Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Eagles Draft Talk

Posted April 3rd, 2024 | Comments Off on Eagles Draft Talk

The draft is now just three weeks away. Let’s talk about some prospects and positions to consider for the Eagles.

CB

The Eagles need corner help, in terms of both talent and youth. They could spend pick 22 on a CB. It sounds like Quinyon Mitchell will be gone by then. Terrion Arnold from Alabama is my favorite corner in the draft. I’m afraid he’ll be gone by 22.

Nate Wiggins, Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry are the next three guys for most people. Wiggins is only 173 pounds, but ran a blazing 4.28 at the Combine. He gets in a receiver’s hip pocket and stays there all game long. Really good cover guy. He is 6-1 so he’s got the frame to add some weight. The size isn’t a huge issue for me. My biggest concern is that he’s passive as a tackler. I don’t need a CB to be Dick Butkus, but I do need someone who will get people down.

DeJean is fascinating. He has played CB and safety. He is a star punt returner. DeJean is a playmaker. He picked off 7 passes over the past two seasons. He’s also a bit stiff in the hips. DeJean is recovering from a broken fibula and won’t workout for teams until next Monday. If you want a zone corner with great instincts, DeJean is your guy. If you want to play a lot of man coverage, look elsewhere. He has good size at 6-1, 203 and is a solid overall athlete.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNjNdKNERaY

McKinstry is 6-0, 199. He has good cover skills. He’s more hitter than tackler, but isn’t passive. He was used as a punt returner at times and delivered some big plays. McKinstry is a good athlete and you know he got good coaching at Alabama.

I would love for Arnold to slip to 22, but that just doesn’t seem likely. I’m open to any of the other guys. All of them have good potential and NFL ability. There are non-first round corners of interest, but I’ll get into them in a different post.

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The Eagles have shown interest in multiple DEs. Laiatu Latu is a polished pass rusher with good size and athleticism. Chop Robinson is an explosive edge rusher and gifted athlete. He wasn’t as productive as expected at Penn State, but could become a star in the NFL. His burst is special.

The Eagles haven’t shown any interest in Robinson’s teammate Adisa Isaac, but he seems like a good fit. Isaac is 6-4, 247 and a very good athlete. He had 7.5 sacks, 16 TFLs and a FF in 2023. Isaac was both disruptive and versatile. He lined up on the left and right side. He lined up like a NT or DT in some specialty looks. No matter where he lined up, Isaac showed the ability to beat blockers and affect the QB. He will play the run. That can mean setting the edge on the frontside or chasing from the backside. PSU had him drop into coverage at times and Isaac looked fine playing in space. He should be a Day 2 pick.

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The Eagles have shown a lot of interest in OL. They have looked at guys who will go early, middle and late. They are leaving no stone unturned, so to speak. One player I haven’t heard about them taking a close look at is Graham Barton from Duke.

Barton is 6-5, 311. He started for three years at LT, but also got some starts at center. He isn’t special physically, but man is he impressive from a technical standpoint. Put on the tape and you see a polished blocker. He uses his hands really well. Barton will lock onto a defender and control him. He moves his feet well and doesn’t reach or get off balance. Barton is strong and physical.

The Eagles could play him at C or RG. I think he can be a stud on the inside and could be a functional starter on the outside. I’m guessing the Eagles go for a RT prospect if they go OL early, but Barton would be interesting. He would be an interior starter who could backup on the outside as needed.

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The Reed Option

Posted April 1st, 2024 | 2 Comments »

For the Eagles defense to get better, an infusion of talent was needed. The team added Bryce Huff, Zach Baun, Devin White, Oren Burks, CJGJ and Tyler Hall. That’s a mixture of starters and role players. This can’t all be about new guys, though. The defense also needs returning players to play better in 2024.

Arguably the key player for that is Reed Blankenship. He started four games as a rookie and showed a lot of promise, helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl. Blankenship started 15 games last year, leading the team in tackles (113) and INTs (3). There were times when he looked very good. But there were also more than a few plays that he would like to have back, as Nick Sirianni likes to say.

Blankenship is a work in progress. Safety is a position where it can take a few years to get going. You need a good knowledge of what the offense is trying to do. You need to know your scheme and what all the guys in the back seven are doing. Then just go execute at a high level. Sounds easy, right?

I think Blankenship getting a new position coach and new defensive coordinator will help. His mistakes were more mental than physical. Blankenship is a good tackler. He can hit and is a physical player. He has good ball skills and has shown the ability to jump routes.

The Eagles certainly believe in him.

This basically eliminates the RFA season. It gives Blankenship some money and a sense of security. The Eagles will see how Blankenship plays over the next year or two and decide if he’s a long term solution or is better suited as a third safety. I think he’ll end up being a long term starter, but he does need to play better.

Safety could go from a weak spot to a strength this year. If Blankenship improves and CJGJ plays as expected, that’s a good duo. Sydney Brown would be a terrific #3 safety, but he’s injured and will miss half the season, give or take. That leaves Tristin McCollum and Mekhi Garner as the other backups. Garner has size, speed and athleticism. He’s still learning the position and only played in three games last year.

The Eagles have not spent a lot of time on safeties in the pre-draft process. I don’t think they are targeting anyone who would be an early pick. They would probably like to add someone on Day 3 or as a priority UDFA. At this point, they are looking for depth, not a starter.

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The Eagles are looking at a lot of CBs. They will take one. They might use pick 22 on a corner. They are looking at guys with different values to make sure there is someone they like in different rounds.

There are a lot of CBs I like. There should be someone left at 22 if they want to go for one that early.

My favorite non-1st rounder is Max Melton from Rutgers. I think he’s the kind of scrappy, competitive player the Eagles need in their secondary.

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