We are just a week away from the NFL Draft. You can tell we are close to the draft because all of a sudden random smoke screens are coming out from teams trying to make players fall. As has been the case the past several years, Philly fans haven’t been as draft obsessed as they usually are. Seven years ago all of March and April would be dominated by draft talk. I remember in 2015 how all anyone talked about was Marcus Mariota and Do The Deal. Now? It is certainly still there, but Sixers and Phillies being relevant has put draft talk more in the background than ever before.
But that talk should start to pick up now that we are within that last week before the First Round kicks off. And it is a good thing to know a little bit about the potential players who could end up in an Eagles Jersey. So here is a guide to some of the players the Eagles might draft, with full write-ups on 5 things you should know about each one of them.
Is Jalen Carter the right guy for the Eagles? Should they be looking at a Cornerback like Devon Witherspoon instead? Is Bijan Robinson good enough to justify drafting an RB in the first round? We looked at 12 different players with a chance to go at either pick 10 or pick 30.
Here are some of the names you should watch out for next week…
Jalen Carter
One of the most popular names among Eagles fans is Jalen Carter from Georgia. Many billed him as perhaps the top non-Qb in the draft. But legal troubles his draft stock falling. Is the talent enough to overlook that problem? Here is a snippet of what we said about Jalen Carter in our draft profile of him.
“He led the 2022 Bulldogs with 31 QB hurries despite missing several games with a UCL sprain. In his last three seasons, he is 2nd in Pass Rush win rate among the 168 Interior Linemen with at least 300 pass rush snaps, and 9th in total pressures with 60.”
Legal/character issues aside, he is a force on the field. And outside the legal troubles, which are not something that should just be overlooked, his teammates all had glowing praise for him as a man. So the situation is more complicated than many who want to dismiss Carter outright act like it is.
You can read more about Jalen Carter here…
Bijan Robinson
One of the big debates raging between Philly fans and media is if it is worth taking an RB at 10. Even on our shows, there are hosts who are in love with Bijan, and want the Eagles to take him, and people are deadset against taking an RB anywhere in the first. Does his talent merit breaking tradition and common drafty policy and taking him early?
The first thing worth mentioning is he is just as good as people say he is. Here is what we wrote about him purely as an RB in our draft profile from a few weeks ago.
“But he is not just a bruiser. Because as his combine showed, he is also fast. Robinson was 6th among RBs with a 40-yard dash of 4.46, and 3rd in the 10-yard split with 1.52 seconds. He can run, he can juke, and he is as explosive as he his strong. All that explains why he had 1,580 rushing yards, and 20 total TDs. He is going to be a monster in the NFL. Between running people over, and juking people out, opposing defenders had a missed tackle rate of 39% against him.”
But with all that said, there are other RBs with similar though perhaps lesser skillsets, that won’t cost a 1st round pick. And the Eagles have other needs not as easy to address. But many fans don’t care and just want the player. And he is a very talented player.
You can learn more about Bijan Robinson below…
Devon Witherspoon
Early in the draft process, before Free Agency took place, CB was number 1 on Eagles fan’s wish lists. After they retained both Darius Slay and James Bradberry, that is no longer as big of a need. But both guys are in their 30s, and both are getting paid a decent amount. So there is still an argument for bringing in a young elite corner to eventually replace one of those two.
And as far as Corners in this draft go, it is hard to get better than Illinois’s Devon Witherspoon.
“Witherspoon allowed 22 receptions on 63 catchable balls all season. He forced 18 pass breakups and picked the ball of 3 times. Meaning he made a play on the ball in some way almost the same number of times he allowed a catch. Only 6 of those catches he gave up went for a first down. None went for a TD. Witherspoon is a black hole at Cornerback. He can erase whatever WR he lines up against. “
But was he just benefiting from less competition? And is he a poor fit for the Eagles Zone? We covered those issues, and more, in the draft profile below…
Peter Skoronski
With the Eagles, there is always a chance they will take an Offensive Lineman. Even if it is not the most immediate need. And if that is the road they are going to go down, keep an eye on Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski. Skoronski was a brick wall for Northwestern at LT.
