Misc Draft Talk

We’ve talked a lot recently about the wide receiver position. One of the interesting questions is what the Eagles are ideally looking for. We have to look at the Colts offense for some hints, but we aren’t going to know anything for sure until we Nick Sirianni’s team in action.

Adam Caplan was talking about Jalen Reagor playing in the slot this upcoming season and that just might happen. The Colts had a rookie receiver last year named Michael Pittman. He started slow, but then played quite a bit in the slot. That’s unusual because Pittman is 6-4, 223.

It is possible the Eagles could put Travis Fulgham in the slot. He goes 6-2, 215 and isn’t afraid to work the middle. Now it is possible Sirianni might prefer more speed in that role. If so, the Eagles could go with Reagor.

There are a ton of potential slot receivers in the draft.

Slot WR/Gadget RB Wishlist – #Packers

Kadarius Toney – UF
Rondale Moore – PUR
Elijah Moore – MISS
Jaelon Darden – UNT
Amari Rodgers – CLEM
Ihmir Smith-Marsette – IOWA
Dee Eskridge – WMU
Demetric Felton – UCLA
Kenneth Gainwell – MEM
Otis Anderson – UCF

…just one, please.

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) March 11, 2021

Ben’s list was done with the Packers in mind. Those are some athletic, explosive playmakers. They’re also small. The Eagles might just be fine with that.

If the Eagles prefer bigger guys, they’ll have plenty more options.

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I’ve mentioned DeVonta Smith a few times recently. It is fair to question if there are any concerns with him.

We don’t have official measurements for Smith. He is unoffically 6-0 and says he is 170 pounds. Someone I trust wrote a while back that Smith played in the 165 range this year. It is easy for an Eagles fan to have scary flashbacks to Todd Pinkston, who was 6-2, 170.

I can’t stress this enough, but Smith and Pinkston are nothing alike.

Nothing.

Smith played on STs. I’m not talking about as a returner (although he did do that).

Alabama is up 31-7 with under 6 minutes left in 4th Quarter…

Devonta Smith has played 56/57 offensive snaps. He has 7 catches for 130 yards & 3 TDs.

Still out there as the punt gunner for the coverage unit

Respect @DeVontaSmith_6 pic.twitter.com/3oQZS8XOpa

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) January 2, 2021

Smith is a good blocker. He will mix it up with DBs. Yes, he’s got a slight build, but this is not a finesse player. He’s mentally and physically tough. He’s ultra-competitive. I love guys that have that mindset. Anquan Boldin was slow (ran 4.7 at the Combine), but I loved his competitive nature so much I had him rated as a 1st round prospect.

Smith lacks ideal size, but he sure seems to have ideal heart. And you can watch the game tape to see how he dominated the best conference in all of football. At pick 12, he is worth taking a chance on. There is risk to be sure. At the same time, look at J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. He’s got plenty of size and hasn’t done squat in the NFL. Size matters, but it is only part of the overall picture.

And for the record, I hated the Pinkston pick. I was yelling at the TV.

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TE Kyle Pitts and WR Ja’Marr Chase both had sensational showings at their Pro Days. This is not a shocker. The Eagles certainly expected this. They knew that one would be gone by pick six and that both could be. It certainly feels that way after today.

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I love the draft, but I do hate the hyperbole machine that gets going every March and April. If you listen to enough people, you’ll hear that 40 different guys are climbing their way into the middle of the first round. It’s kinda hard for that to happen.

Teams have a pretty good idea of what’s going to happen, but those of us on the outside can only speculate.

Don’t get riled up at every crazy thing you hear. This is silly season for comments, good and bad.

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I’m not in love with either CB Patrick Surtain or CB Jaycee Horn. They are good prospects and each of them had an amazing Pro Day showing, but there’s something that keeps me from fully buying into them.

My favorite CB is Greg Newsome from Northwestern. He’ll likely go in the 20 to 30 range.

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I’m curious to see how early the Eagles go for a RB. There could be some really interesting options in the second round. That might seem way too early to many people, but if there is a player you have rated highly, you should trust your board. It would be interesting to pair a bigger back like Najee Harris or Javonte Williams with Sanders, who is a big play threat.

I’m guessing the Eagles go for a RB later on, but if the right guy slips a bit, it would be interesting to see what they would do.

In case you haven’t seen Williams in action…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpBWRbGmTJc

You’re welcome.

Fans at The Linc would go nuts to see that dude in action.

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I haven’t written a lot about D-linemen because there are so many guys I like, but so few I love.

One guy I’m really high on is Rashad Weaver from Pitt.

Per @RAanalytics, Pitt DE Rashad Weaver averaged 2.6 seconds on his 2020 season sacks.

Per @NextGenStats, only 31 NFL sacks came in at 2.6 seconds or less.

Super helpful to quantify how college pass rushing may translate to the NFL. Seems strong for Weaver! pic.twitter.com/WlqWR7Pxrv

— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 31, 2021

He had 7.5 sacks and 3 FFs in nine games. Weaver then went down to Mobile and put on a show at the Senior Bowl. He has enough size and strength to be a starting DE and to slide into DT in sub-packages.

He won’t go early, but has a chance to be a good NFL player.

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