Eagles Draft Grade and Analysis

Eagles Overall Draft Grade:

Grade A

We didn’t have many picks to work with and for what we had we did very well. We have potential in every round. We didn’t pick any players that are certain to fail which many other teams did. Dallas, TE should be able to contribute early on in his career and should be a good TE with upside. We addressed the CB position, which we were thin at. We got an extremely athletic nickle CB with a high ceiling. Also in the fourth round we brought in a DE edge rusher who has the frame and the superior athleticism to  be a star. He has a lot of work to do, but to get someone with this potential in the 4^th round is quite good. We also addressed our offensive line with a guard and potential OT. Pryor gives us good experienced depth at the position. Mailata, a former rugby player is an absolute beast and could develop into an all pro OT or maybe DT. He is very raw but I love the pick in the 7^th round.

2^nd Round - Dallas Goedert, South Dakota St. 6’5 256: Grade A-

While I would have preferred to stay in round one and take Will Hernandez, G or Connor Williams, G at this position I like the selection of Dallas’. He is a good athlete and has with great hands. He doesn’t seem to get very open on his routes though and still needs to improve in his blocking ability. He was also incredibly productive with 1293 yards a 14.1 yard average and 11 touch downs his junior year and 1111 yards 15.4 yard average and 7 td his senior year. Overall, it looks like Dallas has the potential to contribute as a receiving TE early on in his career because of his size, good athleticism, and great hands.

4^th Round - Avonte Maddox, Pittsburg, 5’9 184: Grade B+

He’s extremely athletic but he is shorter and lighter than many CBs. He would have to play against smaller quicker WRs. He also has great production over his career with 34 PBU and 9 INTs. He has great work ethic and plays with tenacity. He has some concerns in coverage and he’s better in zone. I like his potential as someone who is both athletic and productive. He is a little small and short which could hurt him some. Overall, he seems like another great prospect. I expect that he could become a starting nickle corner.

4^th Round – Josh Sweat, Florida St. 6’5 251: Grade B

Josh is an excellent athlete with a sub 7 second 3-cone, a 4.53 40 and 39.5 inches in the vertical jump. He had two good college years but not great. He had 7 sacks in 2016 and 5.5 in 2017. He would have benefited from another year in college. He looks quick around the edge on tape. He isn’t very big right now and would be best suited to come in on passing situations. There is a lot I like about Josh, his length, has athleticism, his tackling ability, but he does have some deficiencies. He needs to get better with his technique and he is slow off the ball. I’m not sure if that can be addressed. Overall, he has a lot of upside and could develop into a very good pass rusher.

6^th Round – Matt Pryor, G TCU, 6’7 332: Grade B

Matt is a big guard that played G and OT in college. He did not measure well at the combine, although he seems to move better on tape. He seems like he’d do better at guard because he’s not as athletic as some other OTs. He has long arms and huge hands which help him deliver a strong punch. He needs to work on his technique and improve his knee bend. Some people have concerns about his work ethic. If he works hard and takes well to coaching, he has a shot to contribute.

7^th Round- Jorda Mailata, OT, Professional Ruby Player, 6’8 346: Grade A

Big powerful athletic ruby player. I’m sure that everyone has heard about him by now.  He looks like a beast on tape. He smashes through guys and carries others fifteen yards. He looks pretty quick on his feet and has great acceleration for someone of his size.  Here are his measurable…40: 5.12, VJ: 28 inches; BJ: 8-10; short shuttle 4.67, 3 cone 8.03 seconds; Bench: 22 lifts. Overall his measurable are quite good given that he’s 346 lbs. He is obviously very raw since he never played football. It would be smart to put him at a position that is easier to learn. He has a lot of potential but he may flame out if he can’t adjust well. He has run quite a bit but he’s much too large for a running back. He could play a large fullback. That would be interesting. I’m not sure how his hands are. I would assume that they are not that great for now, so TE would be a little more difficult. We also just drafted a first round TE and have Zach Ertz. Still, it seems like he could be a Gronkowski type of TE. He is currently listed as an OT. He does have great size and athleticism to play OT and could develop into something special. It would also be nice to have someone that could replace Peters. It might be a hard transition though. It would be interesting to see what he could do at DT. His size and power are perfect and it looks like he has the tenacity to play the position. If I was the Eagles, I would test him out at various positions and see what he has a knack for. For OT, how is his footwork and can he knee bend to get good leverage. If he is not a natural knee-bender, than another position might be superior. I suspect that he is though even though he is very tall. Overall, he has tons of potential and you can’t wrong selecting someone like this in the 7^th round. His success will hinge on if he can learn the technique at whatever position he plays. I like his chances. Watch his highlights here:

