2023 NFL mock draft: Eagles land Bijan Robinson, Calijah Kancey in fan mock
As the NFL Draft gets set to begin on Thursday night, mock draft season is coming to a close.
But not before we got through a fan-sourced Eagles-only mock draft.
Using the PFF mock draft simulator, I asked fans on Twitter to make the picks through polls. Sure, its not a perfect way to do it and I had to still choose four options with each pick, but its a fun game. PFF gave the draft haul an A-.
And here are the results:
Round 1-10: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas: 52.7%
Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia: 21.4%
Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State: 15.2%
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon: 10.7%
Yeah, we probably should have known this was coming but I was curious what the percentages would look like. I think its unlikely given the Eagles history and view of the position that they draft a running back this high, but its certainly not crazy. Robinson is an excellent prospect who would become a starter immediately with the Eagles and could help the offense take a huge step forward. Would Robinson become the type of cornerstone for the franchise the Eagles typically want in a top-10 pick? Nah, probably not. But thats about the position he plays, not the individual prospect.
If nothing else, adding Robinson is a really fun pick that would definitely make the Eagles better immediately. While the franchise might not view the draft this way, adding a player like Robinson would definitely help the Eagles immensely in 2023.
In case you were wondering, here were the first nine players off the board in this simulation: Bryce Young, Will Levis, Will Anderson, C.J. Stroud, Jalen Carter, Tyree Wilson, Anthony Richardson, Peter Skoronski, Devon Witherspoon.
Round 1-30: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh:
Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State:
Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia:
Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma:
After going running back early in the first round, Kancey is the pick at No. 30. Kancey, 22, is a short and stout defensive tackle who has big upside as an interior pass rusher at the NFL level. While the comparisons to former Pitt standout and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald are as unfair as they are unavoidable, Kancey does have a few similar traits. It really starts with his frame. At 6-1, 281 pounds (and with short arms) Kancey is still able to find his way into the backfield. Over the last two season at Pitt, Kancey had 14 1/2 sacks and 27 1/2 tackles for loss.
With the Eagles, Kancey would join an interior defensive line group that already includes Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis and Milton Williams. Cox is an all-time great but hes 32 now and back with the Eagles on a one-year, $10 million deal. So Kancey could be his eventual replacement.
Round 2-62: Sydney Brown, S, Illinois
Sydney Brown, S, Illinois: 33.2%
Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse: 32.6%
Nick Herbig, Edge, Wisconsin: 23.2%
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina: 11.1%
This one was about as close as it could have been with Brown just edging Bergeron to become the second-round pick. They were neck-and-neck the entire time. Brown, 23, was a rare five-year starter for the Illini and totaled 320 tackles in his productive career and was a team captain in 2022. This past season he had 6 interceptions and finished his college career with 10. He also tested very well at the Combine, finishing in the 90+ percentile among safeties in the bench, broad and vertical jump. He also ran a very solid 4.47.
The Eagles clearly have a long-term need at safety, even after signing Terrell Edmunds and Justin Evans on one-year deals. Their top returning safeties are Reed Blankenship and KVon Wallace. So any safety drafted in the second round would have a good shot at starting from Day 1.
Round 3-94: Nick Herbig, Edge, Wisconsin
Nick Herbig, Edge, Wisconsin: 35.3%
Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma: 31.3%
Nick Saldiveri, OT, Old Dominion: 24.6%
Cory Trice Jr., CB, Purdue: 8.8%
Another close one. Herbig was an option listed for the Eagles in the second round so him still being there in the third gave much better value. Herbig is the younger brother of former Eagles guard Nate Herbig but they have much different body types. Nick Herbig, 21, is 6-foot-2, 240 pounds and had 20 sacks over the past two seasons for the Badgers. Hes obviously an undersized edge rusher, which wont be for every team and itll likely keep him off the field on early downs. But he could step in as a situational pass rusher and member of the rotation.
The Eagles still have Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham and (possibly) Derek Barnett in their edge rotation. But theyll never shy away from adding more edge rushers.
Round 7-219: Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan
Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan: 38.6%
Jon Gaines II, OG, UCLA: 29.2%
Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB: 17.2%
Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinatti: 15%
Were in the seventh round so this is obviously an inexact science. But Eagles fans chose a big offensive tackle with a lot of upside. Witt, 23, has all the physical tools but is still pretty raw. Hes 6-7, 302 pounds and didnt begin playing college football until 2021 and didnt become a full-time offensive lineman until 2022, when he started 11 games for Northern Michigan. Witt was not a Combine invite but he had a strong showing at his pro day, running a 4.89 with a 37-inch vertical, a broad of 10-3 and 3-cone time of 7.44 seconds, according to TheAthletic.
The Eagles have had success developing a raw seventh-round pick before in Jordan Mailata, who eventually became their starting left tackle. That doesnt mean itll happen again but OL coach Jeff Stoutland is worth betting on.
Round 7-248: Shaka Heyward, LB, Duke
Shaka Heyward, LB, Duke: 35.6%
Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte: 24.5%
Jon Gaines II, OG, UCLA: 20.2%
Nic Jones, CB, Ball State: 19.7%
The Eagles add a 23-year-old developmental linebacker in the seventh round. Heyward had good production at Duke with 80+ tackles in each of the last three seasons and has some ideal traits. Hes 6-3, 235 pounds and has solid speed, running a 4.53 at the Combine. Theres opportunity at linebacker with the Eagles and Heyward could at least contribute as a special teamer.
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