Scouting Combine – Offense

Posted: March 6th, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

The 2023 Scouting Combine is in the books. The Eagles were probably more focused on defensive prospects, but they got to see some good offensive prospects on Saturday and Sunday. Let’s talk about some of the standouts who might make sense for the Eagles.

The team won’t be looking for a starting QB (that Hurts guy seems promising), but they could look to add a talented rookie to the mix. Gardner Minshew is a free agent. Ian Book could be #2 or #3, but he’s not so good they would pass on another young QB if they really liked the prospect.

The most interesting prospect for the Eagles would be Stetson Bennett. He gives off some Minshew vibes with his confidence, but is a different player. Bennett is a good athlete and has a good arm. The two main drawbacks are his age (25) and his size. Bennett is only 5-11, 192. That is small. I don’t project him to start in the NFL so I wouldn’t take him before the late 3rd round. Bennett threw the ball very well in some of the drills. I was especially impressed by his deep balls. They were accurate and had good touch. He ran a 4.67 and was good on RPOs at Georgia. Bennett led the Dawgs to consecutive national titles. That will get the attention of scouts and coaches.

If the Eagles want a QB later in the draft, UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson would make a lot of sense. I watched a decent amount of him the past two years with so many UCLA games on late on Saturday nights. DTR was fun to watch. He is an athletic playmaker and highly competitive player.

DTR measured in at 6-2, 203 so he’s big enough. He ran 4.56 and that speed shows up on tape. I was surprised at how good his arm is. DTR can really sling it. The downside with him is protecting the ball and improving his passing game. He has the tools to potentially be a starting QB, but needs work. If the Eagles want a really athletic backup behind Hurts, DTR would be a fun choice.

The big time QB prospects who worked out looked good. It seems likely that Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis will all be gone in the first nine picks. That would push another position player down to the Eagles. I’m sure Howie Roseman was quite pleased that the top QBs looked so impressive.

*****

Would the Eagles ever spend a high pick on a RB?

No.

Hell no.

0.0 percent chance.

Never in a million years.

Right after Jimmy Bama wins the Pulitzer.

Those are all correct. But…if the Eagles were ever to do it, this would be the time. Bijan Robinson is one of the top 5 or 6 prospects in the draft.

Robinson is special. He is quick and elusive. He doesn’t go down on first contact. Robinson has a really good stiff arm. He’s got the speed to turn good runs into huge plays. I always focus on a RBs vision and feet. Robinson is highly rated in both areas. He can see where to go and has the body control and footwork to get there. Robinson had an outstanding workout in Indy. None of his testing numbers were crazy, but his movement skills are so smooth and natural. Robinson is a complete back. He is very good at running, blocking and catching.

The Eagles could take Jahmyr Gibbs at pick 30. He’s only 5-9, 199, but ran 4.36 and is a gifted receiver. Gibbs has been compared a lot to Alvin Kamara because of his ability as a pass catcher. He can line up in the slot or outside and make plays. Gibbs averaged 6.6 yards per carry for Alabama last season. He was 32-350-3 as a receiver and also has KOR ability. Gibbs stood out when catching the ball in Indy. He makes it look so natural. If the Eagles want to have the RB get more involved in the passing game, Gibbs would make sense.

Roschon Johnson was the backup to Bijan Robinson at Texas, but Johnson has a chance to be a good starter in the NFL. He’s 6-0, 219. He ran 4.58, which is solid speed for his size. Johnson looked good in his workout. He’s not as elusive as Robinson, but is a good downhill runner. He also is a capable receiver. He will probably be a 3rd round pick.

Evan Hull was born to play for Nick Sirianni. The Northwestern star stood out in Indy by running all the way to the end zone on every drill. It is something he’s done in practice for a couple of years and did it in Indy. Hull is a great practice player. He stood out to me at the Senior Bowl with his hustle in practice. He practices like he plays. I think Sirianni would love him. Hull isn’t just an effort guy. He measured in at 5-10, 209 and ran 4.47. He had a VJ of 37 inches. His 3-cone time was 6.9. Hull had a great senior season, running for 913 yards and catching 55 passes. He was the only playmaker on that NW offense. One of my favorite players in the draft.

