It's finally draft week! So, in a culminating effort of my first mock draft, my draft scenario article, and my "you're allowed to draft these players" article, I will now provide Eagles nation with my seven-round mock draft.
Enjoy!
Round 1, Pick 14- Derek Barnett, Edge, Tennessee
Well, I changed my mind. I no longer believe that Reuben Foster will be available at pick 14, or that, if he were to be there, that the Eagles should take him. Barnett had outstanding success in the SEC, performing better against SEC opponents than future first-overall pick Myles Garrett.
Disregard the weather in Knoxville, unless you live there I guess.
As you can see, Barnett played better against the tough competition of the SEC than Garrett. Barnett is criticized for technique, while Garrett is criticized (wrongly, in my opinion) about work ethic. Technique can be taught, and in the company of Brandon Graham, Chris Long, and Fletcher Cox, Barnett can learn and thrive in Philly. He's also already, in a distorted way, a hometown hero in that he beat the great Reggie White's career sack record in Tennessee. The Eagles need a reliable pass rusher to make up for their disappointing performance last year.
Round 2, Pick 43- Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
More and more am I starting to believe that Marlon Humphrey will slide to the second round. Kevin King and Quincy Wilson's stock have only risen, and Gareon Conley will be off the board before the Eagles pick in the first round. Tre'Davious White is starting to look like he'll replace Humphrey's spot as the Cowboy's first round pick (I mocked Humphrey to them last week), and I see Humphrey still waiting for the call come Friday night.
With that in mind, will he make it to pick 43? That's a much more difficult question to answer. I do not see the Eagles trading up in the second round, as their main options (assuming they draft Barnett) are Joe Mixon and Humphrey, but my prediction is Mixon may be off the board by 43. Howie Roseman would be much more willing to trade up to take Humphrey than Mixon, so he's the pick.
Humphrey is an aggressive 20 year-old corner who needs to work on protecting the deep ball and shoring up his coverage overall, but he has the potential to be an absolute superstar in the NFL, as he is already tall, long, fast, and a hard tackler.
Round 3, Pick 99- D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texas
Missing out on Mixon in the second round, the Birds take another hard, fast runner out of the toughest state for football. This pick is ultimately between Foreman and Cooper Kupp, but I believe Kupp is taken before Foreman and wouldn't be available here. Nonetheless, Foreman offers the style of running that can give the Eagles that "Bell-Cow" 3-down running back that they've needed since the departure of LeSean McCoy.
Foreman ran for over 2,000 yards in 2016, and scored 15 times.
Round 4, Pick 119- Duke Riley, LB, LSU
The Eagles are looking for a new linebacker to add depth, or possibly start for a departing Mychal Kendricks (who has been on the trade block for quite some time now). Riley is a physical linebacker who ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, which is within a tenth of a second from many of the top running backs in the draft (Cook, Fournette, McCaffrey). With speed like that, Riley could be taught to cover well. In his one season as a starter at LSU, he batted down one pass and picked off another.
Round 4, Pick 139- Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan
It should come as no surprise that the Eagles will pick more than one corner (I'm hoping they draft three, maybe squeezing in Sidney Jones), and Lewis can fit the bill for them here. He's a little undersized, but Jim Schwartz doesn't seem to care about that. His confidence may rival that of Jalen Mills, who the team drafted and loved last season. Schwartz would love to have Mills, Humphrey, and Lewis being physical corners with a swagger about them.
Round 5, Pick 155- Erik Magnuson, OT, Michigan
Round 6, Pick 194- Artavis Scott, WR, Clemson
The Eagles are going to look to ensure that there will be a long term solution to the wide receiver position. I think Alshon Jeffery will be an Eagle for years to come, and Torrey Smith will likely stick around for a while too. Jordan Matthews, however, could be one of the next receivers the team will let walk. There have been speculation that the slot receiver could be on the trade block, or may be a trade chip in this years draft, as he will likely ask for a lot of money that the team simply does not have.
Enter Artavis Scott, the receiver out of Clemson whose name isn't Mike Williams. Scott is projected to become a slot wide receiver in the NFL, due to his quick feet, and slower straight-line speed. At 5'10'' Scott is a little undersized, so imagine him being like a Cole Beasley type in the NFL.
Round 7, Pick 230- Ken Ekanem, Edge, Virginia Tech
Ekanem is a tall developmental edge-rusher that the Eagles could try to make something out of by taking him in the later rounds. Ekanem recorded 7.5 sacks last season, and could add a body and competition to an edge rush that needs bodies and competition.
I am counting down the hours until the draft, it's almost the Christmastime of the NFL!
