Eagles Possible First Round Options

Happy draft day to one and all!

Today is most magical day of the football calendar year and the anticipation in Philadelphia is palpable!

Well, not really. It’s more or less tepid at best. But I’m pretty jazzed about it!!

Part of me can’t help but think about how good the Eagles pick might’ve been had they tanked the end of the season and missed the playoffs entirely. But then I think about the double doink and remember it was all really worth it.

The Eagles are sitting in a good position ahead of the draft. They don’t have very many needs, but there are a lot of positions that could use some depth or a touch of youth. Luckily, this draft is stocked at the positions the Eagles need most, offensive and defensive line, wide receiver, and safety.

Here are some players who might suit the Eagles if they look to trade up, stay put, or move back:

Trade Up

Ed Oliver, DT Houston

I feel like this is the obvious one.

A former five star recruit, Oliver spent the last three years torturing power five offensive line men. There are some concerns about his lack of production against lesser college programs, but that’ll happen when your consistently facing quadruple teams.

Oliver is a compact 6’2 287 lbs. What he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in strength and athleticism. He was considered a top five lock for most of the college football season, but his stock has fluctuated so much since, it’s hard to figure where he’ll actually go. It’s gotten to the point where some people have written him off because he isn’t going to be the next Aaron Donald, which is crazy.

Ed Oliver is a good football player and he will be a good professional football player. He’s the type of tackle that can dominate one on one match ups and really put pressure on a quarterback. If Oliver does manage to slip into the teens, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Eagles make a jump.

Jerry Tillery, DT Notre Dame

Jerry Tillery is 6’6 295 lbs and posted top ten times in the 40 and the three cone drill at the combine. I also have a crush on him.

Tillery is a mover of men. He is gigantic and pushes people around with ease. He’s mostly known for his ability as a run stopper, but he has shown some ability to get after the quarterback, like in his four sack game against Stanford last year.

I’m not sure where Tillery might go in the first round, but I do know pairing him with Fletcher Cox would be a nightmare for opposing offenses. If Tillery isn’t taken in the top ten, the Eagles need to get on the phone.

Brian Burns, DE Florida State

long, athletic, technically refined, to be brief, Mr. Burns is excellent.

Burns is 6’5 249 lbs and ran a 4.5 forty, that’s faster than most running backs in this year’s draft. He’s an athletic freak that could become a nightmare off the edge. He needs to bulk up a bit, but that doesn’t seem like much of an issue. He added ten pounds ahead of the combine and still managed to test historically well.

If Burns actually makes it out of the top ten, he won’t make it far. It would probably be an expensive jump, but if the Eagles wanted a potentially elite edge rusher to pair with Derek Barnett, this would be the way to go.

Stay put

Nassir Adderly, S Delaware

Adderly is a legit centerfielder. He’s a free safety you can leave on an island and let him make plays.

After Rodney McLeod’s injury last season, the Eagles became desperate for playmakers on defense. Avonte Maddox alleviated some of that need, but the team has very little in terms of future prospects at the safety position. Adderly is the best safety in this class and could be McLeod’s eventual replacement after this season.

Andre Dillard, T Washington State

Dillard is one of the safest picks in this draft. He’s going to go the NFL and he’s going to pass block well. It’s really that simple.

Coming from the nation’s most prolific passing offense, Dillard has some experience in the area. He led the nation in passing blocking snaps last season with 677 and gave up only one sack. He has good size for the position at 6’5 315 lbs and had the fourth fastest forty time and the top twenty yard shuttle at the combine.

Dillard is a high floor player that could come in and contribute in his rookie season. Given Jason Peters’ injury history and age, Dillard would give the Eagles some nice, non-Big V, insurance.

Rashan Gary, DL Michigan

Rashan Gary isn’t great at football, but he could be. It’s just really hard to argue against 6’4 277 lbs with a 4.6 forty and 7.26 three cone drill.

The production never showed up at Michigan, but I still think it could show up eventually. Of course, I would never spend a top ten pick hoping that production eventually materializes, but I’d bet something in the late twenties on the potential.

Gary is huge, athletic, and can play anywhere along the defensive line. He honestly might be a robot for all we know. He has a chance to be a much better professional than collegiate athlete. I just pray he’s on our side.

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, WR Oklahoma

Anybody against Desean Jackson 2.0? Yeah, I thought not.

Marquise Brown is a rare type of deep threat. He is Lightning McQueen fast, can track the football at an elite level, and regularly makes house calls. He is a tiny, little guy and there are legit concerns about his durability after suffering a Lisfranc injury.

Despite his drawbacks, I’m willing to take a chance on Brown’s speed and ability to catch the long ball. All too often it seemed like the Eagles were missing a player of Brown’s nature last season and I think doubling down with him and Desean could go a long way.

Trade Back

Chase Winovich, DE Michigan

If the Eagles wind up completely trading out of the first round, Chase Winovich could be an interesting name.

Winovich is a guy I could see hanging around the NFL awhile. I don’t think he’ll ever be elite, but he should be a solid player in the NFL for a long time and that’s about as much as you can ask from a second round pick.

His a little bit on the older side at 24 years old, but with a 4.6 forty and a 6.94 three cone drill, he’s someone I’d bet on. In his time at Michigan, he managed to majorly outproduce Rashan Gary in the same amount of snaps and seemed to be much more trusted by the coaching staff. I think that says a lot. Winovich could be an impact player from day one.

AJ Brown, WR Ole Miss

For all the fuss that’s being made about DK Metcalf, I really feel like AJ Brown should really be getting more buzz. I mean hell, he was the one who actually led Ole Miss in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Brown is a very well rounded wide receiver. He’s an excellent route runner with great hands and hand-eye coordination; he was drafted by the San Diego Padres as an outfielder in 2016. He also has great speed, he ran a 4.49 forty at the combine, and is tough to bring down after the catch.

Most have him pegged as more of a slot receiver, but I think he has the size to play on the outside. If the Eagles trade back in the first round, this is someone I’d keep an eye on.

Tytus Howard, T Alabama State

You like super gigantic athletic offensive line man from small schools? than you’re going to love Tytus Howard.

Standing in at 6’5 322 lbs, Howard is a mountain of a man. He flashed his athleticism at the combine with top ten finishes in the forty and sent his draft stock skyrocketing. He needs some refinement and a little more muscle, but he could be a high upside pick.

The Eagles have shown a lot of interest in Howard leading up to the draft, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them snag an extra pick just to ensure they get him.

Josh Jacobs, RB Alabama

I’ve come full circle on Josh Jacobs. I went from loving the thought of Jacobs in the first, to hating it, to hating the player, and now, I don’t actively want him, but if the Eagles trade back and he’s there, I’m not against it.

Jacobs is the best back in this class, but there are a lot of question marks surrounding him. He’s coming from a committee backfield at Alabama, so he didn’t have a ton of snaps and he didn’t test particularly well at the combine or his pro day. With that said, what he offers in terms of receiving skills is very valuable and would compliment the Eagles’ backfield very well. If I’m the Eagles, I wouldn’t actively pursue Jacobs, but if you can get a pick and he’s there later down the line, than why not?