Round
1: No. 13 (from HOU via CLE) – Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia: Grade B+
He has great size
at 6’6’ 341 lbs, which will help him anchor the run game. He has the strength to
collapse the pocket and to be a force against the run. He’s also athletic with
4.78 40 a 32 inch vertical and a 123 inch broad jump. His change of direction
and first step aren’t as impressive though. He didn’t produce very well in
college 32 tackles, 5 for a loss, and 2 sacks his senior year, but his role in
the defense was to take on double teams, so it kind of makes sense. Still, I
would have liked to see confirmation that a player can produce before drafting them.
There are many workout warriors who bust in the NFL. Overall, I like his, strength,
size, and athleticism, but I would have gone elsewhere with this pick because
of his lack of production.
Cam didn’t run all of the athletic measurable
tests, but did run a respectable 4.92 in the 40. Still, he looks athletic and
quick on tape, with good lateral quickness. He’d probably be best in a zone
scheme. He uses his hands well and show strength. He’s a little small for guard
but would make a perfect center. He’ll need a year to learn from Kelce. As much
as I like Jurgens, we probably could have gotten him lower if we traded down.
Dean didn’t run at the
combine, but he looks athletic and quick on tape. He covers running backs well,
but can also blitz. He’s strong and explode in the run game, but overall he has
average instincts. His junior year was okay with 71 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a
loss, and 1.5 sacks, and he did better his senior year with 72 tackles, 10.5
for a loss, 6 sacks, 2 ints, 5 passes defended, and 2 forced fumbles. Overall
it was a pretty good year, but I would have liked to see more tackles. In the
third round though, he’s a great pick. He was projected to go in the first or
second. It’s nice to the Eagles finally trying to address the linebacker
positon. I believe this has been holding the defense back.
For this sixth round Johnson is a great pick. He has reasonable
size at 6’0 235lbs. He is super athletic for his size. He had a 4.4 40, a 39.5
inch vert a 120 inch bard, a 4.38 shuttle, and an impressive 6.98 3 cone. He
also produced almost as well as Nakobe Dean except for his passing defense. He
had 63 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, and 7 sacks. He’s a liability in the passing
game as of now, but he is athletic enough to be a three down lb. He has
incredible potential and it will be up to the coaches to help him reach that
potential. He’ll be a first and second down lb at first who can also get to the
qb. And if he can’t make it as a lb, he’ll be a monster on special teams.
Round 6: No. 198 (from JAX via PIT) – Grant Calcaterra, TE,
SMU: Grade B-
Grant produced fairly well in college with a total of 1102 yards
and a 13.9 yard average. The average is very good for a TE and could be a great
receiving TE in the NFL. His blocking is a liability right now though and needs
to get better. I like that he played with Jalen Hurts in college as well. He
ran a respectable 4.62 in the 40 but didn’t run other drills. He also has a
long history of concussions, which is a concern.
Trade for AJ Brown, WR: Grade A+
This is the greatest thing the Eagles have ever done. They traded their
other first round pick and a third round pick for an amazing, proven receiver.
He has nearly 3000 yards in three years with a 16.2 yard average. He also has
24 tds and a 62.7% career catch rate. He’s got good hands and is very strong.
He’ll be a great compliment to DeVonta Smith. I wanted the Eagles to draft him
coming out of college. He went a few picks before their two picks in round two
but they could have traded up. Instead they took JJ Arcega-Whiteside, lol. It
was obvious he wasn’t going to be good.
A rookie free agent I would have liked: Isaiah Weston, WR: He’s
very athletic and had two years for over 1900 yards and a 24 yard average.
Jacob Harris 6’5 211 WR – Round 4: He had two years with 987
yards which isn’t much production but he had an excellent 20.1 avg. He has elite
athleticism with a 4.39 40, 40.0 vertical, 133 top broad amount 6.54 best 3
cone. His shuttle was an average 4.31. He needs to work on his hands, but could
be a beast in the red zone or on long passes.
Simi Fehoko 6’4 227 WR – Round 5: two years with 1146 18.5
avg. Not a ton of production but a good average. He ran a 4.44 40, but didn’t
have a great vertical or broad. He did however have a very good 3 cone 6.78 3
cone and a decent 4.26 shuttle. He has excellent height and size.
Elijah Moore 5’9 178 WR – Round 2: not great stats, but he did have a decent senior year 1193 13.9 avg in just 8 games. 4.35 40 42.5 40 the best.
6.65 3 cone, the best. 4.06 shuttle third best. Very athletic. He runs crisp
routes and has great short area quickness. He’s also stronger than you’d think.
