Why the Philadelphia Eagles Absolutely Must Draft Trae Waynes

The Philadelphia Eagles need a cornerback. In fact, they probably need several.

	YDS/GM	YDS/ATT	20+/40+	RATING
Stats	264.9	7.8	72/18	91.6
Rank	31st	t-27th	32nd/32nd	21st

Never mind Philly’s defense has finished 32nd and 31st against the pass in consecutive seasons, which should serve as proof enough cornerback is an issue. Other than 2014 fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins, who played just 30 defensive snaps in his rookie year, according to the game charters at Football Outsiders, the Eagles don’t have a single corner signed beyond next season.

Bradley Fletcher mercifully is a free agent. Cary Williams has one year remaining on his contract but could be a casualty of the salary cap. Nickel corner Brandon Boykin is also entering the final season of his rookie deal, and seeing as this coaching staff won’t give him an opportunity to start, he is likely as good as gone.

And reserve Nolan Carroll is on his last year as well, not to mention he didn’t look very good in his lone start for the Birds in Week 17.

The Eagles secondary is nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, especially at corner. The position absolutely must be addressed early and often this offseason, and as part of the carpet-bomb approach to fixing the defensive backfield, the Eagles should be targeting Trae Waynes, arguably the top cornerback prospect in the draft.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

CBSSports.com has Waynes rated as the top cornerback in the draft and the 19th-best prospect overall, which means the Michigan State product will be within striking distance for the Birds picking at No. 20. ESPN Insider’s Scouts Inc. service has Waynes as the second-best corner available, No. 26 overall.

The thinking here is simple. In theory, the selection of Waynes would help solidify the outsides for years to come, possibly even immediately if he’s ready to start as a rookie.

YR	TKL	PD	INT	FF
2012	5	0	0	0
2013	50	5	3	0
2014	43	8	3	0

Why Waynes? Aside from the fact that he’s quite possibly the top corner available, he fits the mold the Eagles have been looking for at the position since Chip Kelly was hired as head coach. Waynes is listed at 6’1”, 182 pounds, so while he could stand to bulk up a little, he already possesses the height and length the team prefers on the perimeters.

Hailed as one of the main factors why the Spartans ranked fourth in the nation in opponents’ passing efficiency and 25th in pass defense in '14 by the school’s website, Waynes recorded 13 pass breakups and six interceptions in two seasons as a starter.

The redshirt junior has drawn comparisons to Chicago Bears rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller by Dane Brugler for CBSSports.com. The Eagles were believed to have interest in Fuller in last year’s draft.

There may be some who believe Marcus Peters out of Washington is actually the better prospect, and he too could be available when the Eagles are on the clock. Peters would appear to fit the mold at 6’0”, 190 pounds, and he displayed tremendous playmaking ability with 27 pass breakups and 11 interceptions in three seasons.

YR	TKL	PD	INT	FF
2012	44	11	3	0
2013	55	9	5	1
2014	30	7	3	0

However, Peters will have a lot of questions to answer about his dismissal from the Huskies football program in 2014. The circumstances aren’t entirely clear, but reported clashes with coaches seemed to be at the top of the list. This is potentially a huge issue to the Eagles and Kelly in particular, who often boasts the importance of locker room culture.

One of the many reasons believed to be responsible for the release of DeSean Jackson in 2014 was the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s clashes with members of the Eagles’ coaching staff.

There are no such known character concerns with Waynes. Peters may be the better prospect, but Waynes seems to be the safer of the two.

Even if it requires a short trade up the board, it would behoove the Eagles to land at least one of these players. While much of Philadelphia is in the grips of Marcus Mariota mania, the fact of the matter is it won’t matter who is under center for the Birds as long as opponents are torching their secondary constantly and with great ease.

Beyond the need for top-tier players on the boundaries, the Eagles also have a need for simple numbers at the position. Not only does it appear they will have the opportunity to land one of the top two corners in the draft, bolstering the defense immediately in the process, but it would put the club one step closer to solving future needs before they crop up.

There’s little doubt the Eagles must address the cornerback position this offseason, but you can make the case they absolutely must address it in the first round of the 2015 draft.