Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Understanding the DL

Posted April 4th, 2023 | Comments Off on Understanding the DL

The Eagles had a great DL last year. They really came alive in the middle of the year with this group.

DE – Josh Sweat
DL – Javon Hargrave
NT – Linval Joseph
DL – Fletcher Cox
Sam – Haason Reddick

That group and their backups were able to terrorize QBs. They led the league with 70 sacks and got pressure on a regular basis. They were the foundation to a defense that was dominant at times.

Run defense was an issue. The first loss of the year came when Washington ran on them. Houston had some success. Dallas ran effectively in their win. The Saints did the same thing a week later.

The Super Bowl was the low point. KC ran for 158 yards. Watch this.

My apologies for posting that, but it was necessary. Hargrave gets blocked easily on two of the runs. Milton Williams can’t shed a block on the TD run. The Eagles couldn’t stop the run and it cost them dearly. I wonder if the biggest takeaway from that game is the need for another DL who can 2-gap and play the run.

We know there will be changes on the DL this year.

DE – Josh Sweat
DL – Milton Williams (projected starter)
NT – Jordan Davis
DL – Fletcher Cox
Sam – Haason Reddick

Williams is a playmaker against the run, but he’s not a 2-gapper.

The Eagles need depth as well. In my recent mock draft, I had them take DT Mazi Smith at pick 30. One person questioned why I did that. The Eagles have Jordan Davis as the run-stuffer to control the middle. Shouldn’t they focus on pass rushers around him?

Very good question. We don’t know anything for sure because they haven’t made any significant moves up front and Sean Desai hasn’t coached a game yet. Heck, he hasn’t even had a press conference.

I do know the Eagles have shown interest in DTs who are 2-gap run defenders. Just look at these visits to Philly:

  • DT Gervon Dexter – Florida – 6-6, 310
  • DT Jaquelin Roy – LSU – 6-3, 305
  • DT Rodric Martin – Western Ky – 6-5, 330
  • DT Jalen Carter – Georgia – 6-3, 314

They also brought in Bryan Bresee, who is more of an athletic DT. He’s 6-6, 298. He’s got the potential to be good at 2-gapping, but he won at Clemson with athleticism more than anything. I think his visit had a lot to do with trying to understand if he’s worth taking in the first round. He was an underachiever at Clemson, but there were some issues that affected his performance. And there is no denying his talent.

The Eagles have brought in some pass rushers.

  • DE/LB Nolan Smith – Georgia – 6-2, 238
  • DL Lukas Van Ness – Iowa – 6-5, 272

The Eagles have also shown interest in pass rushers.

  • DL Viliami Fehoko – San Jose State – 6-3, 282
  • DE/LB Jose Ramirez – Eastern Michigan – 6-2, 242

Pass rushers will always be featured in the Eagles defense. There are returning players who accounted for 53 sacks from last year so the cupboard is hardly bare. That total would have been 4th in the NFL last year. The Eagles will certainly try to add DL who can get after the QB, but don’t be surprised if they also go after a DT who plays good run defense. And that could be an early pick.

  • Carter – 1st round
  • Dexter – 2nd round
  • Roy – 3rd round
  • Martin – mid-to-late rounds

In the Jim Schwartz days, you knew the Eagles were looking for quick, athletic DL who could fly up the field. It was black and white. Life was so easy back then…

In the new scheme, things aren’t as clear. Are the Eagles running a 4-3 Under, 3-4, 5-1 or 5-2? The answer is yes. They are doing a bit of everything. That means they can use a variety of players and skill sets. The biggest key to this is that the Eagles want to play with a light box. That means keeping both safeties deep. In order to do that, they need DL who can cover multiple gaps and who play the run well.

Run defense is a numbers game. If you have 8 gaps and 7 defenders, one gap will be open. If you have players who can control 1.5 or 2 gaps (depending on the design of the front), you can cover all the gaps and keep your safeties back.

This draft will give us an idea of what Desai is thinking. How important is having another DT who can 2-gap? Will they spend a premium pick on an edge rusher with Reddick and Sweat already in place? All we can do for now is guess, but don’t be shocked if run defense is more important than you might have thought.

*****

Speaking of Jalen Carter, he has informed teams that he won’t visit anyone who has a pick outside the Top 10. This led to some questions about how/why he did this. Here is Daniel Jeremiah with his take on the situation.

Carter has said he’ll meet with other teams if they come to him, but no visits outside the Top 10. His agent is Drew Rosenhaus, who we know is tight with Howie Roseman. Maybe Howie has let Drew know the Eagles are more than a little interested.

*****

As for the OL…

The Eagles have now met with several of the top OL in the draft. If they don’t go DL, there is a strong chance they’ll go for one of the top blockers.

Skoronski is my highest rated OL in the draft. I think he can start at any of the five spots and play at a high level.

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2023 Eagles Mock – 1.0

Posted April 3rd, 2023 | Comments Off on 2023 Eagles Mock – 1.0

The draft is just over three weeks away. We all love mock drafts so here is a brilliant one for you to devour. Any picks you don’t like were forced on me by Jimmy Bama.