Zach Davidson 6’7 245 TE – Round 5: division two, but the
best athletics for a tight end. And a 22 yard average. One of the best. But
only 900 career yards. He’s more of a receiver than a great blocker, but with
his excellent athletics and great senior year he could turn out to be one of
the best receiving TEs.
Robert Rochell 6’2 195 CB – Round 4: Small school, but good
senior year with 5 picks and 13 break-ups. Elite athletics. 4.41 40, 43 vertical,
133 broad (the second best) 6.84 cone. 4.08 shuttle (third best). He also has
great size to be a press corner. He’s a little raw but has the potential to be
a very good CB.
Overall I liked the draft, mostly because of DeVonta smith
and because of the potential of Landon Dickerson. I was surprised the Eagles
took Smith instead of reaching for a third round projected WR who has bad
hands, but sometimes they get it right. The Eagles desperately needed CBs and
got a possible player in the 4th. They also addressed the D-line
with some potential. As always the Eagles don’t value linebackers even though they
are very important to the defense. They drafted two late, which probably won’t
make the team.
Round 1:
DeVonta Smith, WR 6’0 170
Grade: A+
DeVonta
Smith is one of the best route runners in college football. He also has great
hands. He’s basically the opposite of Jalen Reagor from last year. I hated that
pick since I wanted Justin Jefferson, WR instead. I made it very clear last
year. Jalen Reagor is fast, but otherwise isn’t a good route runner and has bad
hands. Devonta was very productive in college partly because Waddle went down
with an injury. Devonta had 3965 yards for his career with a 16.9 yard average. He
also had 46 TDs. His 117 catches and 1856 yards won him the Heisman his senior
year. His only issue is his size, but DeSean Jackson did very well in the NFL
with a similar weight. DeVonta has much better stats in college than DeSean
had. The Eagles finally have their number one receiver.
Round 2
Landon Dickerson, C 6’6 333
Grade: B
Landon’s
biggest concern is his injury history. He has had multiple season-ending
injuries. If he manages not to get injured, though, he has great size and strength.
Although he has shorter than desired arms, he is good with his hand fighting
and initial punch. We don’t have any measurable on Landon. As long as injuries
aren’t a problem Landon should be a good pick. The Eagles needed depth at guard
and will need a new center possibly next year since Kelce is getting close to
retirement. If he doesn’t get injured often he’s probably an A.
Round 3:
Milton Williams, DT 6’3 284
Grade: B+
Milton is
small for DT at 284 pounds. He also has shorter than desired arms. That being
said he is measurably the most athletic DT ever including Aaron Donald. He ran
a 4.67 40, had a 38.5 inch vertical, a 10 foot broad jump, ran a 6.96 3 cone,
and a 4.33 shuttle. He’d even be athletic for a TE. He had decent stats where
over two years he had 104 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, and 10 sacks. All are
good numbers for a DT. He needs to improve his pass rushing techniques and get
bigger if he wants to play DT in the NFL. He could possibly play DE with some
work on his pass rushing. Also, he could come in during pass rush situations as
DT if he improves. Although he is lighter, he doesn’t have much fat like most DTs.
Round 4:
Zech McPhearson, CB
Grade: B
Zech has
some potential with his decent speed and good ball skills. He doesn’t have
great route recognition and has a bumpy backpedal. His 6.88 cone and 4.00
shuttle, combined with his 40.5 inch vertical and 10.8 inch broad jump show
that he has potential. His 4.48 40 isn’t as great as I’d like to see, however. Statistically, he did okay. He did have 104 tackles in two years. But only 11 passes broken up
in two years. He did however have 4 ints his senior year, which is impressive.
He’s not a bad selection in the 4th round. I would rather have
drafted Robert Rochell, CB.
Round 5:
Kenneth Gainwell, RB 5’8 201
Grade: A
Kenneth is a
little light, but it’s not really a concern since he’s 5’8. He did have a good
senior year with 1459 yards a 6.3 yard average and 600 receiving yards with a
12 yard average which is great. He didn’t have much production his other years.
He ran a solid 4.42 in the 40 and has above average reps in the bench. Unfortunately,
he didn’t have other measurable. I like to ensure that a RB’s cone is under 7.
He’s good at reading blocks and has decent lateral movement. He’s more of a one-cut runner than someone who can juke laterally multiple times like LeSean McCoy
could. He’s not much of an inside runner, but he’s okay in pass blocking and
could become a third down back. He looks explosive on tape and showed a nice
spin move, but he isn’t very powerful. For the 5th round he’s a very
good pick.
