxton Lynch; then I’m happier that we got our money’s worth.
I only care about Jourdan Lewis and Godwin
To recap:
– I’m still not sold on Barnett being anything more than Trent Cole. 80 sack / 10 years as an Eagles. That’s valuable, but not pick 14 valuable. I don’t hate him or fear a bust, but I wanted to get a guy (at any one of a number of positions) who we can say at the end of year three was in the top 2 or 3 players at his position in the conference / top 5 in the league.
– I dig Jones at 43 IF people are going to be philosophically consistent with Howie / Joe D and medical info. If you’re telling me they did the right thing by passing on Jonathan Allen, then you have to tell me they did the right thing by taking Jones. I full expect Jones to be back doing football stuff in the 4 months his doctor quoted me, PUP’d until week 6, and then showing clear signs on being back to the guy I wanted to take at 14 as a shutdown corner before his injury. I don’t care if they decided to shut him down for the year after the PUP window (week 10 I think) closes, but I’m demanding all 2018-2027 shutdown corner reward with this pick and zero risk.
– I can vibe on Douglas with what’s essentially a 4th round pick. Some flaws for sure, but hopefully he’ll clothesline losers like Bechkam, Pryor, and Bryant as we’re re-establishing our divine right of dominance over the foul scum in this division.
Or a side note; I wished somebody rushed the state (ideally Embiid) and beat the tar out of rude ass Harry Carson and that fossil from Dallas last night. If they want to turn full heel at OUR private Philadelphia draft event, we should have the right to have one of our heroes out and and choke slam them.
At least we got something in the cupboard now for CB.