Draft Day Is Here!!!
Posted: April 28th, 2011 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 13 Comments »Oh what an exciting time. We finally have some offseason action…the NFL Draft. The fun starts tonight at 8pm. I wrote an extensive draft preview and posted it Wednesday evening. Here’s the link.
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I put a mock together for PE.com several days ago. It just posted today. It’s worth checking out just to get an idea of a different scenario. I mixed in some fresh names for that. Things have changed since I did it, but some of the picks are viable possibilities.
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Final Mock
Sounds like there will be FA and moves starting soon, if not today. With that in mind, I’m of the belief that the Eagles will target a veteran CB who can step in right away and play. They don’t have to worry about how the player adjusts to the NFL.
That notion makes me think we’ll trade back from 23. I don’t see a great player being available so the smart move is to trade back and add a pick in next year’s draft. I don’t have a specific team targeted, but for the sake of this mock I have us moving back to the very early 2nd round.
2 – CB Ras-I Dowling
2 – OG Clint Boling
3 – SS Marcus Gilchrist
4 – RB Alex Green
4 – LB Ross Homan
5 – LB Brian Rolle
5 – WR Cecil Shorts
7 – DT Ollie Ogbu
7 – LB Malcolm Smith
7 – OG Daniel Kilgore
Here’s my thinking. If we can add a pro CB, then we have freedom at 23. If a guy like Ryan Kerrigan falls close enough, go get him. If not, move back to the early part of the 2nd round. Depending on how desperate the team is, you could add a 1st or 2nd rounder next year. There will be good players on the board at that point.
I have us taking a big CB with the first pick as well as adding the veteran player. You can never have enough good CBs, just ask the Packers. You need to get a big CB that runs well when you can. Those guys aren’t available in every draft. Dowling could sit for a year and learn. That takes the pressure off and gives him time to develop.
The rest of the players are guys I really like. They fit us value wise and need wise.
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Time for a personal aside. My friend Josh has a charity event coming up this weekend. It is called Hell Walk. He is going to attempt to walk in a circle for 24 straight hours. Insane, I know. Josh has always done things a bit differently. Rather than do standard charity work, he wanted to come up with an original, edgy idea.
Here is his website, http://www.hellwalk.com/.
Josh and I’ve been friends since high school. He’s the person who introduced me to beer, which has made a lot of money for the beer companies and ruined my chance of becoming Pope, President, or just plain normal. He’s also the person who introduced me to Spinal Tap. The first time I saw the Stonehenge scene is about as hard as I’ve ever laughed in my life. Josh and I have had some crazy adventures together (I’ll tell you about them when the statute of limitations runs out) so I have to support him in his first real charity endeavor.
Check out his website and donate some money if you like. The funds are going to support orphans, so it’s a good cause.
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I’ll launch a Draft Night Discussion thread here about 7pm. In the past we used the forums at ScoutsNotebook, but they are highly dated and don’t handle heavy traffic well. We’ll see how this site does.
I’ll also put updates on Twitter … @lawlornfl.
Oddly, despite it not involving any actual game action, NFL Draft day has edged the first two days of March Madness as my favorite sports day. I’m swooning.
Malcolm Smith? This is someone who as of yet has not been mentioned, care to elaborate on why we’d pick him over Keith Darbut of Baker-Smalltown University.
As Mr Goodall has now changed the times of the draft to insane o’clock UK, I’m thinking of sleeping in a Hawaiian shirt to join in, in the only way I can.
Watt shirt number will our top pick wear? 😀
@ Thunderlips…
I’m still enamored with the first 2 days of the NCAA Tourney as the best in sports. Then again, all I have to do is sit back and watch. No writing or work involved. Plus, there are college cheerleaders.
RE: Malcolm Smith
I’ve wanted to write about him, but have been lacking in time. Played at USC. Younger brother of Steve Smith. Team captain. Good player for last 2 years. Good workout at his Pro Day. Scored 3 defensive TDs of more than 60 yards. Has a nose for the ball. Would be an interesting WLB for us. Could be real good STer. Only 6’0, 226, but runs well and that’s what we need. Not a finesse player, though.
@ TSOP…
I’d love to tell you JJ Watt was a target, but I’ve got no scoop for you. I don’t think we’ll aggressively move up for him, but that’s just a guess. Heck, I’m not sure how high we’d have to go.
That mock would make me a pretty happy chappy!
Comedy gold talking about Josh Tommy. You should go into standup!
As an aside, in your PE mock they’ve placed your bio and picture just below Martez Wilsons name. You’ll play LB in the NFL yet!
@T_S_O_P
Can you not justify an all nighter with the royal wedding saving you from work? I’m off on holiday tomorrow, the travelling is gonna make an ideal time to catch up on sleep! Though to be fair the Eagles trading up last year saved all of us in the UK a lot of hassle and sleepyness, would be a nice surprise again this year.
@ Tommy
I did a 10 ten mock and had Watt go at 10 to Cleveland in a scenario where thay have traded down with Washington.
I also like Morgan from USC at LBer.
@Davesbeard
As a guy that works in Education, I haven’t worked since a week last Friday. I’m not sure I can stay up to watch us trade away our pick, it just takes so long. Last year was great, I was able to bid adieu after pick 13. Friday is going to be Eagle day by the sounds of it.
So, so excited. After months of waiting for a single iota of action, the draft is actually here! Hope you guys all enjoy it as much as I will. I’ll be lurking around here for sure to take part in the discussion.
I made the rounds and posted my full 7-round mocks and top-255 players on ScoutsNotebook, the new EMB, and the old EMB. check it out if any of you guys are interested:
http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=80066#80066
Happy draft day, mofos!
@ Kammich
WOW!
Tommy, your a slacker 😀
nah nah, Tommy has forgotten more about the NFL draft than I’ll ever, ever know. I’m simply a young man that is on vacation from both school AND work and had an abundance of extra free time on his hands.
not to mention, I love the draft like Rick James loves cocaine.
RE: Royal Wedding
Not everyone is getting tomorrow off, as it’s not an official bank holiday. I, like TSOP, am concerned about staying up until 4am only for the Eagles to trade out of the first. But it might be fun!
Tommy, in your mock you have the eagles picking up a CB, and a SS, but also going for a lot of depth a linebacker. Do you think there are any secondary prospects worth a shot in the late rounds?
I think even if you know you can probably get a good veteran QB like Nnamdi, you still need to take a CB early. Asante isn’t getting any younger and, to be honest, either is Nnamdi.