Round 6:
Marlong Tuipulotu, DT 6’2 307
Grade: B
Marlong is
basically the opposite of Milton Williams. He’s not particularly athletic. He
ran a 7.57 cone, a 4.69 shuttle, and an average 8’7 inch broad jump. He only
played 5 games his senior year, and has average statistics for his other years.
He’s not particularly impressive production wise. He does have much better size
than Marlong though, but is kind of short for a DT. He has good hands, and is
known to be tough but wears down as the game goes on. He looks okay and could
become a backup at DT.
Round 6:
Tarron Jackson, DE 6’2 254
Grade: C+
Tarron is a
little small at 254 and doesn’t have very good length. He is very strong though
and has some nice pass rush moves. He’s not very explosive though and not great
at changing direction. He’s from a smaller school, but has good stats. He has
42 tackles for a loss in 4 years, 188 tackles, and 24.5 sacks. His measurable are
not great for his size though and is probably not athletic enough to play in
the NFL.
Round 6:
JaCoby Stevens, LB 6’1 212
Grade: B-
JaCoby is
too small to play LB and not athletic enough to play Safety. He has below
average speed for safety and doesn’t have the athleticism for coverage. He’d
have to put on 20 or 30 lbs of muscle to make it as a LB. He was decent statistically
with 190 tackles, 21.5 for a loss and 9.5 sacks in three years. He also had 4
picks and 15 passes broken up in 3 years. He has an impressive 42 inch vertical
and 10’8 foot broad jump. If he can maintain those numbers and his 40 of 4.63
as he puts on weight, he has some potential.
Round 7:
Patrick Johnson, LB 6’2 240
Grade: A
Patrick has
good size to play LB, unlike JaCoby. He was a DE pass rusher in college, but
unless he puts on 20 lbs he’s going to have to move to LB. He has some good
moves in the pass rusher and is good at shedding blockers, but in the pass rush
he has below average burst. Statistically, he did pretty well with 34 tackles for
a loss in three years, and 21 sacks. He didn’t have many tackles. He also had 6
forced fumbles and 11 passes broken up. Athletically he’s decent with a 4.59
40, a 35 inch vertical, and a 6.97 3 cone. I like the potential he has for a 7th
round pick.
Overall Thoughts: I hated our first two picks. They were just
bad. It makes no sense to take a speed WR that isn’t great at catching the ball,
isn’t good laterally, and who has effort issues. We didn’t desperately need a
WR this year with Alshon and Desean, so to reach for one in the first round was
dumb. Especially when there was a much better WR in Justin Jefferson available.
Also with Kenneth Murray available, we could have addressed are huge need at
LB. At least later I the draft we got some guys with potential that fit needs.
Our second round pick was also dumb. Unless we’re going to trade Carson Wentz
which would be dumb, picking a QB made no sense. We likely found a kick
returner with all these straight speed WRs at least. I like that we got depth
on the O-line, but I’m surprised that we didn’t get any backup guard/ center prospects
since it’s likely Jason Kelce’s last year. The tackles we took are probably too
light and tall to play guard well. The Eagles later picks were better than the
early rounds, but it’s important to hit with the first two picks. It’s like
they were trying to find diamonds in the rough when there were already polished
diamonds. They were trying to get too cute for sure.
Round 1: Jalen
Reagor, WR 5’11” 206
Grade: D-
His vertical and broad jump numbers are good. His 40 is
average, and his shuttle and cone are bad.
His 40 time is probably better than
his 4.47 since he looks fast on tape. It makes sense that he has a bad shuttle
and cone because he doesn’t seem to be agile or have good lateral movement.
He’s more of a straight ahead guy. He also seems to have bad balance since he
fell down when he tried to cut several times that I saw. He also doesn’t have
great hands, which obviously is important for a WR.
His only had 611 yards and 5 tds his senior year. His junior
year was better with 1061 yards and 9 tds. From everything that I see I’m not
very impressed, especially since both Justin Jefferson, a more polished
receiver with way better hands, and Kenneth Murray, a speedy LB, were both on
the board. I just don’t like this pick. I’m not saying he can’t pan out, but
his odds of panning out are much lower than other options. It was just dumb to
reach for him and we surely could have taken him at the end of the second
round.
