Who Are Experts Predicting to Philadelphia Eagles in 1st Round of Draft?

With less than a month to go before the NFL draft, mock-draft season is in full swing, and which direction the Philadelphia Eagles will go is as much a mystery as ever. Put five experts in a room and ask them to predict the Birds’ first-round pick, and you’ll very likely get five different answers.

Which is exactly what we did—well, sort of. We didn’t actually get these people in the same room, but we did scan their mocks and found some very different lines of thinking as to what the Eagles will do in Round 1.

That being said, there also seems to be some sense of consensus thinking as to Philly’s overall direction. Most mock drafts have the Eagles doing one of two things in the first round. Most believe the choice will either come down to a defensive back or a wide receiver—but not all.      

We sampled the mocks of some the biggest names in the industry and came back with five different players, but also among the most common being linked to the Eagles. Could one of these be the name that’s called when the Eagles make their selection at No. 20?

Landon Collins, S, Alabama

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Safety is currently the biggest hole on the Eagles’ roster, which is probably why ESPN’s Todd McShay is among the many prognosticators who have Landon Collins out of Alabama going to Philadelphia in Round 1.

"Receiver and outside linebacker are need areas, but I'll have them address the safety position with Collins, who is an athletic strong safety prospect built like a weak-side linebacker who can hold up in coverage and be a force for Philly in run support," he said.

This is the problem with a lot of the so-called expert analysis in mock drafts. The Eagles simply aren’t looking for a safety who can be a force in run support. More often than not, the safeties are deployed in coverage in Philly’s scheme, either in a single-high zone or man-to-man.

As Sheil Kapadia writes for Philadelphia magazine, that’s not really Collins’ strength, making him an unlikely target for the Eagles. Yes, safety is a huge need, but if last year’s free-agent signing of Malcolm Jenkins taught us anything, the club values fit as much as it does ability.

Jalen Collins, CB, LSU

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

While many observers seem to view the cornerback situation as being fixed in Philadelphia, that’s far from the reality. There’s no clear-cut No. 2 starter, and Byron Maxwell is the only proven player under contract beyond 2015.

Not surprisingly, ESPN’s Mel Kiper thinks the Eagles will add at least one corner in the draft, beginning with Jalen Collins out of LSU in the first round.

"Collins is a high-upside play as a cornerback with good size, reach and athletic attributes," he said. "He can play physical but also turn and run with the fastest wide receivers in the league. He's not a complete package yet, but he can press, play off and shows awareness in zone."

Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com reports the Eagles hosted Collins on an official predraft visit, so the team is definitely interested. Mike Mayock of the NFL Network remarked in February that Collins’ size and length (6’1”, 203 lbs) make him a perfect fit for Philly.

That being said, I’m not sure Collins is quite a first-round talent. There are a lot of good cornerbacks in this draft, and it would not be surprising at all to see some quality prospects slip into Round 2. The Eagles taking Collins 20th overall would be a mild surprise.

Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Now here’s a mock draft where the writer is clearly watching the Eagles very closely. As Gil Brandt of NFL.com noted, there was a large Eagles contingent at Connecticut’s pro day, including head coach Chip Kelly, who skipped Florida State to be there.

Why? Because of cornerback Byron Jones, who leaped up draft boards with his outstanding performance at the combine. Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com took note of the Eagles’ not-so-subtle movements.

"Connecting the pro day dots, Chip Kelly has paid close attention to big, athletic defensive back prospects this spring," he said. "Eric Rowe is in the conversation, but Jones is the better fit and should surprise no one if he's drafted this high."

Jones wasn’t really getting a lot of first-round consideration prior to the combine, but made headlines specifically for setting a world record in the broad jump. He’s a tremendous athlete with ideal size (6’1”, 199 lbs), so naturally the Eagles are interested.

Whether Jones climbs all the way into Round 1 remains to be seen, but the Eagles seem serious. Don’t be surprised if he’s the pick at No. 20.

Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

While the Eagles have been looking closely at defensive backs during the lead-up to the draft, the team has actually interviewed more wide receivers than anything else.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated believes they’ll lean that direction if Jaelen Strong out of Arizona State is still on the board at No. 20: "Jordan Matthews: 6-3, 212. Jaelen Strong: 6-2½, 219. Chip Kelly then fills in the receiver slots with some Riley Coopers and Miles Austins."

Receiver depth is certainly need, and having two towering athletes on the outsides is definitely tempting. A Matthews-Strong combo would be difficult for most secondaries to match up against.

Strong makes some sense as the pick here, but due to the plethora of wideouts entering the draft, Philadelphia may hold off for a round or two unless somebody truly special is available. Strong is an excellent all-around prospect with size, speed and production, but would a comparable athlete be around later?

Perhaps, and the Eagles may be forced to weigh that risk once they’re on the clock. The interest appears to be there, however, as Strong revealed through social media that he visited with the team, per Rotoworld.

Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia

Uncredited/Associated Press

Really, any number of defensive backs or wide receivers would make sense to the Eagles in the first round.

However, Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network has other ideas, forecasting Virginia outside linebacker Eli Harold to the Birds at No. 20: "It's impossible to predict what Chip Kelly will do, but the Eagles do have a need for another edge-rusher."

It’s true, the Eagles could use another pass-rusher. Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham are a tremendous tandem, but the depth behind them leaves a lot to be desired. As of now, the club is relying heavily on 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith to take a big step forward after he could barely get on the field as a rookie.

Philadelphia is almost certain to add an edge-rusher and an outside linebacker at some point in the draft. Would they go as high as Round 1 for a second consecutive year?

Judging from their interview patterns, it isn’t out of the question. According to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star, the Eagles will host Missouri’s Shane Ray on an official visit. Ray appears to be a sure first-round pick, possibly in the top 10.

As for Harold, there’s nothing officially connecting him with the Birds at this point, and based on different various rankings, 20th overall seems a little high. This particular name seems unlikely, but don’t rule out the position.