“In 12 games, Skoronski gave up just 6 pressures, and only 1 sack. A figure that will allow him to fit in very well between Lane Johnson (0 sacks) and Jason Kelce (0 sacks). And that is not a new trend for Skoronski. Across his 3 seasons at Northwestern, he gave up just 5 sacks across 1258 pass-blocking snaps in 33 games. That is 1 sack per 252 snaps.”
The Eagles are clearly set at both tackle spots. But many scouts believe Skoronski will have to move over to guard anyway. And while Cam Jurgens is expected to play RG, there is at least some room for competition there. So there is a chance that your 10th overall pick would not be sitting on the bench in year one.
We covered him last month and got into his potential move to guard, how well he played in College, and his famous grandfather who protected a Hall of Fame Qbs blindside. Read more about him below.
Jahmyr Gibbs
Bijan Robinson is getting the majority of the talk at RB for the Eagles. But there is another RB that might represent better value. Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama. The speedy back may not have been as insanely productive in College as Robinson was, but he also comes in with less wear and tear due to getting fewer carries. And offers more in the passing game.
The thing that stands out about him, is speed.
“He topped out at speeds of 22.3 miles per hour in games this year. And even more impressive, it took him just 5.5 seconds to reach that top speed. To put that in perspective, the top speed reached by any ball carrier last season in the NFL was Parris Campbell who hit 22.1 MPH, per Next Gen Stats. The only other player to top 22mph was Kenneth Walker.”
So would he be the better option for the Eagles, we explored that more in our draft profile of him below
Adetomiwa Adebawore
When it comes to pick 30, there is one name Howie is evidently in love with. Adetomiwa Adebawore. A name that is sure to give Eagles fans all types of trouble if he does end up in Midnight Green. But the Northwestern Defensive Lineman wowed people with his combine performance, which was perhaps the best ever for a man his size.
“His 4.49-second 40-yard dash is the fastest for any player his size. His broad jump of 10’5” is 2nd for someone his size since 2003, and his 37.5” vertical is 3rd highest in that time. His overall performance puts him in rare company. Only JJ Watt, Mario Williams, and Rashan Gary put up similar performances for someone their size.”
Tony Pauline of The Pro Football Network came out and said Howie is in love with him. And the same guy had Cam Jurgens landing in Philly last year. So Adebawore is a name to watch for.
You can learn more about him, including how to say his name and what sport he was a state champion at in high school, below…
Lukas Van Ness
Even if the Eagles can’t get Jalen Carter, D-Line will be at the top of their list. And one guy from Iowa, with the nickname Hercules, is right in the mix for that. Lukas Van Ness.
“He had 8 sacks this past season in 271 pass rush snaps. A sack every 33.9 snaps. Jalen Carter got a sack every 91 snaps, Nolan Smith every 51 snaps, and Myle Murphy every 35.6 snaps. Plus, Van Ness had 46 total QB pressures. Meaning he pressured the QB on 17% of his chances. And he was able to do that both off the edge, and from the interior of the line.”
The concerns are that is over-reliant on the Bull Rush and will need to expand his pass rush tools in the NFL. But he had success vs some O-Linemen who are expected to go high in this same draft. He is an intriguing, though imperfect prospect. And according to Adam Caplan, the Eagles really like him.
Myles Murphy
Another defensive lineman to keep an eye on is Myles Murphy from Clemson. Another guy with eye-popping workout numbers. At his pro day he ran a 4.51 40. Pretty good for a DT. And the production was there too, racking up larger numbers than many of his fellow pass rushers projected to go high in the draft,
“In his last 3 seasons with Clemson, he racked up 20.5 sacks and 83 pressures across 38 games. Which in an NFL season translates to 9.2 sacks per season and 37.1 pressures. Not bad. Could certainly be better. But it’s more production than Jalen Carter, Bryan Bresee, and Nolan Smith have given their teams.”
