Mock Time

Mock drafts are hard. You almost never come away satisfied with the picks you make, whether this is a full NFL mock draft or just one team. I did my first mock for the Eagles and came away frustrated. The team has no 2nd or 3rd round picks and only six overall. You want more picks, especially in the Top 100.

The mock is posted at PE.com.

The biggest takeaway is that the Eagles have a good roster and don’t have a lot of immediate needs. They can focus on talent more than need. Obviously need will always be somewhat of a factor, but the Eagles have more freedom than most teams.

The one position I think that comes closest to a need is slot corner. The Eagles have some options on the roster, but no one that is ideal. You certainly can’t count on a rookie to come in right away and be your primary slot, but it does happen every year. We’re seeing more and more DBs play in the slot on a regular basis in college. That helps the transition to the NFL.

It used to be that the best DBs played outside in college and if those guys had to slide inside in the NFL, it could take a year or two to adjust. There is a substantial difference to playing inside and outside.

In terms of what I want, the more I think about it, the more I would like the team to move back. The Eagles could drop back just a couple of picks and might be able to add a 5th rounder. If they went back 5 to 10 picks, they could add a 4th. This isn’t a substantial bounty, but would allow the Eagles to add another player to compete for a spot.

This won’t be a draft where the Eagles are looking for a bunch of starters. They just don’t have those kinds of picks. Picks in the first 3 rounds are the guys you expect to make the team. Players in the 4th and 5th should make the team. The 6th and 7th rounds are more for developmental players. You would love a DT to come in and challenge Destiny Vaeao and Elijah Qualls for a roster spot. You would love a WR to come in and push Shelton Gibson. And so on.

It’s great when Jason Kelce (6th rounder) becomes a key starter. Or Jalen Mills (7th rounder). Trent Cole was a terrific Eagle taken in the 5th round. You just can’t count on players in those rounds becoming starters. Expect them to become good role players, and hope they become starters.

*****

#SMU WR Courtland Sutton is visiting the #Eagles today, source said, and he has a workout this weekend with the #Bears. Among the other teams to get private time with him: #Patriots, #Saints, and #Cowboys.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 10, 2018

Good player. That said, I’m not as high on him as others. Some feel he could be a 1st rounder. I think of him as a player in the 2nd round. Looks to be at his best in the slot, which is a bit unusual for a WR so much size.

Very talented player. There just happen to be other guys I like a bit more.

*****

Tyler Aston wrote a piece on OL that could interest the Eagles in the draft.

We don’t agree on all the guys. He like Connor Williams more than me. We both like Martinas Rankin quite a bit. I think Rankin is the OT who best fits the Eagles.

Tyler and I definitely disagree on one point. Here is something he said on OG Will Hernandez.

How he fits with the Eagles: Hernandez would come in and immediately push Wisniewski for the starting left guard position. He profiles as a long-term starter in the NFL. The big question with Hernandez is his lack of positional versatility and the fact that he plays a spot where the Eagles are relatively set.

That last part is what I disagree with. Set?

The Eagles do have Isaac Seumalo still in the mix. They envisioned him as the C of the future at one point and that could be his best spot. It sure didn’t look like LG was his spot last year. As for Chance Warmack, he was okay late in the year, but hasn’t looked like anyone I want starting and protecting Carson Wentz.

Hernandez played LG for UTEP and could step right in there with the Eagles, backing up Stefen Wisniewski. Wiz is in the final year of his deal. He played pretty well in 2017, but he was not a Pro Bowl type blocker. Hernandez has the potential to be a stud OG. He’s got the size and power the Eagles seem to like.

Tyler is dead on the money about Hernandez lacking versatility, which is an issue, but he’s the kind of massive OL the Eagles have shown an interest in (Peters, Brooks, Warmack).

Tyler knows OL play really well. Do yourself a favor and read his piece.

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