Eagles Mock Draft: Instant Contributors Philadelphia Can Find in Every Round
Neither head coach Chip Kelly nor the Philadelphia Eagles ever indicated 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith wouldn’t be a project. No doubt, they were hoping he would play more than 68 snaps last season, per Football Outsiders, but Smith was selected with the thought of being groomed for the future.
Since Kelly has taken full control of the team’s personnel this offseason, many of the Eagles’ moves appear more geared toward immediate gratification. With that in mind, you have to wonder if the draft won’t be conducted in a similar fashion from here on out.
Will Kelly search for more players who can contribute immediately? He certainly may have to. With potential holes at wide receiver, offensive guard, cornerback and safety, to name a few, Philadelphia sure could use the draft to plug a lot of leaks.
In our latest Eagles-only mock draft, we looked specifically at which players in which order might go the furthest toward filling some of the more immediate needs along the roster.
Round 1, Pick No. 20: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
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Contrary to popular opinion, Philadelphia’s secondary is not fixed. Sure, Kelly managed to lure Byron Maxwell from Seattle with an expensive free-agent contract, but unproven 2014 fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins is the only other cornerback on the roster signed beyond this year.
Theoretically, a first-round corner such as Kevin Johnson could come in and compete for the starting job opposite Maxwell immediately. The Birds also landed Walter Thurmond III this offseason, but he’s suited up for 27 of a possible 71 regular-season and playoff games in the last four years, so he’s not a reliable option. Also, neither Brandon Boykin nor Nolan Carroll could beat out Bradley Fletcher last season.
At 6’0” and 188 pounds with 31-inch arms, Johnson has the ideal size and length Kelly looks for in a defensive back. Johnson’s 4.52-second 40-yard dash time is only OK, but he tested among the top at his position in virtually every other drill at the combine. A three-year starter at Wake Forest, Johnson finished his collegiate career with seven interceptions and 38 passes defended.
Matt Miller for Bleacher Report revealed the Eagles are among the teams scheduled to have an official visit with Johnson.
There’s a chance Johnson would begin his rookie year behind Thurmond on the depth chart, but history seems to indicate it would be only a matter of time before the rookie was called upon to fill in. It sounds like cornerback is still a priority for Philly in this draft.
Round 2, Pick No. 52: Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
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Since Jeremy Maclin’s unexpected departure via free agency, Philadelphia’s top three remaining wide receivers are Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Josh Huff. Matthews is coming off a strong rookie campaign in which he primarily played in the slot, Cooper is a replacement-level No. 2 at best and Huff had all of eight receptions in 2014.
The Eagles couldn’t merely use an instant contributor at wideout—they need one. Fortunately, it’s a deep draft at the position, so a good prospect should still be on the board in the second round.
What type of receiver Kelly is interested in may depend on his plan for Matthews. If Matthews is going to move outside, Nelson Agholor makes perfect sense in the slot, where the USC receiver’s NFL.com scouting report indicates he is best suited to play at the next level.
Despite a limited view of his ceiling, Alex Marvez for Fox Sports reported the Eagles were having Agholor for an official visit. At 6’0” and 198 pounds with 4.42 speed, Agholor possesses a quality combination of size and athleticism for the slot. He was also highly productive in college, particularly in his senior season, where he racked up 104 receptions for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Regardless of who and what round drafted, a rookie wide receiver is going to have an opportunity to crack the rotation in Philly. If Matthews is going to become the Eagles’ feature receiver from here on out, grabbing a good safety blanket for the slot in Agholor should be a safe play.
Round 3, Pick No. 84: Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State
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At the NFL owners meetings, Kelly mentioned Earl Wolff as a candidate to start at safety in 2015, per Zach Berman for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The head coach also noted 2014 fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins might switch positions from cornerback to safety and compete for a job.
While this year does not boast a particularly deep class at the position, it’s safe to say any safety drafted will have an opportunity to be an instant contributor for Philadelphia. One player the team apparently is high on is Damarious Randall, as Dane Brugler for CBSSports.com reported an official visit was lined up.
Randall is a tad undersized at 5’11”, 196 pounds and 30 ¼-inch arms, at least compared to what Kelly typically looks for in a defensive back. However, Randall tested near the top of his position at the combine in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle, indicating impressive athleticism.
He’s also shown to be a playmaker during his time at Arizona State. In two seasons, the junior college transfer racked up 177 total tackles, 15.0 tackles for a loss, a sack, four forced fumbles, 12 pass breakups and six interceptions—two returned for touchdowns.
Given the nature of the Eagles’ depth chart, it’s not a stretch at all to suggest Randall could win a competition out of training camp. Perhaps the opening-day starter at safety isn’t on the roster yet after all.
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Round 4, Pick No. 113: Eric Rowe, CB, Utah
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You might be wondering what the Eagles would need with another cornerback right now. We established one potential vacancy but seemingly would have filled it in Round 1 with Johnson.
Eric Rowe likely wouldn’t start or have as much of an immediate impact as a first-round talent, but he could work his way on the field instantly. Last season, defensive coordinator Bill Davis installed a dime package and used Nolan Carroll as the fourth cornerback—but the $2.9 million he is set to earn this year, according to Spotrac, is a lot of money to pay for a situational player.