Round 2: Jalen Hurts,
QB 6’1” 222
Grade: F
I like Jalen Hurts as a prospect and if we needed a QB, then
fine, I would like this pick. He’s athletic for a QB at a 4.59 40, 35 inch
vertical, and 125 inch board jump. He ran for 1298 yards his senior year with a
5.6 yard average and over 3k for his career. He also had an excellent 69%
completion percentage and 32tds to 8 interceptions. Once again there is nothing
wrong with Hurts as a prospect. The pick just made zero sense. I’ve heard the
arguments for it and no. I don’t buy it. We have a great need for linebackers
and could have looked at the position here instead. Or really anything but QB
would have been nice. The only way this works out well is if Wentz gets injured and Jalen plays amazingly. Then we can trade him for a first round pick. We'll see.
Round 3: Davion
Taylor, LB 6’0 228
Grade: B
Davion has good athleticism with a 4.49 40 6.96 cone and
4.26 shuttle. He’s a bit small, but fine for a weak side run and chase LB. He
didn’t have much in the way of production but only played two years. He also
didn’t play in high school. He had 72 total tackles, 8 for a loss, and 4 passes
broken up, which isn’t horrible. He’s raw and needs development, but he has
potential because he’s athletic. Overall, I like the pick and we addressed a
need. I would have rather had Kenneth Murray in the first round if we didn’t go
WR, but at least this is something.
Round 4: K’Von
Wallace, S, 5’11 206
Grade: B
He’s very athletic except for his 40 which is a 4.53. That
should be enough for a safety, but he might be better as an in the box safety.
He’s a great tackler and is aggressive, which also fits that role. He had a
pretty good senior year with 72 total tackles, two interceptions and ten passes
broken up. His other years were not very good though. For a fourth round safety
it wasn’t bad and he has potential for sure.
Round 4: Jack
Driscoll, T, 6’5” 306.
Grade: B-
He’s athletic for a tackle and that’s his best trait. He ran
a 5.02 40, but had no shuttle or cone. His other best attribute is that he
started four years. He’ doesn’t have much strength and has short arms though,
which might be a problem. He will be able to put on more muscle at least. He
should be good as a backup left tackle and is better against the pass than run.
Round 5: John Hightower,
WR, 6’1” 189
Grade: B+
He’s fast and athletic enough for WR in the NFL. Unfortunately
for a deep speed guy, he’s not good at tracking the ball on deep catches and is
bad at 50/50 balls. He’s actually a lot like Jalen Reagor in that respect. The
Eagles were obviously desperate for speed at WR and it showed. I think they
greatly reached on the first round pick, but at least they took Hightower in
the 5th. It’s funny because statically he was better than Reagor
with 943 yards, 18.5 yard average and 8 tds his senior year.
Round 6: Shaun
Bradley, LB, 6’1” 235
Grade: A-
Like Davion, Shaun is athletic enough to play in the NFL,
but he’s not elite. He’s decent in coverage though, so that’s a plus. I’d say
he’s also better as a weak side LB, but he’s not as quick as Davion. He started
three years and has decent tackle numbers of around 80 each year. He doesn’t
have much in the way of passes broken up, so even though he is known to be good
in coverage, it doesn’t show well in his stats. Overall, since we were
desperate for LB, I’m glad we took him. He can at least become a backup for us
and since we are so thin will have a chance to start.
Round 6: Quez
Watkins, WR, 6’0” 185
Grade: A-
Quez has a great 40 at 4.35, but otherwise his cone and
drill were not good. He’s more of a straight line track type guy, which isn’t
great for WRs. Everyone WR we took is pretty similar with straight speed, not
much agility, and not great hands. It’s possible none of them pan out because
of this. It’s always a mistake to get locked into people’s 40 times. There’s a
lot more to playing football. Quez is at least good at jump balls. He also as
better statically than Reagor and similar to Hightower with 1178 yards 18.4
yard average and 6 TD’s his senior year. Still for getting him so late, this is
a good pick.
Round 6: Pince Tega
Wanogho, T, 6’5” 308
Grade: A+
He has good height and weight for LT, but like Driscoll, he
has short arms. He doesn’t have tons of experience but started half his junior
year and his entire senior year. He’s still raw, but has good athleticism. He
is a great developmental prospect and has a chance to develop into a starter.
