Day 3 – More Players and Future Picks

Posted: April 27th, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

The Eagles entered Day 3 with seven picks. Howie Roseman did some wheeling and dealing. The Eagles ended up with six picks, but also added three picks in the 2025 draft. That’s a good day. Let’s start by looking at the players.

4 – RB Will Shipley
5 – WR Ainias Smith
5 – LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr
5 – OG Trevor Keegan
6 – WR Johnny Wilson
6 – OC Dylan McMahon

Day 3 is all about depth. The Eagles added quality backups at RB, WR, LB and OL. You might find a future starter in that group. If so, great. If they just become good backups and role players, that’s fine as well.

4 – RB Will Shipley – Clemson – 5-11, 206

Ran for 1182 yards and 15 TDs in 2022. Clemson had a down year in 2023 and Shipley wasn’t as productive. He is a good runner, but really stood out as a receiver. Runs good routes and knows how to get open. Shipley ran 4.45 at the Combine, but you don’t see that speed on tape. Only had one play of 50 or more yards in college. He will move the chains. Shipley has a chance to be a backup the coaches will trust right away because he can run, catch and block. He doesn’t have high end potential, but could prove to be a good role player.

*****

5 – WR Ainias Smith – Texas A&M – 5-9, 190

Smith is one of my favorite receivers in the draft. He is a real weapon after the catch. He is fast, but also shows a great feel for running. He has good vision. He also has the burst and agility to take advantage of that. Seeing where to go doesn’t do you any good if you can’t get there. Smith was a weapon in college, getting touches as a runner, returner and receiver. The only reason he fell this far in the draft is that he had some injury issues and this was a deep receiver class. The Eagles have dynamic starters in AJ and Devonta. Smith now gives them someone who could be a good number three for a few years. Parris Campbell has that role for 2024, but Smith will push him.

*****

5 – LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr – Clemson – 6-0, 228

Howie Roseman stressed this is not some publicity stunt. Drafting Trot Jr only made sense because he was a good player who could help the Eagles. The first thing I have to stress is that he’s not his dad. Trot Sr was a 260-pound sledgehammer. He attacked OL and blew them up. Junior is undersized. He is at his best on the run and playing in space. Junior had a good season in 2023, with 15 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and 2 INTs. That’s a playmaking LB. I think he’s more of a WLB. If the Eagles DL can keep him clean and let him run around and make plays, he could be a future starter.

https://twitter.com/mattlucci12/status/1784296269017403730

*****

5 – OG Trevor Keegan – Michigan – 6-5, 306

Keegan started for three years at LG for the Wolverines. He is a tough, physical blocker who is at his best pounding on run plays. He does a good job on short pulls, but didn’t stand out as a blocker in space. Keegan is smart and plays with good leverage. He is solid in pass pro. The Eagles normally prefer OL who are very athletic or versatile. Keegan looks like a pure OG. He’s athletic enough. The Eagles didn’t say it publicly, but I’m guessing he is a high character player. Was a team captain. With his experience and the program he came from, Keegan could challenge Tyler Steen at RG.

*****

6 – WR Johnny Wilson – Florida State – 6-6, 231

I heard announcer hype on Wilson in the first couple of weeks, but I wasn’t impressed at all. He was big to be sure, but awkward. At some point this year the light went on for Wilson and he had a very good season. Beyond just numbers, he looked good. The number one thing I look for in a WR is body control. Most big guys don’t have that. Wilson is an exception. He can run a variety of routes and looks good. He catches the ball away from his body. He has had some drops issues. My biggest question is RAC ability. He just didn’t do much after the catch. He’ll break some tackles, but you don’t him making many plays on the run. He ran 4.52 so he’s got solid speed for his size. He can play in the slot or outside. I did not want the Eagles to draft him early, but he was good value at this point.

*****

6 – OC Dylan McMahon – NC State – 6-3, 299

Once upon a time the Eagles took an athletic center in the sixth round. Yada, yada, yada…podcast star. Don’t expect McMahon to become the next Jason Kelce. Guys like him are rare. The Eagles would be thrilled if McMahon became an effective starter. He is exactly what you think, a slightly undersized blocker who relies on technique and athleticism to win. McMahon has terrific lateral agility. He will excel on reach blocks. He’s good on the second level. There are two issues. First, McMahon has short arms (31.5 inches). That makes it hard for him to keep defenders off his body. He also can struggle with powerful DTs. As good as Kelce was, it took him several years in the NFL to learn how to handle power guys. McMahon did start 44 games in college (8 LG, 22 RG, 14 OC). He is the prototypical Eagles prospect in terms of versatility and athleticism.

*****

Howie and Nick Sirianni talked about placing an emphasis on guys with a chip on their shoulder. The 2023 season ended in ugly fashion. They knew it was important to add talent, especially in the secondary. Beyond that, they wanted guys who would be hungry and play hard. Last year’s team turned out to be soft and that’s about the worst thing you can say about a football team. Rookies can’t change a culture, but they can help.

*****

The Eagles added a third, fourth and fifth round pick for next year. The 2025 draft should be deeper so adding those extra picks was a good move. There is the possibility the Eagles could lose a pick in the Saquon Barkley situation, but they still deny doing anything wrong.

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