Rowe’s versatility will appeal to a team like the Eagles, particularly for that role. The Utah product played safety for three years before switching to corner as a senior; both experiences will be helpful as a sort of hybrid defensive back in Davis’ dime.
Long term, Rowe could eventually compete for a bigger role in Philly’s secondary. He has tremendous size at 6’1” and 205 pounds as well as athleticism, finishing near the top of his class in every drill at the combine—at the much deeper corner position, no less.
Even if they don’t necessarily need another defensive back here, Rowe may be too good to pass up, and it’s not as if the Eagles couldn’t get him some work. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt mentions that Kelly attended Rowe’s pro day, so there are some insiders who happen to think the Birds would definitely be interested.
Round 5, Pick No. 145: Arie Kouandjio, OG, Alabama
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The Eagles already released one starting offensive guard in Todd Herremans. According to Ian Rapoport for the NFL Network, the team is also trying to move All-Pro Evan Mathis in a trade, which would mean replacing two guards in one offseason.
There are a host of bodies on Philadelphia’s roster with interior O-line experience. Swingman Allen Barbre was signed to a contract extension last offseason, while Andrew Gardner, Matt Tobin and Dennis Kelly all saw playing time last season due to injuries—although none played particularly well.
It’s conceivable that a rookie, even one selected in the later rounds, could push for a starting job, particularly if both are open. A player such as Arie Kouandjio might even have a leg up over incoming rookies, as he played under Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland at Alabama.
Kouandjio should be more or less familiar with some of the techniques employed in Philly, and if he is a quality prospect to start from day one, Stoutland should be able to endorse him. The biggest red flags are medical issues that plagued Kouandjio’s college career, but as Kelly has shown this offseason, he’s willing to take a chance on players being healthy.
If nothing else, the Eagles need to add another guard into the mix, and Kouandjio could provide depth.
Round 5, Pick No. 156: Chris Conley, WR, Georgia
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Once again, drafting one player at a position did not necessarily fill the void. The Eagles already added a wide receiver in Round 2, but they’ll likely need another, even if only to fill out the depth chart.
Chris Conley is a player who will fly under the radar due to his underwhelming production in college. He never caught more than 45 passes in a season at Georgia and never went over 657 yards receiving, either—although he did have eight touchdowns as a senior.
Conley’s measurables make him an intriguing prospect, however. He has good size at 6’2” and 213 pounds with long arms and big hands, providing a nice catch radius. He’s also extremely athletic, running a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash and posting a 45-inch vertical, among other eye-popping numbers.
The Eagles definitely took notice. Alex Marvez for Fox Sports reports the team had Conley for an official visit.
Where Conley is most likely to make an immediate impact is on special teams. That being said, Philadelphia’s depth chart is still razor-thin at receiver, even after selecting Agholor in the second. Conley could be just an injury away from having a fairly sizable role in the offense.
Round 6, Pick No. 195: Tony Washington, OLB, Oregon
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The Eagles are set at outside linebacker after re-signing Brandon Graham, then extending Connor Barwin. However, behind Graham and Barwin is a bit of a mess. 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith couldn’t get on the field his rookie year, Bryan Braman is exclusively a special teams contributor and Travis Long is untested and can’t seem to stay healthy.
With so many other glaring needs, Kelly may not be able to address this one as early as he likes, so getting a player he’s comfortable with might take precedence. Seeing as Kelly also recruited and coached Tony Washington at Oregon, he might make sense at this point in the draft.
Rankings are divided as to whether Washington is even a draftable prospect. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. has him as the 266th-best player in the draft, which falls just outside the final round. CBSSports.com’s rankings do not seem to think his name will be called.
That being said, pass-rushers always rise in value, and in this case, the Eagles don’t have to project as much, as Washington will be dropped into a system with some of the same principles as Oregon’s. Washington racked up 23.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles over his junior and senior seasons.
Washington is undersized at 6’4” and 247 pounds, and a poor showing at the combine definitely hurt his value—except maybe in Philadelphia, where he could make an immediate impact as a rotational player on the edge.
Round 7, Pick No. 237: Ben Heeney, ILB, Kansas
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In truth, it would be difficult for any incoming interior linebacker to make an immediate impact in Philadelphia. Kiko Alonso and Mychal Kendricks are currently penciled in as the starters, two-time Pro Bowler DeMeco Ryans is expected to return and Najee Goode headlines some reasonably good depth at the position.
That being said, there are indications the Eagles could add an interior linebacker in the draft. The lack of contract talks with Kendricks, as reported by Jeff McLane for The Philadelphia Inquirer, has led to speculation about the fourth-year veteran’s future, and Ryans is 30.
Ben Heeney is the type of player who could fall in the draft due to off-field concerns. At 6’0” and 231 pounds, he’s also undersized. Both of these are traits that normally wouldn’t appeal to Kelly, who preaches culture and big people beat up little people.
However, the fact that he doesn’t necessarily need Heeney to make an immediate impact and that the team could take its time seeing whether he fits in the locker room could lessen the hard-line stance in both departments.
Heeney was among the fastest interior linebackers at the combine, and he was a proven playmaker at Kansas with 35.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions and three forced fumbles for his career.
If Heeney could have an instant impact, it would allow the Eagles to potentially move another interior linebacker in a trade. Otherwise, he’ll likely just be biding his time on the bench.
All combine results courtesy of NFL.com.
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