Eagles Only Mock Draft 1.0

Posted: April 2nd, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

Now that the Eagles have made most of their free agency moves and we have a good idea of what the roster looks like, it is time to venture into the world of mock drafts.

This is my first mock draft for the Eagles this year. Doing them before late March can certainly be fun, but every signing, trade or cut can change things significantly. For instance, the Eagles trade for Jordan Howard has to change how you think about running back. It doesn’t mean they won’t draft a running back, but the presence of Howard might change when they draft one or what type they draft.

With all that in mind, let’s get started.

First Round (No. 25 Overall): OG Chris Lindstrom, Boston College

The Eagles most important player is Carson Wentz. He has been injured each of the past two seasons. I think it is imperative that the Eagles do everything they can to protect him. While the offensive line looks good on paper, depth is a concern on the inside. Brandon Brooks is recovering from an Achilles injury. He plans to be healthy for the season, but you cannot count on that.

Lindstrom is a terrific guard prospect. He was a stud right guard in college and could be plugged in right away if Brooks isn’t ready to go for September. Lindstrom is 6-4 and 308 pounds. He is a lot of fun to watch. He fires off the ball on run plays and is able to get good movement. Lindstrom is strong and athletic. He is a solid pass protector. He reads stunts and loops well and has the agility to get them blocked up. Lindstrom has good athleticism. He blocks well in space.

Lindstrom would make sense for the Eagles because of his talent and versatility. He played right guard and right tackle for BC. I think guard is his best position, but he could play on the outside if needed. He could also slide inside and play center. Lindstrom would be a smart pick for the present and the future.

Second Round (No. 53 Overall): S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida

The Eagles didn’t have good depth at safety last year. Rodney McLeod got hurt and that put a lot of pressure on Avonte Maddox and Corey Graham. Both of them were meant to be role players at that stage of their career, one young and one old. Tre Sullivan was raw and needed a lot of work.

Andrew Sendejo was signed to give the Eagles better depth this time around. That’s great for 2019, but he is an older player. So is Malcolm Jenkins, who will turn 32 this season. The Eagles need to begin developing young talent at safety and drafting Gardner-Johnson would be a great start.

He was a two-year starter for the Gators. Gardner-Johnson is a perfect fit for the Eagles because of his versatility. He can play in the slot, in the box or back deep. Jim Schwartz believes in having interchangeable defensive backs. Gardner-Johnson can do it all and does it well. He is an explosive athlete and gifted playmaker. He picked off nine career passes. He has terrific range. He’s also a wrap-up tackler. Gardner-Johnson would give the Eagles excellent depth in the secondary.

Second Round (No. 57 Overall): WR Miles Boykin, Notre Dame

This pick won’t make sense to everyone, but you have to remember that Howie Roseman has talked about the struggles of rookie receivers. They usually need one to two years to really develop. The Eagles have four good receivers for 2019. The future is less certain. Nelson Agholor is in the last year of his contract. DeSean Jackson will turn 33 in December. You draft a receiver now to get him ready for when he’s needed.

Boykin is 6-4 and 220 pounds. He ran 4.42 at the Combine. That is the kind of size-speed combination that every team covets. Boykin didn’t post gaudy numbers at Notre Dame, but that was due to a run-heavy offense with inconsistent quarterback play.

Put on the game tape and you see a very talented prospect. Boykin’s speed translates to the field. He is not just a workout warrior. He has good hands. Boykin has excellent body control, an underrated trait in good receivers. He does need work. He is a bit of a project and that’s why you take him now. Give him time to develop. Boykin has tremendous potential.

Fourth Round (No. 127 Overall): DT Kingsley Keke, Texas A&M

I struggled with how to value Keke. If you watch his 2018 tape, he looks like a mid-round player. Keke then went to the Senior Bowl and had a very strong showing. He went to the Combine and posted outstanding numbers. He feels like a player who should go higher than this.

One of the issues is that Keke played a lot of defensive end for the Aggies. He moved to defensive tackle in Mobile and that’s where he can be an impact player. Keke is a gifted pass rusher. He can use a spin move or bull rush you. He’s explosive off the ball and has excellent agility. His Combine workout proved just how athletic he is. Kingsley ran 4.95 at 288 pounds.

Keke would give the Eagles another good pass rusher and more depth for the line. He could play inside or outside.

Fourth Round (No. 138 Overall): RB Tony Pollard, Memphis

Pollard was a WR and RB at Memphis. He could be a valuable role player in the NFL because of that versatility and his athleticism. He is very talented and has explosive traits. Pollard only ran for 941 career yards in college, but he did average 6.8 yards per carry. He caught 104 passes and averaged more than 12 yards per reception. Pollard averaged 30 yards per kickoff return and had seven touchdowns. Put simply, he was a playmaker.

Pollard ran 4.52 at the Combine. There were reports that he ran 4.37 at his Pro Day. That’s probably a bit too low, but he can fly. Some people wonder if he should move to wide receiver. His combination of speed, receiving ability and return ability makes him a good complement to Jordan Howard and Corey Clement. The Eagles need weapons and Pollard would be just that.

Fifth Round (No. 163 Overall): DE Porter Gustin, USC

Gustin is 6-5 and 255 pounds. He is athletic and talented. So what is he doing in the fifth round? Injuries. Gustin only played 10 games over the last two seasons. The good news is that there were no knee issues. He had a toe injury, bicep injury and broken ankle. These are the kind of injuries that heal and don’t have long term effects.

Gustin had 21.5 sacks in 34 games at USC. He can fly off the edge and is a disruptive player. If he stays healthy, Gustin would be a steal at this spot. The risk is whether he can actually stay healthy. The Eagles have a strong group of pass rushers so they can afford to take a chance if they want to.

Sixth Round (No. 197 Overall): LB Troy Reeder, Delaware

Linebacker is a wide open spot for the Eagles. We know Nigel Bradham will start. After that, anything can happen. Kamu Grugier-Hill showed real potential last year. The team still has high hopes for Nathan Gerry. They re-signed Paul Worrilow and added L.J. Fort. The Eagles could still use someone with a strong middle linebacker background.

Reeder is a really interesting prospect. He started off at Penn State and made the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team in 2015. He then transferred to Delaware, in large part to play with his brother. Reeder started all three years for the Blue Hens and played at a high level.

Reeder had a great Pro Day workout, showing speed, agility and explosive ability. You see those traits on game tape as well. He can stuff the run and make plays in the passing game. Reeder has legitimate NFL ability.

*****

As I always say, mock drafts are an exercise. You go in with an idea of players you want to add, but there aren’t always good fits in terms of value with where the picks are. I hated waiting until late to give the Eagles a LB, but the value at other spots didn’t feel right.

To be fair, I’m still doing lots of research on prospects and this could change in a week or two.

Still, you never come away from a mock draft feeling completely comfortable with all the picks. If Howie could trade Tre Sullivan for a couple of third rounders, I think I could come up with a great set of picks for the Eagles.

The ball is in your court, Howie.

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One Comment on “Eagles Only Mock Draft 1.0”

  1. 1 Iggles Blitz » Blog Archive » Mock Reactions said at 8:41 AM on April 3rd, 2019:

    […] I posted my mock draft yesterday. That led to some good comments and […]