Round 7: Casey
Toohill, EDGE, 6’4” 250
Grade: A+
He has good length and should be good enough athletically to
make it in the NFL with a 4.6 40 39 inch vertical and 7.08 cone and 4.21
shuttle. He’s not great vs the run, but he is a good pass rusher. He’ll have to
put on 25 lbs to play DE for the Eagles. He’ll probably just play on passing
downs unless he can get bigger. He had a good senior year with 57 tackles, 11.5
for a loss, and 8 sacks. He was a very good seventh round pick.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Grades and Analysis for NFL Draft 2019
Overall Grade: B+
I decided to do bonus draft coverage for the Buccaneers, since I'm also becoming a fan of them. It's hard because they are terrible, but still. It was a great draft for the Buccaneers. They needed major help
on defense and they got it! They found five potential future starters for the
defense, along with a new kicker, and a WR that has a chance to be good. It
would have been nice to see a RB drafted or one at least taken as a rookie free
agent. I’m not sure about Ronald Jones yet, who had a terrible rookie year. I
liked Nick Chubb better, who had better balance, power, and cutting ability. Jones
probably only beat him on top speed. He also looked to have as good explosion. Also
the Bucks should have drafted at least one offensive lineman.
Round 1: Devin White, LB – Grade: A
I love this pick! White just looks like a beast on tape. He’s
fast and powerful. He tested very well at the combine with a 4.42 40, a 39.5
inch vertical, a 7.07 three cone, and a 4.17 shuttle. He’s not huge at 237 lbs,
but big enough since he’s so strong. He had two great years with over 120
tackles and 12 tackles for losses. He also had 6 passes defended his senior
year and three sacks. He went from 37 solo tackles his junior year to 62 during
his senior year. The Buccaneers also needed an inside linebacker. Devin White
will be a probowl player.
Round 2: Sean Bunting, CB – Grade B-
Bunting has good size at 6’ 195 lbs. He’s athletic with a
4.42 40, a 41 inch vertical, and a 6.85 three cone drill. He had 5 passes
broken up for three years in a row, which isn’t amazing, but is okay. He also
had 9 interceptions over three years which is decent. His best stat is that he
allowed under a 39 percent completion rate during his senior year. It seems to
have been a little high to take him which is why he got a B - grade, but He has
a chance to become an eventual starter.
Round 3: Jamel Dean, CB – Grade B
He has slightly better size than Bunting at 6’1” 206. His 40
time is great at a 4.3 and is vertical and broad jump are also very good at 41
inches and 130 inches. His cone had shuttle were not as good as I would like
for a CB at 7.02 and 4.19. He has had multiple knee surgeries, but seems to
have healed up fine for now. He only allowed a 40 percent completion rate
during his senior year, but still needs to work on his technique. He only had 2
interceptions in two years, but did have 17 passes broken up. He’ll need some
work but has a chance to become a starter. Not bad for the third round.
Round 3: Mike Edwards, S – Grade B+
He has no testing data, but he looks very athletic on tape.
I’m confident that he can get it done in the NFL. He’s a little small for a
safety at 5’11” 205. He has good stats with 23 passes broken up over 4 years, 10
interceptions, 317 tackles, and 21 tackles for losses. He had 100 tackles
during his sophomore year. He looks like a play-maker on tape for sure. I wish
there was more data on him, but I like the pick and think that he can also
become a starter at safety, but might have to put on 10 lbs.
Round 4: Anthony Nelson, DE – Grade B+
Nelson is a big bodied DE at 6’7” 271lbs. He also has long
34 7/8 inch arms. He tested extremely well at the combine, especially for
someone his size. He had a 6.95 3 cone which is ridiculous at 271, as well as
one of the best vertical, and broad jump times. His shuttle is great at 4.23
and his 40 is above average for his size as well. He is a little low on tackles
with 45 his senior year but his 13.5 tackles for a loss and his 9.5 sacks are
decent. He also had 5 passes defended during his junior year. He should work on
getting stronger and work on his technique but he has great potential. He also
could eventually become a starter at DE and is a great pick in the 4th
round.
Round 5, Matt Gay, K: Grade B+
It’s tough to ever like drafting a kicker, but Matt Gay
seems worth it. The Buck’s kickers were horrible. He has a good leg, making 72
percent of his field goals over 50 yards. He’s also accurate, hitting 35 of 36
under 40. He’s the potential future at kicker in Tampa.
Round 6: Scott Miller, WR: Grade A
I love this pick for the sixth round. He’s got great top
speed with a 4.36 40, a great cone at 4.02. and a strong 15 bench reps for
someone his size. He had a great senior year with 1148 yards, a 16.2 yard
average, and 9 TDs. He has 2867 career yards and an impressive 23 touchdowns. He
shows off his impressive speed on tape. He also has great moves to make
defenders miss. Lastly, he made some impressive catches. His main issue is his
weight at 176, but that’s bigger than first round pick Marquise Brown who was
166.