Eagles Round one Draft Pick Options

Eagles Round one Draft Pick:

Normally I would have made an entire Eagles draft, but had limited time. I would like to see the eagles address their tackle position in the first round since Peters is old and keeps getting injured. I don’t love the OTs that would be available around where we pick but Connor Williams 6’5 296 could be good.

I’ve seen people say that we should draft a Running back. We should not. We have two very good ones in Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement, but we also have potential with Pumphrey and Smallwood.

We don’t need a receiver with Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor as both great WRs. We also have Mack Hollins who looked good as a rookie and Mike Wallace for the deep ball. It’s not worth taking a first round WR.

I wouldn’t mind a CB since we are a little thin there or a Linebacker where we are very thin.

Eagles Draft - First Round Options:

Leighton Vander Esch, ILB, Boise State, 6’4 256:

He did well in at the combine especially in the cone, shuttle and, vertical jump. He had a great senior year with 141 tackles 8.5 for a loss, 4 sacks, 4 pbu, and 3 ints.

Connor Williams, G, Texas 6’5 296:

He played tackle in college but will probably play guard in the NFL. He’s a great technician and if not for his injury and decline in play in 2017 he would be a higher pick.

Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa, 6’0 196:

He has good size and is above average athletic. He also has a crazy senior year with 18 PBU and 8 INTs. He needs time to develop and doesn’t have much experience but he’s a natural.

Later Round CBs

Quenton Meeks, Stanford, 6’1 209: Round 4

He has great size and he’s very athletic. His 40 is average but his other measurable are high. In three years he had 18 PBU and 7 INT. He’s very productive. He also had 65 tackles his senior year.

Avonte Maddox, Pittsburg, 5’9 184: Round 5

He’s extremely athletic but he is shorter and lighter than many CB. He would have to play the slot. He also has great production over his career with 34 PBU and 9 INTs.

Grant Haley, Penn State 5’9 190: Round 6

Another good slot corner option. He is short, but he is very athletic and has pretty good production.

Andre Chachere, San Jose St. 5’11 197: Round 7

He has good size and athleticism. He didn’t have the best senior year but did have 14 pbu and 4 ints his junior year. Worth a shot late for sure.

Darious Williams, UAB, 5’9 184: RFA

He’s short and was injured for several years. He had a great senior year though and is athletic enough to play the position.

Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma, 6’0 187: RFA

He needs some work, but for a late pick he has potential. He had a good junior year with 17 PBU and had 5 ints during his sophomore year. His 40 time is slow so he might have to switch to safety. Otherwise he has great change of direction.

Later Round Safety Prospects

Tarvarius Moore, Southern Miss, 6’1 199: Round 3

He has good size but could stand to be 10 lbs more. He had a very good senior year with 87 tackles 10 pbu and 3 ints. He is very fast in a straight line with pretty good change of direction and great explosion.

Godwin Igwebuike, Notherwestern, 5’11 213: Round 6 or 7

He has good size and very good production over his career with 324 tackles 24 PBU and 7 ints.

Late Round RB:

Dontrell Hillard, Tulane 5’10 202: RFA

Had 1k yards senior year 5.2 yard average. He also has a career over 10 ypc on 70 catches. He’s athletic enough for the positon for sure.  He has a good top speed and very good acceleration. He can run through some contact even though he’s only 202. He could be this year’s Corey Clement.

Disclaimer: I normally spend more time analyzing data and watching film. I did my best this year with very limited time. 

2018 NFL Draft: Value Prospects

Value ILB Prospects:

Genard Avery, Memphis 6’1 248: Round 5 or 6

He’s very powerful and very athletic. He also had many tackles for losses. He has some deficiencies but they are mostly in technique. He is a little slow off the ball though which is a concern. Either way his potential makes him a great pick in round 5 or 6.

Value Running Backs Prospects :

Saquon Barkley, Penn State, 6’0 233: First over all

The best. There’s nothing to say. He will be the best running back in a while.  