*****

If the Eagles want a unique TE, Darnell Washington could be their target at 30. He is 6-7, 264 and was like a sixth OL for Georgia. Washington isn’t just a blocker, though. He ran 4.64 in the 40 and had an amazing short shuttle time of 4.08. That is outstanding movement ability for a huge TE. I wouldn’t spend a 1st round pick on a TE with Dallas Goedert already in place, but Washington is an intriguing player because he can impact the run and pass game.

If the Eagles want a mid-round TE, Brenton Strange from Penn State would be a good fit. He measured in at 6-4, 253. Strange ran 4.7, which is okay for his size. He had a VJ of 36 inches. Strange makes sense because he can block, catch and run. PSU would line him up on the line or in the backfield and have him block on run plays. Strange really stood out when running after the catch. The Eagles love TE screens and Strange would be really effective on them.

Both guys can block.

*****

I have seen some people giving the Eagles a WR early in mock drafts. I don’t get that at all. They have two #1 receivers in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. They don’t need another receiver with a major resource. They do need to add a receiver for depth.

One mid-round prospect I like is Jonathan Mingo from Ole Miss. He is 6-2, 220 and a gifted athlete. Mingo ran 4.46 and jumped 39.5 inches. He did 22 reps on the bench. Mingo has really good RAC ability. He can make some tough catches. Mingo does need some work, but has outstanding tools and could be a starter down the road.

If the Eagles want a smaller WR who also has return ability, Jayden Reed would be a good fit. He’s 5-11, 187 and ran 4.45. Reed caught the ball very well in the on-field drills. That matches up with how he played at Michigan State.

*****

Peter Skoronski is the top OL prospect in the draft. He measured in at 6-4, 313. His arms are 32 1/4 inches long. He doesn’t have ideal size or length for OT, but he was a stud LT at Northwestern. He absolutely can play there in the NFL. He also could slide inside and be an outstanding OG. Skoronski had a 10-yard split of 1.75 seconds, which is good for an OT prospect. He had a VJ of 34.5 inches. He did 30 reps on the bench. Skoronski also looked smooth in the field drills. Should be a Top 10 pick.

Broderick Jones measured in bigger than expected at 6-5, 311. The athleticism from his game tape was on display in Indy. Jones ran 4.97, with a 10-yard split of 1.74. He had a VJ of 30 inches. Jones has 34 3/4 inch arms. He looked good in the field drills. He has the feet to be a good LT in the NFL. Jones looked good enough that some teams could go for him over Skoronski.

If the Eagles want an OT outside the 1st round, Matthew Bergeron could be of interest. He’s 6-5, 318 and has 33 3/4 inch arms. Bergeron displayed really good footwork in the field drills. Jeff Stoutland ran some of the drills and gave Bergeron a compliment after one of them. He was a LT at Syracuse and played hockey while growing up as a kid in Canada.

Cody Mauch played LT at North Dakota State. He projects as more of a G or C in the NFL. Mauch is 6-5, 302 and posted good numbers. He ran 5.08 with a 10-yard split of 1.79 seconds. Mauch was a standout performer at the Senior Bowl and matched that with a strong showing in Indy. He could sneak into the bottom of the 1st round, but is most likely a 2nd round pick. I could see the Eagles loving his personality. We know Stoutland would love his versatility. Mauch can play anywhere on the line.

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One Comment on “Scouting Combine – Offense”

  1. 1 The Linc – One overpriced and one underpriced impending Eagles free agent - Balance Sportscast said at 1:04 PM on March 7th, 2023:

    […] Scouting Combine – Offense – Iggles BlitzThe most interesting prospect for the Eagles would be Stetson Bennett. He gives off some Minshew vibes with his confidence, but is a different player. Bennett is a good athlete and has a good arm. The two main drawbacks are his age (25) and his size. Bennett is only 5-11, 192. That is small. I don’t project him to start in the NFL so I wouldn’t take him before the late 3rd round. Bennett threw the ball very well in some of the drills. I was especially impressed by his deep balls. They were accurate and had good touch. He ran a 4.67 and was good on RPOs at Georgia. Bennett led the Dawgs to consecutive national titles. That will get the attention of scouts and coaches. If the Eagles want a QB later in the draft, UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson would make a lot of sense. I watched a decent amount of him the past two years with so many UCLA games on late on Saturday nights. DTR was fun to watch. He is an athletic playmaker and highly competitive player. […]