Round 7 Terry Beckner Jr. DT: Grade D+
Beckner isn’t very athletic and is a little small at 296
lbs. He has low numbers of sacks and tackles. He did have okay numbers at
tackles for losses. Although he’s not athletic, he does have good feel in small
spaces and good hands. Still I don’t think he’ll make the team.
Bonus: RFA signing of Anthony Johnson, WR - Grade: A
He had 2367 yards in two years and 25 TDs. He also had a
career average of 17.8 yards per catch, which is great. He ran a 4.55,which isn’t
great an a 7.12 3 cone, which also isn’t great. He has good size though at 6’2”
209. He was projected to be a 4th round pick. He had some nice
contested catches, and looks to have good hands. He got pretty open on many of
his catches also. He’s an amazing find as a RFA. He has a chance to make the
team.
The grades are scaled since they are RFAs and do not match
up with the grades of drafted players. It means how good of a rookie free agent
signing they are.
T.J. Edwards, LB, Wisconsin- Grade B
Edwards had very good stats in college.
He had 15 passes broken up for his career, 10 interceptions, 37.5 tackles for a
loss, and 366 tackles. His senior year he had 112 tackles and 11.5 for a loss,
which is a strong year. He has a lot of starting experience. He’s a little
small at 230 lbs. He tested very poorly in the 40 at 4.87. His other numbers
besides his 3 cone and shuttle were all poor as well. His cone and shuttle were
both decent. He’ll have trouble in man coverage because of his speed. He could make
the team because we are thin at LB and because of his instincts, but he’ll have
to work on getting faster if possible.
Joey Alfieri, LB, Stanford – Grade C -
Good size at 6’3” 240. He didn’t have
much in the way of stats. His best year was his sophomore year, which you don’t
usually like to see. That year he had 51 tackles, 10 for a loss, and 4 sacks.
He had a middle of the road broad jump, a pretty good 3 cone, a below average
shuttle, an above average 40, and an average vertical. He’s reasonably athletic,
but with his poor stats, he doesn’t look like a great prospect. Still, we are
so thin at linebacker that he has a chance.
Kevin Wilkins, DT, Rutgers – Grade D-
He has okay size, but terrible Stats and
no sacks as a junior or a senior. He is very un-athletic He won’t make the
team.
Anthony Rush, DT, Alabama-Birmingham – Grade B
Very big at 6’5” 350 43 tackles, 11 for
a loss, and two sacks. Decent stats for someone so big. No measurables. He
could be someone who plays in the NFL, but it’s unlikely he’ll make the Eagles
since they have a bunch of DTs.
Ryan Bates, OT, Penn State – Grade B+
He has top level shuttle and 3 cone
times as well as a good 40 and a good number of bench reps. His board jump is
poor as well as his vertical. He’s good side to side, but not great moving forward.
He only weights 306 and will have to put on weight and become more explosive.
He has poor leverage and pad level, which will make it hard for him to be
successful in the NFL. Still, if he can improve those areas and get bigger, he
was a decent signing.
Iosua Opeta, G, Weber State – Grade A
Adequate size and arm length. He had one
of the best 40 time at 5.02 and the most bench reps of any offensive lineman at
39. He also had one of the best vertical leaps for an offensive lineman at 33
inches, and a high level broad jump at 112 inches. His cone and shuttle times
were some of the worst though. He has straight line explosion but isn’t good
side to side. He’ll need to work on his footwork and pass protection. He has a
chance to make the team because
Nate Herbig, G, Stanford – Grade B-
He is big and has decent arm length. He
doesn’t look as cut as other lineman though. He is one of the least athletic offensive
lineman that their was. He did have a high number of bench reps though. He
would have to lose weight, improve his balance and leverage, and become much
more athletic to have a better chance in the NFL. Still he started many games
for Stanford, and was worth bringing in as a RFA, especially since the Eagles are
thin at guard.
DeAndre Thompkins, WR, Penn State – Grade A-
The Eagles are obsessed with Penn State
this year. DeAndre didn’t catch many balls, but when you add up all of his
years he had decent stats with 1245 yards, a 15 yard per catch average, and 12
TDs. He’s a little smaller, but a fine size at 5’11” 192. He had a great 40
time at 4.34, a good broad jump of 126 inches, an above average cone drill, and
an average shuttle time. He’s a good free agent pick up, but will have a hard
time making the team with all of the WR depth that we have.
Nico Evans, RB, Wyoming – Grade C
He’s a pretty athletic running back with
decent straight ahead athletics, but poor lateral athletics. His 3 cone and
shuttle times show that he won’t be able to make the NFL. He had over 1300
yards and a 6.5 yard average his senior year. On tape, he has pretty good
explosion and speed, but not as great lateral movement. He will have a hard
time making the team with the depth at RB since he doesn’t seem as great as any
of the RBs that we currently have. There were many other undrafted RBs that
would have been better.
