Monday Draft Talk

My SB Nation Philly column covered local offensive prospects and whether the Eagles might like them.   If you’ll look in the comments section, someone from the Rackley family got on me for criticizing Will Rackley’s play vs Drake.  She says he had a bum ankle.  Assuming that’s true, it helps him in my mind.  I still don’t see him as a OT prospect, but it makes me more comfortable with him overall.

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I watched lots of tape this weekend.  I’ll be doing a write-up on RB Taiwan Jones on ScoutsNotebook.  Eagles have to be fascinated.  Jones is a big play runner that might remind you of Jamaal Charles.   He’s definitely faster than Shady when you watch them run in games.

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I watched more tape of Jimmy Smith.  He played well against AJ Green in the UGA/Colorado game.  Green lit up Jalil Brown (the other Senior CB), but Smith controlled him.

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I’m really curious what Jim Washburn thinks of DL Cameron Heyward from Ohio State.  I watched the OSU/ILL game last night.  Heyward wasn’t dominant, but was definitely a factor in bottling up Mikel Leshoure.  Heyward has as much potential as any DL in the draft.  He can take over games (just watch him in the Sugar Bowl vs Arkansas).  He can play DT or DE.  He’s big and athletic.

The down side is that he wasn’t more regularly dominant.  Fair or not, comparisons to Vernon Gholston are going to happen.  It is easy to think of Vern as a bust now, but he was an elite prospect coming out.  Put on his final game tape vs Michigan and you see a dominant player.

Heyward would give Washburn an athletic inside player to help his scheme really max out.  Cam is 6-4, 287.  He’s quick off the ball and strong as well.  He can go through blocks or around them.  He’s not lazy at all, but you also can’t say he’s got a great motor.  The question is whether Washburn sees a player with great potential that he’d love to coach or whether he sees a talented guy that lacks the competitive streak to ever be a great player.   Washburn is an intense, fiery coach.  He needs players he can get after and be tough on.  I’d love to know if Heyward is a target or someone that Washburn isn’t interested in.