What the Eagles Should Be Thinking Headed into Round 2 of the NFL Draft

Lane Johnson is now a Philadelphia Eagle and one need is checked off the list. So, what should Chip Kelly's team be thinking as Round 2 of the NFL draft approaches? Here's another attempt to get inside their heads.

Time to gamble on a quarterback

We certainly thought about West Virginia's Geno Smith as a potential No. 4 overall pick. Why else would we have sent our entire front office to Morgantown for his pro day? Now, there's a chance we'll be able to land Smith with the third pick of the second round. 

If he's available, we'd be crazy not to give it a shot. The risk/reward factor is way better for us now, and the expectation level won't be as high. We'll add a quarterback who seems to suit Kelly's offense, and if things don't work out, it won't be as painful. 

We only have three more picks between this one and Round 7, so we can't afford to jump ahead to Jacksonville's No. 33 pick to ensure we get Smith, but rolling the dice on Ryan Nassib is something to also consider. 

Time to take advantage of the deep defensive back class in this draft

If we somehow miss out on Smith and Nassib and decide against Matt Barkley, we'll have several defensive backs available to us who received first-round grades in a lot of spots. We'd be happy to make Jonathan Cyprien or Jamar Taylor into Eagles, but we'd also be excited about the safety and cornerback prospects available to us in Round 3. 

When we're on the clock in the No. 67 spot, we'll be targeting guys like Jordan Poyer, David Amerson, Johnthan Banks, Darius Slay, Robert Alford, D.J. Swearinger and Phillip Thomas. 

Keeping Johnathan Hankins and John Jenkins in mind

We still need help up front in our new defense. We opted not to go with Star Lotulelei in Round 1, and now quarterback and defensive back are becoming priorities. But if the quarterback thing doesn't work out and we feel confident that we can get a safety or corner later, we have to consider those two monster defensive tackles, both of whom could become anchors in our front seven for years to come. 

Hankins is a more intriguing prospect and can play the 3-4 end spot opposite Fletcher Cox, but Jenkins could be a long-term solution at nose tackle. 

If one of these guys drops, we'll strongly consider packaging some of our remaining picks in order to trade up and add an extra Friday night selection in order to grab him.