Delvon Randall, S, Temple – Grade C -
His stats look pretty good with 12 career
interceptions and 11 passes defended. He also had 246 career tackles. He is
simply not athletic enough to play safety in the NFL. His only chance would be
to put on weight and lose no speed and play LB.
Rookie Free Agents
that we should have taken:
Emmanuel Hall, WR
– Very athletic with a 4.39 40, a 43.5 inch vertical, and a 141 inch board
jump. He was also productive in college with two years over 800 yards and a
24.8 and 22.4 yards per catch during his junior and senior years. I can’t believe
he wasn’t drafted. Wow!
Dominick Bragalone RB, Lehigh 5’11” 230:He’s from
a smaller school, but looks to have the measurable to make an impact in the
NFL. He ran a 4.44, had 31 reps, and a 10’3” broad jump. He has good cutting
ability, especially for someone of his size and pretty good explosion and power
too. He should pump his legs better when someone grabs them and he could break
even more tackles. He is good at breaking most arm tackles though. He had three
great years with over a thousand yards and a 5.6 yard per average until a poor
senior year.
Ross Reynolds G, Iowa
6’3” 304: Although he only started for one year, he has great athleticism.
He may have to move to center, but could be a steal if he does.
Jason Moore WR,
Findlay 6’3 215 – Good size and while is 40 is just okay at 4.57, he posted
a 4.07 shuttle and a 6.62 three cone drill, which are both great times. He also
had a 37 inch vertical. He had over a fifteen yard average for two years and
two thousand yards combined. He must have been injured his senior year. He’s
worth a shot as a FA for sure.
Jeff Smith WR, Boston
College 6’0” 191: Really great measurable with a 4.36 40 a 4.06 shuttle and
a 6.87 three cone drill. He didn’t have much production and started out as a
QB, but when you combine all of his years, he had 902 rushing yards with a 6.6
yard average and over a thousand receiving yards with a 15 yard average. His
hand are bad, maybe switch him to defense or he should work to improve. Worth a
shot as a rookie free agent.
Jalen Guyton WR,
North Texas 6’1” 212: Another guy with good size and great measurable. He
also has decent production with 1580 yards and a 15.3 yards average over two
years. He’s raw and needs to work on his game though. Wroth it as a FA pick up.
Brett Rypien, QB – Rypien had 4 good
productive years in college. He had a 67 completion percentage his senior year,
a 8.3 yard per catch, and a 30 to 7 touchdown to interception ratio. He has a
good release, good accuracy, and reads the field well. He doesn’t have the
strongest arm, but strong enough.
Yosuah Nijman OT, Virginia
Tech 6”7” 324– He has great size
and long arms. He’s also very athletic.
Drew Lewis, LB –
He’s a little smaller at 230, but he ran very well at the combine. And had a
strong junior year with 94 tackles.
Round 1: Andre Dillard OT, Washington State 6’5”
315: Grade A
The Eagles traded up a few spots for Dillard and it was
worth it! He’s the prospect that I wanted most and it’s amazing that we got
him. He has good size and height with decently long arms. He’s one of the best
pass blockers in the NFL and should be a great LT for many years to come. He’s
also extremely athletic for an OT. One of the most athletic. He will need to
work on his run blocking, but is a great prospect. He’ll be able to fill in for
any injured offensive lineman this year and take over for Jason Peters when he
retires.
Round 2: Miles Sanders RB, Penn State 5’11” 211:
Grade A-
The Eagles needed a running back to fill the shoes of Darren
Sproles. They traded for Jordan Howard from the Bears, but his contract only
lasts one more year. Howard is a decent running back with some power, but isn’t
very shifty or a great pass catcher. Sanders has the chance to be a great every
down back. He needs to become more explosive, but I think he can do that. He’ll
have a chance to develop behind Howard for a year before he becomes the man. Sanders
has only one year of production because he played behind Saquon Barkley
(Greatest running back prospect of all time, who proved it in his rookie year).
Sanders had a reasonable six yard average and tested very well at the combine
in the shuttle and three cone drills. He shows on tape that he has good balance
and shiftiness to make people miss and stay on his feet. He also has good power
in his leg drive. He doesn’t have great explosiveness or top speed, but he’s
more likely to succeed than someone like Darrell Henderson who does have those
attributes, but isn’t as shifty.
