Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

The Deep Patrol

Posted April 7th, 2023 | 7 Comments »

I bought Mel Kiper’s draft guide back in 1996. He concluded his write-up on a safety prospect from Clemson with this sentence.

“Dawkins is the type who definitely brings a rugged style to the deep patrol.”

Deep patrol was a new phrase to me, but I liked it and it’s stuck with me ever since. I’m assuming you know who that prospect is. For those who don’t, find Eric Zomalt and ask him who he lost his job to.

The Eagles lost their starting safeties from last year so they’ll have new players manning the deep patrol. Reed Blankenship started four games last year and I’m sure the team will have him penciled in as a starter. Terrell Edmunds was added in free agency. He started 75 games for the Steelers so he will be expected to take the other starting role. Justin Evans and K’Von Wallace are expected to be the primary backups.

This is not the most compelling group of safeties. I think Waters-Hopkins and Dawkins-Mikell will be safe for now. Nate Allen and Patrick Chung should be very worried about their place in tream history.

There is no question that the Eagles would love to add a safety in the upcoming draft. The question is what they are looking for.

Let’s talk about some of the top prospects.

Brian Branch – Alabama – 6-0, 190

Branch played nickel and safety for the Crimson Tide. The Eagles generally prefer versatile DBs so Branch would make sense in that regard. He has good man cover skills. Branch is also a playmaker. He had 14 TFLs, 3 sacks, 7 PBUs and 2 INTs last year. He picked off 4 passes in his career. Branch isn’t a great athlete. He ran 4.58, but he’s smart and instinctive. He plays faster than he times.

Branch isn’t compelling in terms of size or athleticism, but he is an outstanding player who would be an excellent addition to the Eagles secondary. He’s not worth pick 10 and probably won’t last to pick 30. They’d need to either go back or up.

Antonio Johnson – Texas A&M – 6-2, 198 

Johnson was the nickel in 2021 and finished second on the team in tackles. He moved to safety in 2022 and had another good season. Like Branch, he’s the kind of versatile DB the Eagles might want. He’s not nearly as much of a playmaker. He only had one career INT. Johnson is a solid hitter, but inconsistent tackler. He can clean up those issues with better technique. Okay athlete. Ran 4.52 at the Combine.

I don’t have a good feel for his ball skills. The Eagles would like his length and he’s got good cover skills. I think Johnson will go in the second round.

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Things open up after the first couple of safeties. I’m going to list three more guys that I think make sense, but that doesn’t mean they’re the next three in order. Safety is an odd position where teams can have wildly different rankings.

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JL Skinner – Boise State – 6-4, 209

3-year starter with outstanding size. Good in man coverage. Has the ability to make plays down the field or in the box. Gets a good jump on the ball. Picked off 7 passes in his career. Solid hitter and tackler. Uses his length to do a good job of wrapping up targets.

https://twitter.com/NFLRookieWatxh/status/1638369068095885313

Sean Desai would have to be fascinated by Skinner. He’s got the size to cover TEs. He’s got the length to cover a lot of ground in the deep middle. Skinner has good ball skills and shows playmaking potential. Physical player who will mix it up as a run defender.

Chamarri Conner – Virginia Tech – 6-0, 202

Probably the most versatile DB in the draft. Started at CB, nickel and safety. That’s rare. Was a 4-year starter who racked up 311 career tackles. Had 5.5 sacks in one season. Picked off 4 passes in his career. Some teams will want Conner as a nickel. I think his best spot is safety.

Conner had an outstanding workout at the Combine. Ran 4.51, jumped 40.5 inches and did 20 reps on the bench. That’s speed, strength and explosion. He’s good in man coverage and solid against TEs.

Conner would be a mid-round target and would give the Eagles a highly versatile, highly athletic player to add to the mix at safety.

Daniel Scott – Cal – 6-1, 208

I don’t understand how Scott doesn’t have more buzz. Worked his way from special teams standout to 3-year starter. Piled up 167 tackles over the past two seasons. Also had 3 INTs each of those years. Ran 4.45 at the Combine and did 22 reps. Had a 3-cone time of 6.75. This is one outstanding athlete and good football player. Had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl.

https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1636005442974363649

Scott is a really intriguing prospect who would give the Eagles a player who excels in deep coverage and is also good in man coverage. He will hit and tackle. I think he should be a third or fourth round pick. Scott looks like a starting safety and he’s got a lot of potential.

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CB Prospect Update

Posted April 5th, 2023 | 7 Comments »

We’ve talked a lot in recent days about OL and DL prospects. The Eagles have also shown interest in some of the top CB prospects in the upcoming draft. Today was especially important for one of them.

Devon Witherspoon wasn’t able to work out at the Combine or Illinois’ original Pro Day due to a hamstring injury. He had his own Pro Day on Wednesday and there were a lot of eyes on him. Witherspoon isn’t a special athlete and some wondered what his 40-time would be.

That’s fantastic for Witherspoon. Teams wanted to see a time under 4.50 so he took care of that. Witherspoon is the best hitter/tackler of all the corner prospects. He has good hands. He is instinctive and a good playmaker. Witherspoon solidified himself as a Top 15 prospect and he’s got a good shot to go Top 10.

I think Witherspoon would be a good fit for the Eagles so I hope they’re interested.

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Forbes isn’t in the running at 10, but could be in play at 30. He is 6-1, but only 166 pounds. That is small for a CB. Really small. So why would the Eagles be interested? Forbes is the best playmaking corner in the draft.

  • 14 career INTs
  • 6 career pick-sixes (NCAA record)

Most importantly, if the Eagles take him DeVonta Smith will have someone on the roster that he is bigger than and can pick on.

I’m a big fan of Forbes and would love to see him picked. We know Nick Sirianni loves takeaways. That’s Forbes specialty and he’s good at it.

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Porter is a stud corner. He’s got great length and excels in physical coverage. I don’t see him as a great fit for the Eagles, though. He’s at his best in press coverage and only has one career INT. Sirianni wants playmakers. Porter can cover, but he doesn’t have the ball skills to come up with many INTs.

I wouldn’t consider him at 10. If the Eagles move back, maybe he makes some sense. I just question the fit.

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It isn’t all corners.

Some people love Ojulari. I have mixed feelings. He is very talented, but I just don’t think he is as disruptive on a consistent basis as he should be. I have a second round grade on him. He could go in the 30 to 40 range. There are other players I’d rather take at 30. If the Eagles move back, I’d be more comfortable.

https://twitter.com/BenFennell_NFL/status/1557732945061851138

That’s Ojulari at his best. I just don’t think we saw that enough.

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https://twitter.com/DiBirdsBlog/status/1643606712111308802

Witt is a highly athletic, but raw OL prospect. He started playing TE and moved to OT, playing both RT and LT. Witt would make a ton of sense for the Eagles to take a chance on. He will need time to develop. Lane Johnson will be playing a couple of more years. Witt might be ready to take over when Lane is ready to walk away.

I thought of Todd Herremans when I read about Witt. Herremans played at Saginaw Valley State (another small Michigan school) and got on the NFL’s radar when he played in the old Cactus bowl (was a D2 all star game). Herremans then had a lot of NFL people at his Pro Day and ended up being a fourth round pick. He played for the Eagles for a decade, moving from LT to LG to RG to RT. How’s that for versatile?

Would be pretty cool if history repeated itself and the Eagles took Witt and developed him into a starter.

Give DiBirds a follow on Twitter. He’s doing a great job of covering visits and the draft.

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