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6 Cornerbacks The Eagles Could Target In The Draft

Placeholder Shilloutte User Image By The Best Show Ever? and Dylan MacKinnon
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 02: Kool-Aid McKinstry #1 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs 27-24 in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.

One of the primary reasons the Eagles’ defense was so bad last season was their secondary. Darius Slay still played at a somewhat high level. But the rest of the secondary had major issues. James Bradberry fell off the side of a cliff. Avonte Maddox missed most of the season and struggled when he got back. And the rest of the cornerbacks didn’t fare much better.

It is something we should have foresaw when the Eagles brought back two corners in their 30s on new contracts. The secondary was great in 2022. But hindsight tells us they should have gotten younger at a corner.

The problem is they have taken 2 cornerbacks in the first 3 rounds since 2017. Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglass. They drafted both in 2017. They have had chances. There have been good cornerbacks on the board for them. But they always went another way. And in some cases, the guy they drafted instead worked out really well. Looking back, taking Landon Dickerson over Asante Samuel Jr was probably for the best.

But after this season, they flat out need to get younger, and more importantly better, at corner. They can’t come back next season with two aging starters, and a bunch of lottery tickets. We already took a look at some younger Corners they could target in free agency, but perhaps the better place to go shopping would be in this year’s draft.

Read More About What They Might Do In The Draft Below

It is not a bad season to need a cornerback in the draft. Most sites have at least 5 corners ranked in their top 32 prospects for the 2024 draft. So let’s take a look at some of the Eagles’ options.

Here are 6 Cornerbacks That The Eagles Could Draft in the 2024 Draft:

  • Nate Wiggins- Clemson

    This draft lacks a unanimous top corner like we saw last year with Devon Witherspoon, or the year before with Derek Stingley Jr. Go to any of the draft sites, and there will be disagreement over who the top corner is. But Nate Wiggins has a strong case for it being him. He has the makeup of an elite corner. He is long, rangy, and versatile enough to fit any scheme. He is not the most physical tackler and sometimes gets beat by trying to make a big play. But you watch him play, and he just looks like an NFL corner.

    Will he be there? It is hard to say at this point. Some people have him going around the 10th pick. Others have him falling to the 2nd round. With things being so even between the top cornerback prospects, it is very hard to tell who will, and will not be on the board when the Eagles pick at 22. But he is a name to consider if he does fall to 22.

    Mountainboy on Twitter: "He was out of bounds I don't what ref Clemson sucking off / Twitter"

    He was out of bounds I don't what ref Clemson sucking off

  • Cooper DeJean- Iowa

    Another corner in the running for best in the draft is Cooper DeJean. He is big for a corner, and fast. He also has the versatility to play cornerback and safety. Both of which are major needs for the Eagles. So whatever position he lands at, the Eagles could use him. And playing in the BIG 10, he has had a chance to cover some very good corners and held his own. Including Marvin Harrison Jr.

    Mock drafts have him going anywhere from 11 to 27. So there is a chance he will still be there at 22.

    Jordan Reid on Twitter: "#Iowa DB Cooper DeJeanDown 30+ points in the middle of the 4th qtr. and still guarding Marvin Harrison Jr. like the game is on the line. Love seeing this. Competitor. I like him as a safety. pic.twitter.com/7FdtsPK8Fm / Twitter"

    Iowa DB Cooper DeJeanDown 30+ points in the middle of the 4th qtr. and still guarding Marvin Harrison Jr. like the game is on the line. Love seeing this. Competitor. I like him as a safety. pic.twitter.com/7FdtsPK8Fm

  • Terrion Arnold- Alabama

    Even though Arnold is still somewhat new to the CB position, he excelled there at Bama last season. 5 interceptions. 12 pass breakups, and he held QBs to a Rating of just 52.5 when targeting him. And his history as a Safety means he is not afraid to make a tackle either. He hits hard and wraps up. Eagles fans have seen corners whiff on tackles a ton over the past decade, but that shouldn’t ever be a recurring issue with Arnold.

