Good Hands

Posted: March 29th, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Good Hands

There was some debate when DeVonta Smith was coming out about whether a guy his size was worth a high pick. No one disputed his talent or amazing college career, but receivers that are 6-0, 175 don’t tend to go in the Top 15. There is a risk in taking undersized players.

Smith has worked out brilliantly.

Could they go for another undersized player?

Forbes is 6-1, 166. That is a small CB. So why are the Eagles interested? Forbes has 14 career INTs and holds the NCAA record for pick-sixes (6). He is an instinctive playmaker with great hands. The Eagles focus on takeaways so it makes sense that they have interest in Forbes.

I’ve seen him in a few games and Forbes does stand out. I love the way he attacks the ball.

Forbes is skinny, but he plays big. He will hit and tackle. I think he would be a good scheme fit for the Eagles. He ran 4.35 at the Combine and had a VJ of 37.5 inches. He’s got athleticism to match his football skills.

The challenge is figuring out his draft value. If Forbes was 195, he’d go Top 10. Instead, he will either go late in round one or early in round two. If the Eagles really like him, do they move up a little from pick 30? Do they think they could move back a few spots?

Fun player to watch and someone the Eagles should have definite interest in.

*****

This visit feels different.

Ringo is 6-2, 207 and ran 4.36 at the Combine. He is everything you want in a corner. But his play doesn’t match the workout numbers. He’s too grabby and draws penalties. There are times when he doesn’t show good body control and loses his receiver. Watch him against Marvin Harrison (Ohio St) and Cedric Tillman (Tenn). You’ll see a couple of highlight plays and several bad ones.

Ringo has NFL ability, but needs work. I think he might benefit from playing in the Eagles scheme, where he’s off most of the time and can read plays. There has also been some talk of moving him to safety. That’s interesting because of his size/speed and ball skills. Ringo does have good hands.

https://twitter.com/NFLRookieWatxh/status/1594079329939783680

https://twitter.com/NFLRookieWatxh/status/1589002288018132993

I wouldn’t touch Ringo until the second round. He’s talented, but has issues that need to be worked out. He would be an interesting project for the Eagles. They could sit him for 2023 and let him learn from Slay/Bradberry.

My guess is that this visit is about trying to get a better feel for Ringo so the team can decide if he’s someone they want to take a chance on.

*****

Smith is a terrific prospect, but is also complicated. Check out his Combine workout. Watch his highlights. You see someone who should be a no-doubt Top 10 pick.

Smith finished his career with 21 TFLs, 11.5 sacks and 3 FFs. Those numbers don’t even match Will Anderson’s production from the 2021 season. Georgia prospects have to split reps because of their depth. The scheme also doesn’t let them just attack up the field. He also missed part of the 2022 season with a torn pec. Still, you have to consider that level of production when you’re judging an edge rusher.

One thing helping Smith is character. He was a team leader at UGA and is highly regarded. This is the kind of person you want in your organization.

In theory, I’d love Smith on the Eagles.

That dude is a stud.

My only real issue is that he’s an edge rusher. The Eagles have Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham already in place for this season. Reddick and Sweat are signed for a couple of more years. Would you spend a high pick on someone who would sit behind star players in their prime.

Smith is 6-2, 238. He would be ideal in the Reddick role. I’ll be interested to see where he does go and how he’s used. Would a 4-3 team play him as a starting DE? Micah Parsons was 6-3, 245 at the Combine. Teams could see Smith as a Parsons type. Smith ran 4.39 in Indy. Parsons ran 4.37 at his Pro Day.

Another player that is a lot of fun to watch.

*****

We haven’t heard much about the Eagles and safety prospects. Ji’Ayir Brown from Penn State could be a mid-round prospect of interest. He picked off 10 passes over the past two seasons. Brown played in the box more in 2022 and had 4.5 sacks. He’d never had one in his career before that. Watch the tape and you see a guy who can beat blockers, not just someone who gets lucky on blitzes.

If the Eagles want a playmaker on the back end, Brown would make a lot of sense. He’s not huge and isn’t a good athlete, but he does make plays.

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