Corner Questions

Posted: April 9th, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

The Eagles are in rebuilding mode, as we’ve discussed throughout the offseason. They are looking for younger, cheaper solutions to the holes in the roster. You can see that in the players they let go and the free agents they’ve added.

One spot they haven’t addressed is CB. What’s going on there?

There were some interestng CBs on the market, but they got paid more than we anticipated. There aren’t a lot of guys left and the ones available aren’t very compelling. The Eagles may simply be playing the waiting game. Make a few low offers and see who bites. Players are trying to decide what to do. They can grab offers now or wait for the draft. If teams miss on a spot in the draft, they could make some players more attractive. The flip side is that teams could cut veterans if they land certain players and that could expand the free agent market. What do you do?

I think the Eagles need to add a veteran CB at some point, but the level of activity tells us the team is focused on adding talent in the draft. Because the Eagles have such a high pick in each round, there should be good options available.

1st Round

Jaycee Horn – The most talented corner prospect. Horn is a very good player and an elite athlete. He’s big as well. He’s got a few things to work on, but his potential is through the roof.

Greg Newsome – My favorite corner in the draft. Smooth. Plays the deep ball better than anyone else. Newsome has had some minor injuries in multiple seasons and that has to be factored in. He’s not worth pick 12.

Patrick Surtain – The consensus top corner, but I’ve got concerns. Had a great Pro Day, but that athleticism doesn’t always show up in games. Gave up long TDs vs Florida and Tennessee. Watch him vs Ohio State and Chris Olave runs by him multiple times. That’s a concern for me. Maybe I’m focusing too much on some negative plays, but the more I watch Surtain, the more nervous he makes me.

2nd Round 

Here is where we have to wonder what the Eagles are looking for. Asante Samuel is small at 5-10, 180. Jonathan Gannon had bigger CBs in Indy and Minnesota so I tend to think he’ll prefer those guys. If the Eagles are going to play Avonte Maddox in the slot, that takes Elijah Molden off the board. Maybe Gannon will love Samuel and Molden and want them. We’re doing some guessing here because we don’t have a full history of information to work with.

Kelvin Joseph – Big, long, athletic and talented. So fluid and natural on the move. Tremendous potential. Joseph was an elite recruit and went to LSU. He transferred to Kentucky. There are some possible character questions with him, but I don’t know any details. What I do know is that he’s got 1st round ability. He could be an outstanding NFL corner.

Tyson Campbell – Instinctive corner who gets in a receiver’s hip pocket and stays there. He’s too grabby (like all these guys) and that has to be worked on, but Campbell is very talented.

Ifeatu Melifonwu – Big dude. Not many corners are 6-3, 212. Melifonwu is an above average athlete so don’t have Rasul Douglas nightmares. Melifonwu uses his size well. He plays big. Can be an excellent hitter and tackler. Doesn’t have ideal long speed, but he’s no Douglas.

3rd Round

Eric Stokes – Speedy corner from Georgia had 4 INTs last year. Can hit and tackle. Good prospect. Some might have him in the 2nd round.

Ambry Thomas – Sat out 2020. That will bother some teams, not others. Talented player. Has okay size and good speed. Talented prospect.

Keith Taylor – Love watching him in coverage. Had a good season and then was terrific at the Senior Bowl. Good size. Big issue is that he never had an INT. Not much of a playmaker. Dude can cover, though. Really sticks on receivers. Doesn’t have great speed.

Shaun Wade – Some thought he had 1st round potential coming into the season. Had a down year. Now we hear he might have been playing with a bad toe. Is that legit? How much did it affect him? OSU has put a lot of good DBs into the league. Wade is talented, even with the disappointing season. Could be good NFL corner.

Benjamin St-Juste – Another big dude. Goes 6-3, 200. Only runs about 4.5 so some might prefer him at safety. I think he could play corner. Looked good at the Senior Bowl.

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I’m going to stop there for now. These are my rankings. Other sites/people may be very different.

I went back and re-watched Rasul Dougas at WV to see what he looked like compared to these big CBs. Douglas had great ball skills, but you could see his speed issues and where he wasn’t a gifted athlete. He ran 4.59. Most people will tell you that 4.55 is the cut-off for CB. Anything above that and you need to play safety.

It might be wise for the Eagles to double-dip at CB. Take a couple of talented players at that spot. Darius Slay isn’t getting younger and you don’t want one player seen as the solution to a spot that has troubled the team for a while.

*****

Matt Alkire wrote some thoughts on CB prospects.

You can see where he and I agree and where we have differences.

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One Comment on “Corner Questions”

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