Draft Talk

Let’s move away from talking about the first round wide receivers and take a look at some draft prospects at various positions and from different rounds. I’ll be focusing on players I like.

Not all of these guys will be Eagles targets.

None of them should go in the first round.

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire – My favorite player from the 2019 college season. Not big. Not an elite athlete. But an amazing player. Gifted runner and receiver. Had an uncanny ability to extend plays. You would see him trapped in traffic or on the sideline and somehow Edwards-Helaire would escape and get additional yards. So much fun to watch. Has the skill set to be a very good pro.

CB Darnay Holmes – I liked his 2019 tape, but one concern I had was his deep speed. Put on the Washington State tape and you see Holmes get burned a couple of times. It turns out Holmes was dealing with nagging injuries. Put on his game vs Oklahoma in 2018 and you see Holmes handle speedy WR Marquise Brown on multiple deep balls. Holmes is a quick, aggressive corner. He loves to jump underneath routes. If you want big, long corners, look elsewhere. If you want someone to attack the ball, Holmes is your guy.

LB Logan Wilson – I love instinctive LBs. Wilson was a big time playmaker at Wyoming, racking up 34.5 TFLs and 10 INTs. He played well at the Senior Bowl and then had a good workout at the Combine. Wilson has good size and athleticism, but his ability to know where the ball is going gives him a huge advantage. When LBs can anticipate instead of react, they will make even more plays.

DE Jabari Zuniga – Florida has put out good pass rushers for years. Zuniga had a solid career, but never became a superstar. He does flash big time ability. Zuniga is 6-3, 264. He can win with speed or power. He made plays from LDE, RDE and DT. Zuniga is a mid-round prospect who could be a better pro than he was a college player.

WR Tyler Johnson – Johnson had an incredibly productive career, catching 213 passes and 33 TDs. He didn’t run at the Combine, hoping he would fare better at Minnesota’s Pro Day. Unfortunately, the coronavirus had other ideas. We’ll never know exactly how fast Johnson is, but all you have to do is put on the tape to see that he is a good player. I love the way he competes, when going for the ball or trying to avoid being tackled after the catch.

Talked to Antoine Winfield Jr. today, and he raved about Tyler Johnson as a playmaker and leader.

Johnson isn’t for everyone, but his ability to separate at the short and intermediate levels should be coveted — deserves strong Day 2 consideration.pic.twitter.com/rpKkrCQ4gs

— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) April 9, 2020

OC Nick Harris – Teams that prefer athletic centers will love Harris. He is barely 6-1. He weighed 293 in Mobile and then bulked up to 302 for the Combine. Some teams will be scared off by that build. But Harris is incredibly quick and agile. He’s good at sustaining blocks. He can pull or get up to the second level and take out LBs. At least a few teams will love Harris and his movement skills.

OG Jonah Jackson – Harris isn’t your prototype OL. Jackson is. He has a good frame at over 6-3. He weighed 310 pounds at the Senior bowl and carried it well. Jackson isn’t special athletically, but he is powerful and plays with a nasty streak. Jackson shows good awareness. He moves well enough and looks like an NFL starter to me. High character guy as well.

Jonah Jackson, Guard, Ohio State:

• Underrated name to monitor
• Rutgers transfer
• Has played LG, C, and RG (+)
• Light feet/heavy hands in his area
• Zone-blocking scheme fit
• Nasty finisher (++)
• Highly aware with seeing stunts pic.twitter.com/Zs7pq8gwfp

— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) February 23, 2020

DS Antoine Winfield – I loved his dad, Antoine Winfield the CB from Ohio State. I am not being biased here, though. Winfield Jr. had a terrific career for the Gophers and showed the ability to make plays as a centerfielder at the back of the defense or when playing in the box. Winfield had an amazing 7 picks in 2019, but also had 3 sacks and 3 FFs.

WR Laviska Shenault – Injuries will push Shenault out of first round consideration. His tape shows a big time playmaker. Shenault lined up all over (QB, RB, slot, WR) and made plays from every spot. He’s able to win with size, strength, speed and elusiveness. I’m curious to see if Shenault falls to the second or even slips into the third round. He could be a major steal for someone.

DS Kyle Dugger – If Dugger went to a big school instead of Lenior-Rhyne, he would be a major star. Instead, he’s a minor star. Dugger showed he was legit with his performance at the Senior Bowl. He was one of the biggest DBs in Mobile and he made plays all over the field. Teams that want safeties who can do it all will be very interested in Dugger.

_