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Monday, April 29, 2024

Philadelphia Eagles NFL Draft Grade 2024

Eagles 2024 Draft Grades 

Overall Grade: A-

First Round - Quinyon Mitchell, CB, 6’0” 195: Grade A+

The Eagles were lucky that Mitchell dropped to their spot, and they got a steal with this pick. Mitchell was likely the best corner in the draft. He ran a very fast 4.33 40 with a quick 1.51 10 yard split. He also had a 38 inch vertical which is strong, and an okay 10’2” broad. What really stands out are the amount of passes he broke up in college. He had an amazing 19 his junior year and 18 his senior year with a total of 45 for his career. These are wonderful numbers and usually translate to success in the NFL. He also had six interceptions for his career. He also proved himself at the senior bowl looking like the best corner there. He’s likely to be a longtime starter for the Eagles.

Second Round - Cooper DeJean, CB/Safety, 6’0” 203: Grade B

Cooper will likely play safety in the NFL. His 40 time was good with a 4.43. He also had a strong 38.5 inch vertical and a pretty good 10’4” broad jump. It would have been nice to see his cone and shuttle. Many people talk about his elite athleticism and it seems good but I’m not sure about elite. His lateral movement is okay, but nothing amazing. He’s also coming off an injury. He has 7 interceptions for his career which is pretty good but only 13 passes defended. His production and athleticism is much worse than Mitchell. He has a chance to be a good safety, but he’s not guaranteed to develop into a starter.

Third Round - Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, 6’4” 252: Grade C-

It was definitely a reach to take Jalyx Hunt in the third round. He had pretty bad production with only 7 sacks his junior year and 6.5 sacks his senior year. He’s a small school prospect. He did have 87 tackles his junior year but that’s when he was a safety so it’s not as impressive. He only had 46 his senior year as an edge rusher and had a half less sack than his junior year. He had a decent 4.64 in the 40 and a 1.6 10 yard split. He did have an impressive 37.5 vertical and an amazing 10’8” broad. Those are the most hopeful parts about Hunt. He needs to get stronger without losing any speed. There are better and more interesting picks here. I would have taken the linebacker Payton Wilson from NC state or WR Luke McCaffrey, Christian McCaffrey’s brother.

Fourth Round - Will Shipley, RB, 5’11” 206: Grade B

I would have rather not traded up in the second round to take cooper DeJean and have taken Trey Benson who was my favorite RB in the draft, but Shipley isn’t bad for the 4th round. He’s little light, but not too light to play. He has a strong 4.39 40, a very good 6.81 3 cone and 4.11 shuttle. He also had a 38.5 vertical and a 10’2” broad. Overall his numbers are impressive and correlate well with successful NFL running backs. I’d like to have seen what his 10 yard split is though. During his best year, his junior year, he had 1182 yards and a 5.6 yard average. For his career he has a solid but not amazing 5.2 yard average and 2748 yards. He also had 602 receiving yards and a not that great 7.1 yard average. It’s debatable if he’ll be able to replace Gainwell as the backup RB. Gainwell had a much better college receiving average of 11.6 yards and rushing average of 6.3 yards. Gainwell, though, had a terrible 10 yard split of 1.62 and a 40 that’s not as good as Shipley with a 4.47. Shipley looks good, but not great on tape, but for the 4th round, he’s a reasonable value.  

Fifth Round - Ainias Smith, WR, 5’9 190: Grade C-

Smith is short for a WR, but slot receivers are sometimes shorter. He has pretty good weight for his size at least. He ran an okay 4.48 but that’s not great for his size. He had a not that great 4.27 shuttle, but a strong 3 cone 6.86. He never had a big year of receiving in college, but his best was 795 yards and a 15 yard average his senior year. He never caught too many TDs. His college average per reception is an okay 13.4. Overall, none of these numbers are that impressive. His best attribute is his ability to run after the catch and his lateral movement.

Fifth Round - Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, 6’0” 228: Grade B

As Jeremiah Trotter’s son Trotter Jr. gets a boosted grade. Trotter was one of the best LBs the eagles
have had. Trotter Jr. had unimpressive an 4.6 40, 4.40 shuttle, and 7.13 cone. He had two pretty good years of 89 tackles and then 87 tackles. He also had 12 sacks and 4 interceptions, and 10 PD over those years. I would have liked to see his other combine numbers. He’s quick to diagnose plays and plays with a lot of heart, but I’m not sure if he has the athleticism to make it. Still for a fifth round pick and because of his bloodline, I like the pick.

Fifth Round - Trevor Keegan, G: 6’5” 310: Grade C+

Keegan is not athletic for his size and he’s not huge either. He started 37 games at Michigan which has been a top school. He needs to work on his technique and his athleticism could be an issue in the NFL. He could develop into a backup. I would have liked to have gotten a top offensive lineman in the second round to ensure Hurts is protected and Barkley has room to run.

Sixth Round - Johnny Wilson, WR, 6’6” 231: Grade A

For the sixth round Wilson was a great pick. He’s a huge receiver that could be moved to TE. He had good combine numbers for his size with a 4.52 40, a 1.55 10 yard split, an impressive 37” vertical and an amazing 10’8” broad jump, which shows his explosiveness. He also had a great 4.11 shuttle. Wilson is much more athletic than WR’s he’s compared to like Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess, even though is 40 was similar to Wilson. His best year was his junior year with 897 yards and a 20.9 yard average. He doesn’t catch a lot of TDs, but had a strong 17.2 yard average for his career. He has a chance to develop into a good WR.

Sixth Round - Dylan McMahon: G, 6’3” 299 Grade B

He’s smaller than Keegan, but much more athletic. He’s one of the more athletic offensive linemen with a 7.26 3 cone, 33 inch vertical, 4.33 shuttle, and a 9’7” broad jump. He started 45 games for N.C. State. He has pretty good technique and awareness, but his lack of arm length could be a problem. He will also need to put on some mass. For a later sixth round pick it was a good pick.