Nick Chubb, Georigia,  5’1 225: Round 2

He has a good career average of 6.5. Decent combine with good numbers in bench vert and very good broad. He has above average acceleration and power, which are his main strengths. He’s not super agile, but does have a good leg drive when he’s hit. He looks like he could be a beast behind a good offensive line. Maybe a one cut system. I think his injury slowed him down or he would be rated higher.

Rashaad Penny, San Diego State, 5’11 220: Round 3

His combine numbers are just okay other than his 40 time of 4.46. He needs to work on his hands and pass blocking, but he has effortless acceleration and a very good top speed. He also can hit you with power and then quick acceleration. He reminds me of David Johnson. Not super shifty, but that’s not his style.

Roc Thomas, Jacksonville St. 5’11 193: Round 6

 He’s a little small, but he has a good career average of 5.9. He is shifty and looks to have some potential.

Chase Edmonds, Fordham, 5’9 205: Round 7

He had very good stats until his injured senior year. He has a very good shuttle and cone but just okay other combine numbers. He’s very agile with a great spin move and quick side to side movement. He also has good acceleration but just average top speed. He’s a great prospect for the 7^th round.  

Value Wide Receiver Prospects:

J’Mon Moore, Missouri,  6’3 207: Round 4

He has a great cone and shuttle and vertical. Two very good years with over a 16ypc average. He also averaged 9TDs his last two years. He’s raw, but very athletic. Worth a shot in rounds three or four.

Justin Watson, Pennsylvainia, 6’2 215: Round 5

He has great consistent stats with three years over 1k yards and an average of around 13.5 with 10 tds. He has a good 40 and vertical but just so so otherwise.

Damion Ratley, texas A&M, 6’2 196: Round 7

He has a good 40 and vertical, with a decent three cone. He has minimal production, but he did have one good year with a 23 yard average and almost 700 yards and 6tdd. He’s raw but worth a shot late.

Vyncint Smith, Limestone, 6’2 197: Round 6

He has a very good vertical and broad jump, with a decent cone and good 40. He has minimal catches but very good averages with not a bad senior year of 849 yards. He needs to develop his hands and routes but has potential because of his size and speed.  

Jaelon Acklin, Western Illinois, 6’1 185: Round 7

He is light but has good combine numbers. He has a great senior year with 1369 yards, 16.3 average, and 10td. He’s sudden out of breaks and runs smooth routes. He should work on his hands but is a great late round pick.

My Ranking and Thoughts on Top Qbs:

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma:

He looks better than Sam Darnold to me. He has a quick release and pretty strong arm. He throws a better spiral than Darnold. And he has some running ability. The spread system inflated his stats, but he did have the best QBR of any QB. He has had years of success and looks like he has great potential.

Sam Darnold, USC:

Moves very well in the pocket, which lets him make plays. Good arm strength but not the most I’ve seen. He doesn’t always throw the nicest ball. He looks the part though and should be a solid QB.

Josh Allen, Wyoming:

I don’t like him and wouldn’t draft him in the first. It’s rare that QBs with poor college stats do well in the NFL. I’m not impressed. He has a strong arm, but not enough else.

Josh Rosen, UCLA:

I also don’t like him. He doesn’t have great stats and he has a weak arm. 

Disclaimer: I usually spend way more time analyzing data and game tape, but I had limited time this draft season. I like the prospects that I selected, but I missed other good ones for sure and I didn’t watch nearly as much video on the prospects that I normally would.  

Thoughts on the Browns draft:

First, I would be so much fun to take over a new team and have two high first round picks. If I was the Browns, I would take Saquon Barkley first overall. He’s a once in a decade talent. He’s by far the best RB in this class and is the best prospect in years.  He’s super athletic, fast, strong agile. He’s a can’t miss. If the Browns continue to build their offensive line and have such a great running back, it will make things much easier for their QB. With their 4^th pick I would either tank Quenton Nelson, who is viewed as a can’t miss guard. I didn’t evaluate him, but if he’s as good as he’s supposed to be, and the Browns could move one of their guards to RT, they would have a dominate offensive line. The combination of the powerful line, Tyrod Taylor’s running, and Saquon
Barkley’s running, would turn the Browns into a winning team…finally. Alternatively, if they want a future QB I would take either Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold at 4 if they were still available.