You can read more about him below…
Bryan Bresee
Speaking of workout warriors out of Clemson, Bryan Bresee could also be an option for the Eagles. He did not put up the big numbers like Murphy did. But his presence may have helped Murphy get free. The sack numbers were low for Bresee in College, but he did rack up QB Pressures. And like Murphy, he has an athletic profile that suggests he could take his game to another level.
“Look no further than the ACC Championship game to see the impact he can have on a game. Clemson beat the Tar Heels 39-10. And a big reason why was the Clemson pass rush. Bresee never got to the QB himself, but he racked up 5 Qb pressures. And helped push UNC QB Drake Maye into the arms of other Clemson defenders like Jerimiah Trotter Jr. The end-of-game box score does not reflect just how well Bresee played in that game.”
There will be better options at 10. But if Bresee if there at 30, he could be an alright option.
Read more about Bryan Bresee below…
Nolan Smith
And we might as well keep the trend of guys with low production and huge workout numbers going. Nolan Smith was once the number 1 recruit in the nation. His time at Georgia did not see much on the field greatness. But man did he put on a show at the combine.
“His 4.39 40 time was first among defensive linemen. It is even faster than what Saquon Barkley ran at his combine. And it is also the 2nd fastest time by a defensive lineman, narrowly beating out Montez Sweat by .02 seconds. Plus at 238 lbs, he is the heaviest player to run a sub 4.4 40. Dk Metcalf comes in at 2 in that category. He also had the highest vertical of all defensive linemen at the combine (41.50”) and the 3rd best Broad Jump (10’8”).”
So how much stock do we put into his athletics vs his lack of production? He is also small for an edge rusher. Then again, they said the same thing about Haason Reddick. He is at the very least, an intriguing prospect. It would be easy to get excited about someone as explosive as him. That high ceiling just comes with a very low floor.
Read more about him below…
Joey Porter Jr
Like Witherspoon, Joey Porter Jr. was a much more popular name to mock to the Eagles before free agency. Now that the Eagles retained all of their starting corners, he is showing up much less. But a young corner is still a need, so we can’t completely write it off. And if they are going to go corner, Porter is a name worth considering.
“At 6ft2, 194Lbs, Joey Porter makes for an imposing figure at CB. But he is not just tall, he also has long arms that make him a pro when it comes to breaking up passes. And the tape backs that up. In 10 games this season he came away with 11 pass breakups. Opposing QBs had a QB Rating of just 63.6 when targeting him. He erased opposing WRs all year long in the Big 10.”
The downside, he has penalty issues, and he primarily played Man Defense in college. The Eagles run much more of a Zone scheme. But at Penn State we got to see him go up against elite WR prospects, and he held his own.
You can read more about him below…
Christian Gonzalez
The first prospect we posted a draft profile for this offseason. Back when corner seemed like a much bigger need. Christian Gonzalez on paper, seems like the dream prospect. Not just big and strong, but fast.
“The first thing you will notice about Christain Gonzalez is how big he is for a corner. At 6ft2, 200lbs, he is one of the largest corners in this draft class. The next thing you will notice is how fast he is. Gonzalez is a former track star and has been clocked at speeds of 23.3 miles per hour while at Oregon. And the third thing you will notice is how strong he is. He can power clean up to 325 lbs. That strength shows up on the field with his tackling. Gonzalez missed just 3 of 61 tackling attempts this past fall.”
The downside, he was not exactly competing with elite talent at Oregon. The Pac-12 is not known for creating great NFl Corners or WRs. But there are a few that excel in the NFl out of that conference. And with how athletic Gonzalez is, could he break that trend?
You can read more about him here.
Will McDonald
If the Eagles dont get a Pass Rusher at 10, they may be looking for one at 30, or wherever they trade down to. And if that is the case, Will McDonald could be the name to watch.
Paris Johnson Jr
Another O-Lineman. He won’t be the exciting pick, but it would be a very Howie move.
Will Anderson
This one is a pipe dream. But let’s dream big.