1st round – Pick 10 – Edge – Nolan Smith – Georgia – 6-2-238

I don’t love the thought of adding an edge rusher at this point, but I can see Howie Roseman trying to find a special talent with a pick that high. I’m guessing CB Christian Gonzalez, OT Peter Skoronski and DL Jalen Carter are gone. Smith might be the best talent after that.

His Combine performance was outstanding.

40-yard dash – 4.39
10-yard split – 1.52
Vertical jump – 41.5 inches

That is one fast, quick, explosive pass rusher. We know the Eagles are interested in Smith. They love pass rushers and brought him to Philly for a pre-draft visit. He is a high character prospect and that is another reason to like him. Nick Sirianni believes high character players are more likely to reach their ceiling.

https://twitter.com/LuckIsMadeFF/status/1641483742962233354

Smith would give the Eagles great depth up front. Sean Desai would have the freedom to be creative with lineups, but still know that he’s got top talent on the field. Smith played in Georgia’s creative scheme and he is more than just a pass rusher. He can play the run. He’s got the speed to chase plays all over the field.

I mentioned recently that he might remind you of Micah Parsons, the kinda decent LB down south. Parsons was 6-3, 245 at the Combine.  Smith ran 4.39 in Indy. Parsons ran 4.37 at his Pro Day. Parsons gets moved around and the Eagles could do the same with Smith.

1st round – Pick 30 – DL Mazi Smith – Michigan – 6-3, 323

The Eagles lost Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh. Jordan Davis will take over the NT spot. Milton Williams could take over for Hargrave. They brought in Kentavius Street to add depth. His specialty is rushing the passer. Smith would give them a bigger body who can play the run and get after the QB. The Eagles struggled with run defense in the Super Bowl. They like playing with a light box. Smith would give them another guy up front who can 2-gap and free up other players to get to the ball.

Smith would also give the Eagles insurance at the NT position, in case Jordan Davis got hurt or was struggling.

The Eagles have shown interest in several big DL. We don’t know if Smith has made a visit to Philly, but he would make a lot of sense for them. He’s not just a big run-stuffer. Smith is a good athlete. He’s the kind of versatile, athletic player they like up front.

2nd round – Pick 62 – OL Matthew Bergeron – Syracuse – 6-5, 318

Andre Dillard is gone. Jack Driscoll is in the final year of his contract. The Eagles need depth up front. Bergeron played RT for two years at Syracuse before moving to LT for his final two seasons. He had a terrific senior season and then played well at the Senior Bowl.

Bergeron fits the description of an Eagles O-lineman perfectly. He’s experienced, versatile and has an unusual background. Bergeron grew up in Canada and played hockey when he was younger. I don’t know if he can sing or not. We’ll have to wait to find that out.

Bergeron could cross train at OG and OT, giving the Eagles the kind of versatility and depth they like up front. I think he’s got the skill set to play at both spots. Dillard struggled with physicality early in his NFL career. I don’t see that as an issue for Bergeron. He is a good run blocker and physical player.

3rd round – Pick 94 – SAF Ja’Ayir Brown – Penn State – 5-11, 203

The Eagles have a group of safeties with potential and question marks. There is no question that they need someone else to add to the mix. Brown has shown the ability to make plays in the box or down the field. Desai likes to play his safeties back a lot, but needs them to be playmakers. Brown picked off 10 passes over the past two seasons. That’s the kind of playmaking ability the Eagles could use on the back end.

Brown isn’t a great athlete. He only ran 4.65 in Indy. Safety is a position where instincts can be more important than pure speed. Brown does a good job of reading plays and getting to the ball. He’s a classic example of a prospect playing faster than he times.

7th round – Pick 219 – RB Cam Peoples – Appalachian State – 6-1, 217

At some point in my lifetime the Eagles will take a player from my alma mater, Appalachian State. Could this be the year? If Howie Roseman knows what’s good for him. After all, he doesn’t want Yosef coming after him.

The scariest, most intimidating mascot of all time!

Peoples would be a good fit in Philly. He has good size and is a downhill, physical runner. He showed good ability as a pass blocker and pass catcher in Senior Bowl practices.

You can see in that clip that Peoples has good feet and vision. If the middle is clogged, he can break runs to the outside and deliver big plays. I think he would love running behind the Eagles OL.

Peoples ran for 319 yards in the bowl game a couple of years ago. Lots of big plays. He averaged 6.2 ypc for his career and ran for 33 TDs.

7th round – Pick 248 – WR Antoine Green – North Carolina – 6-2, 199

AJ and DeVonta are stud receivers. That’s great, but Quez Watkins is coming off a disappointing season and Zach Pascal is gone. The Eagles need depth. Green is a big, athletic receiver. He ran 4.47, which shows good speed. He had a 3-cone time of 6.99, which shows good agility.

Last year Green was 43-798-7. He can make plays without being a volume receiver. That’s exactly what the Eagles need. There just aren’t going to be a ton of passes going around so you need guys who can deliver in that setting.

*****

1 – Edge Nolan Smith
1 – DL Mazi Smith
2 – OT Matthew Bergeron
3 – FS Ji’Ayir Brown
7 – RB Cam Peoples
7 – WR Antoine Green

The Eagles would get deeper and better up front. They would also add depth in spots that need it.

I would prefer the Eagles to move back a time or two. I’d like to see the team have more picks in the middle rounds. They could use even more young talent as backups in multiple spots.

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