    The exciting thing about him is that because he is so new to playing CB, he can still get better. He is technically still learning and is already playing at a high level. He is playing with great technique at CB already. Imagine what even more experience will do for him.

    Jordan Reid on Twitter: "#Alabama CB Terrion ArnoldPlaying through the hands of WRs. Something that consistently shows up on his tape. pic.twitter.com/2HlFTwZxHg / Twitter"

    Alabama CB Terrion ArnoldPlaying through the hands of WRs. Something that consistently shows up on his tape. pic.twitter.com/2HlFTwZxHg

  • Kool-Aid Mckinstry- Alabama

    Arnold is not the only cornerback in the draft class from Bama. He shared the field with the guy who has the coolest name in this year’s draft. Kool-Aid McKinstry. Not only is he a great corner, 16 defended passes last year, but he is also a leader. Watch the tape from Bama, and you will see him constantly communicating with his teammates, calling out plays, and making sure guys are in the right spot. His football IQ is through the roof, to go with a great skill set.

    Like the other corners we have already talked about, the mock drafts have him all over the place. But a lot of them do have Kool-Aid ending up in Midnight Green. And if Howie finally gets over his thing for drafting cornerbacks in the first round, Philly would be a great landing spot for him.

    PFF College on Twitter: "An NFL franchise can't go wrong picking Kool-Aid McKinstry🐘 pic.twitter.com/m5BsZkGoPT / Twitter"

    An NFL franchise can't go wrong picking Kool-Aid McKinstry🐘 pic.twitter.com/m5BsZkGoPT

  • Kamari Lassiter- Georgia

    Why not continue to add to the Eagles’ collection of former Georgia players? It does not get more lockdown in college football than Lassiter was this past season. he gave up just 138 total yards in the 2023 season. Some scouts are concerned he is not enough of an athlete to keep this up at the NFL level. Some think he is a bit too lean. But there were similar knocks on Devon Witherspoon, and he was tremendous in his rookie season. Lassiter shut down SEC WRS. That has to stand for something.

    Most people have him going somewhere between picks 20 and 32. If the Eagles want him, he should be there.

    College Football Report on Twitter: "Kamari Lassiter last season* 0 TDs allowed πŸ”’ * 136 Receiving Yards Allowed (408 Coverage snaps) πŸ”’* 15 Catches Allowed πŸ”’ * 38.5 Rec% πŸ”’* 8 PDs πŸ”’* 3.5 TFLsOne of the best if not the best CB in CFBπŸ”’ One of the top CBs in the NFL Draft πŸ’ͺ pic.twitter.com/aoyRt3w7WQ / Twitter"

    Kamari Lassiter last season* 0 TDs allowed πŸ”’ * 136 Receiving Yards Allowed (408 Coverage snaps) πŸ”’* 15 Catches Allowed πŸ”’ * 38.5 Rec% πŸ”’* 8 PDs πŸ”’* 3.5 TFLsOne of the best if not the best CB in CFBπŸ”’ One of the top CBs in the NFL Draft πŸ’ͺ pic.twitter.com/aoyRt3w7WQ

  • Quinyon Mitchell- Toldeo

    In terms of production, Mitchell looks like a future star. In 2023, he had 14 pass breakups and held QBs to a rating of 49 when targeting him. The issue will be the competition he played against. We can look at the other guys on this list and say they played against NFL Caliber WRs. Can we say that about the Mid-Amercian Conference (MAC)?

    Christian Gonzalez got similar complaints last year and played at a high level. But the stats don’t lie, and a lot of the best NFL Corners, come from the top NCAA conferences. That’s not to say Mitchell won’t be great. The fact that he is a freak athlete certainly helps the argument that he could buck that trend. It is just a bigger gamble than taking a corner from the SEC or Big 10.

    John Crumpler on Twitter: "Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo is as advertised.Hasn't allowed a catch yet in 1-on-1's and looks quite sticky in coverage. pic.twitter.com/K4dFSQ3ivW / Twitter"

    Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo is as advertised.Hasn't allowed a catch yet in 1-on-1's and looks quite sticky in coverage. pic.twitter.com/K4dFSQ3ivW

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