Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Post-Draft Thoughts on the New Guys

Posted May 2nd, 2019 | Comments Off on Post-Draft Thoughts on the New Guys

Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk some more about the Eagles draft class and UDFA signings.

As I look at the draft class, one trait that stands out to me is brains. The Eagles took smart players. I don’t know if that is by design or just a happy accident.

You might watch Andre Dillard and just see a big, athletic OT with good feet. Watch this great piece with Fran Duffy and Jeff Stoutland and you’ll gain a whole new level of respect for Dillard, and maybe OL in general.

That really is amazing stuff. We’re lucky the Eagles let Stoutland do a piece like that.

Miles Sanders isn’t just fast or powerful, he’s a smart runner. One of the things that stands out to me is how he reads his blocks and runs off of them. Eagles RBs in recent years have not always had good vision or done a good job of reading their blocks. That is a strength for Sanders.

As for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, he’s another smart player. He runs good routes. He understand the importance of positioning, like he’s trying to get a rebound. JJAW gets to the right spot and makes himself a target for his QB. He has good timing, jumping up at the right moment to catch the pass above the DB. You see some fast or big receivers who win based on physical skills. JJAW has good physical skills, but it is his understanding of how to use them that makes him such a good player.

What about DE Shareef Miller? Funny enough, it was while watching some tape of him that this trend of smart players came to me. Miller has excellent awareness. He doesn’t just put his hand in the dirt and fly upfield out of control. He reads screen or draw and is able to adjust on the fly.

One good note, the more I watch of Miller, the more I like him.

Finally, there is Clayton Thorson. I think most of us can agree the QB from Northwestern is likely to be a pretty smart guy. I do need to watch a lot more tape on him to figure out the primary reason for the INTs. Was he careless or too aggressive? Were his guys not getting open or was his lack of arm strength the problem? Gotta figure out what he needs to work on.

*****

One of the things I really like about this class is that the Eagles got productive players.

There was pre-draft talk linking the Eagles to DL Rashan Gary. That scared the heck out of me. He feels a lot like a workout warrior. His game tape was wildly inconsistent. His production was mediocre. Gary had 23.5 TFLs and 9.5 sacks in three years. Shareef Miller had 31.5 TFLs and 14.5 sacks. That doesn’t mean Miller is the better prospect or will be the better pro. But you do wonder how the guy who ran the fastest time for a player above 275 pounds in the history of the Combine wasn’t more of an impact player going against college kids.

There was talk about the Eagles and Mecole Hardman. I didn’t care much for him at all. He ran a 4.3 and there is no questioning his speed, but he wasn’t anything close to a dominant college player. I liked him far more as a RS than as a WR. I think the second round was way too early for him.

Dillard, Sanders, Arcega-Whiteside and Miller all had career years in 2018. They each got better as their careers progressed.

*****

The offense really is set for 2019 and the future. There is talent and depth. There are good blockers up front. There are big skill players. There are fast skill players.

Carson Wentz should be a happy man.

*****

How do I rank the UDFAs, in terms of likeliness to make the team?

1 – LB T.J. Edwards
2 – C/G Keegan Render
3 – G/T Ryan Bates
4 – RS Deandre Thompkins
5 – OL Iosua Opeta
6 – OG Nate Herbig

Notice a trend? The Eagles need interior OL depth. They have a hole at LB. They have a hole at RS.

Of the other players, I’m most fascinated by CB Jamalcolm Liggins. He is big, runs well and has playmaking ability. The jump to the NFL is huge, but it will be interesting to see if he can handle it.

https://twitter.com/theedevinmartin/status/1122917362372677633

That’s insane.

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