Philadelphia Eagles Draft Grade and Assessment

Eagles Draft Grade

Overall Grade: B- : We didn't get many if any players that will come right in and start. I don't think Barnett is ready and Sidney Jones is injured. Rasul will likely never start. We did however get some nice athletic developmental prospects that could eventually contribute and Sidney Jones looks like he will be good when he heals. Derek could become a passable starter as well.

Round 1: Derek Barnett DE: B-

It’s not like Barnett doesn’t have positives or that he can’t become a very good player, it’s just that he doesn’t look like a sure thing like other players did. Yes, he was very productive and even broke Reggie White’s record. Does that make him Reggie White? No. Reggie had forty pounds on Barnett. He was quicker, better at changing direction, and more powerful than Barnett.

Barnett is great at fighting with his hands, but his arms are very short and 3 inches shorter than miles Garrett. He is decent against the run, but his change of direction speed and closing speed are liabilities. He was productive, it seems, largely due to his hand fighting and his anticipation of the snap. He will have a much harder time doing the same things in the NFL. His anticipation of the snap helped mask his explosion off of the line, which was average at best. Barnett could become a reliable starter if he increases his pass rushing skill set, but he is not a sure thing. I would love a dominant DE and have been waiting for one for a long time. I hope that Barnett becomes the man for us, and he could, but I would have gone a safer direction here.

Round 2: Sidney Jones CB 6’0 186: B

Sidney was projected to be a first round pick until he tore his Achilles tendon. He has enough athletic ability to stay with WR except for fast receivers on deep routes. He has natural talent and awareness at the position to overcome his sub elite athletics. His production was pretty good in college, but he didn’t have any amazing years. He has good hands and can pull in interceptions. Sidney is a hard pick to grade. He could develop into a good CB. His injury is a setback, but also helped the Eagles to get him in the second round. The value and injury cancel out on the grade. Other than that he has enough potential for a B grade.

Round 3: Douglas Rasul CB 6’2 209: D+

Rasul has great size for a press CB. He could also play safety. He is a one year wonder in college which is concerning. It was quite a good year with 8 ints, but it’s always risky relying on one year. He does not have a great long speed at 4.6 which is a concern as a CB. He also only have average athletics otherwise. Because of his poor long speed, he will need safety help over the top, and he will have to give a strong jam at the line. He is likely a better safety than CB athletically, but since he’s not a great tackler that limits his potential move. He will have problems staying with WRs on all routes.

Round 4: Mack Hollins WR 6’4 221: B

Mack has great size for a WR. Ideal really. He only ran the 40 at the combine and had a solid 4.5. While he doesn’t have another measrualbes, he is very quick and has great acceleration. He needs to greatly improve his route running on shorter routes to be able to get open. He also needs to work on his catching ability and stop body catching. He certainly has potential to become a top WR if he gets everything else together. He wasn’t very productive in college, which is a little concerning, but once again he has good potential.

Round 4: Donnel Pumphrey RB: B-

He could only be used for a return man. He’s too small to pass block so he can’t be in on third downs. He’s too small to play RB on first and second downs. If his hands weren’t bellow average, he could play WR on some special plays. He doesn’t have long speed, but he does accelerate very quickly. He also has good lateral agility, not the two man cutting ability of Lesean Mccoy, but good. His production was huge in college… tons of yards, tons of tds, good average. If he can put on 20 lbs and learn to pass block, he could be a great third down RB and maybe contribute on first and second downs. If he weighed 25 lbs more and still had the same quickness, he would have been an A pick in the 4^th. Many small players like him cannot make the jump to the NFL though. That being said, I want him to make it. If he gets bigger it looks like he could be special.

Round 5: Shelton Gibson WR 5’11 191: A-

Shelton is a great deep threat with a very good average per catch. He needs to work on his route running and his hands, but if he can get that together, he could be a good wr. He also has good size for someone as fast as he is. People have been comparing him to Desean Jackson. He is similar, but not the same. He’s bigger than him and not quite as fast as him. I love the pick in the 5^th round.

Round 5: Nate Gerry S 6’2 218: C-

Nate is simply not athletic enough to play safety in the NFL. It’s possible that he could put on weight and play LB. He was decently productive in college. He has good ball skills with 13 ints. He isn’t good enough with coverage to cover WRs. He could cover TEs though. He missed many tackles in college, so he would have to improve there.

Round 6: Elijah Qualls DT 6’1 313: B

Elijah has power and can attack low with good leverage. He has very short arms though, the second shortest of all D lineman. He also has decent athleticism. His production is average in college and he needs to get into better shape. The two biggest concerns about him are his arm length and his work ethic. For the 6^th round it’s not bad to change a chance on someone who has some potential.