Other options: we could have signed TJ Yeldon in free Agency and gone with Sharping here. I also would have preferred to trade this pick for Duke Johnson, RB on the Browns.
Max Sharping OT/G, Northern Illinois 6’6” 327, Round 2/3, –
He is very big at 327, but is still very athletic. He has some issues with his
balance and footwork, but still graded very well as a pass blocker and a run blocker.
He’s probably better as a RT than a LT. He’s another player that the Eagles
should target in the second or third round. He could have filled in for Brandon
Brooks while he’s injured and then taken over for Isaac Seumalo.
The Eagles didn’t need a WR and there were better receivers
still available if they wanted to pick one. He has pretty good size and long
arms. He had a decent senior year with over a thousand yards and 14 TDs. He
also had a good career average of 16.4 yards per catch. His 40 time was also
good at 4.5. Unfortunately, his other measurables are not good and it shows on
tape. He had a poor 34 inch vertical, a 9’11” board, a 4.41 shuttle, and a 7.23
cone drill. All of these numbers are bellow average and are not NFL caliber
numbers. That being said, he didn’t do well in college because of his athleticism
or ability to get open. And Players do succeed with his level of athleticism,
namely Anquan Boldin. He did well because of his long arms, and ability to win
50/50 balls. He is strong and has great hands. He is able to box defenders out
and make contested catches. He has a chance to be a good NFL starter.
Prospects I would have taken instead:
If we wanted a WR here, I would have preferred to draft D.K.
Metcalf who is taller with longer arms and much more straight-line speed.
I would have taken Juan Thornhill:
Juan Thornhill Safety, Virginia 6’0” 205: Round 2/3– I’d
take him in the second. He has great athleticism, enough to play cornerback in
the NFL. He also had many passes broken up and six interceptions during his
senior year.
Justin Layne CB, Michigan St. 6’2” 192: Round 2– He has
great height and good explosiveness. He isn’t as much of an elite athlete as
some, but seems to be enough of an athlete. He has many pass break ups in his
senior year.
Round 4: Shareef Miller
EDGE, Penn State 6’4” 254: Grade C-
Miller has okay size and good arm length. He doesn’t look
very strong and really has no bull rush. His first step isn’t that impressive
either. He doesn’t look great against the run. His stats are okay. His tackle
numbers are low but his 15 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks are decent. His 40
is middle of the road. His bench reps and vertical jump are the worst out of
ever EDGE rusher. His shuttle is on the lower end, and he had no cone drill.
His highlights are okay, but several times, he was unblocked or part of a group
tackle. He’s fine for a 4th round pick and could develop into an
okay player.
Players that I would have drafted instead: There were some
good LBs with potential and we also need an LB.
Blake Cashman LB, Minnesota 6’1”
237: Round 5/6 – While he’s not known as being super athletic he tested very
well at the combine and he looks quick to me on tape. He had over a hundred
tackles his senior year and 15 tackles for a loss. He also had 10.5 tackles for
a loss and 7.5 sacks during his sophomore year.
Ben Burr-Kirven LB, Washington 6’0” 230, Round 6/7– Smaller
at 230, but he is extremely athletic with an excellent 40 time of 4.56 and
great shuttle and cone times of 4.09 and 6.85. He was productive throughout
college, but had a ridiculous 176 tackles his senior year.
Cole Holcomb LB, North Carolina 6’1 231: Round 6 – Great
athleticism with a 4.5 in the 40, an 11’ broad, a 4.14 shuttle and a 6.77 three
cone. He was also very productive with 312 tackles in three years and 12 passes
defended. He also had 4 forced fumbles during his senior year.
He doesn’t have any combine measurable, but moves decently
well in the pocket. He’s not super fast, but he did have many TDs on QB sneaks.
His stats are terrible. He had only 6.3 yards per catch, and threw way too many
interceptions and not a lot of touch downs. He does have many starts though.
His arm talent seems decent with decent power. His release is a little slow and
his accuracy is just okay on long and intermediate throws. His short throw
accuracy is good. He makes some bad decisions and sometimes throws into double
coverage. He goes through his progressions well. He took a lot of sacks, many
of which were his fault, but his offensive line was average as well. He didn’t
have great receivers to throw to. He’s a developmental prospect with some
potential.
Player that I would have drafted instead:
Cole Holcomb LB, North Carolina 6’1 231: Round 6 – Great
athleticism with a 4.5 in the 40, an 11’ broad, a 4.14 shuttle and a 6.77 three
cone. He was also very productive with 312 tackles in three years and 12 passes
defended. He also had 4 forced fumbles during his senior year.
