Philadelphia Eagles Mock Draft Roundup: What the Experts Are Saying
Thanks to last week's trade, the discussion of the Philadelphia Eagles' first-round pick in Thursday's NFL draft got a whole lot simpler.
It used to be anybody's guess as to what the Eagles could or should do with their top pick, previously No. 8 overall. Players from a heap of different positions were being thrown around, from Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott to Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and anyone in between.
Little did we know that the Eagles likely had a different plan all along when trading up from Nos. 13 to 8, and it involved muscling their way even further up for a quarterback. What they were thinking when they committed $25 million per season to Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel, however, is something I can't really explain.
General manager Howie Roseman has all but ensured Eagles fans that they'll be welcoming the QB of the future with the second overall pick Thursday, but who it might be isn't up to them. The Los Angeles Rams will be making that decision for them by picking either California's Jared Goff or North Dakota State's Carson Wentz and leaving the other for Philly.
The quarterback position is undoubtedly what separates good teams from great ones, and at the very least, the Eagles' aggressiveness—both in free agency and in making this trade—proves they're willing to invest there. Of course, that's the easy part. Picking the right guy and bringing him up correctly is what will make or break Roseman's Eagles career.
Get your chalkboards out, because we'll be keeping score on two names and two names only here as the Eagles' No. 2 overall pick comes into focus by breaking down the top experts' picks across the web.
Todd McShay, ESPN: Carson Wentz (QB, North Dakota State)
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Aside from Eagles fans who have been living under a rock for the last week, most consider this to be the likeliest occurrence for their team come Thursday night.
In the latest mock draft put together by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay to reflect the new draft order, Kiper went with Goff for the Rams. That left Wentz as the obvious choice at No. 2 for Philly, and McShay was quick to explain why that pairing might work better off the bat than having Goff fall to them: "Perfect fit here. Assuming Philly doesn't trade Sam Bradford, Wentz will get time to make his transition from FCS to the NFL while learning under QB guru Doug Pederson."
In this very likely situation, it might actually be a best-case scenario for both franchises, which pretty much mortgaged their futures to get a quarterback.
L.A. is very much in a win-now mode, having built their roster quite well behind Jeff Fisher over the last several years but having no winning seasons to show for it. Case Keenum was not going to sell a lot of season tickets for the Rams, much less carry them to the playoffs.
Seemingly ready to start right away, Goff can step in there immediately. And while the Eagles are always in a win-now mode, they have much more reliable quarterback play to do so without thrusting a FCS-level quarterback into the fire.
Most top-level college QBs shouldn't start their pro careers on the bench. Wentz, having thrown 612 passes at the college level, isn't most top-level QBs. He needs time, and the Eagles' current situation under center allows it to happen.
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: Carson Wentz (QB, NDSU)
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You'll be seeing a lot of this guy in this mock roundup, as you probably expected.
Wentz is the people's choice for Philadelphia with Goff as a near-consensus at No. 1 to Los Angeles, and more and more people seem to agree. But while folks who follow the NFL have just been warming up to this reality for a week, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein seems to believe it's been in the works for a long time:
"The Eagles have had their eye on Wentz all along. The trade from 13 to 8 was likely made so that they could get into position to make this trade as well. The Eagles have quarterbacks on the roster that will allow the Eagles to bring Wentz along slowly in order to give him the greatest chance to succeed.
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This is where I start to have a problem.
You're telling me Philadelphia traded from No. 13 to 8 with getting a top-flight quarterback in mind, then went out and broke the bank on two quarterbacks? They didn't just sign Bradford to a top-tier QB contract, but immediately followed that up by throwing more money at Chase Daniel than most thought was necessary.
And you do all of that knowing you're about to put a lot of chips in the middle of the table for a rookie.
Yeah, Wentz needs time to develop. That doesn't mean you need two overpaid quarterbacks in front of him. Just one will do.
Anyway, that's 2-0 for Wentz if you're keeping score at home.
Rob Rang, CBS: Jared Goff (QB, California)
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Here comes the first curveball.
CBS Sports draft guru Rob Rang put out a mock draft following the duo of trades atop the draft, and his first two selections went against the grain of what most experts are predicting. Rang tabbed Wentz to the Rams, lauding how his running style fits well in the L.A. offense and mentioning that Jeff Fisher's best QB success as a coach came after drafting fellow FCS product Steve McNair in 1995.
That leaves Goff to a franchise that could surely use his resolve and toughness:
"Showing the mental toughness to help a moribund Bears squad steadily improve from 1-11 in his freshman season to 8-5 and a bowl win during his record-breaking junior campaign, Goff is perhaps better suited than most for the challenges of turning around a franchise. His awareness, pocket mobility and accuracy are a perfect fit in coach Doug Pederson's offense.
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Goff is no stranger to taking over in dire circumstances, and that's pretty much exactly what Philadelphia needs in its quarterback in 2016. The last two years have been a dumpster fire ignited by Chip Kelly, and a mentally tough-as-nails gunslinger like Goff could keep them in games they otherwise wouldn't be competitive in during a rebuilding phase.
Then again, $25 million per year invested in your second- and third-string quarterbacks isn't the most ideal situation.
There's no telling who Philadelphia would rather have out of the two, but you can bet after making the trade to No. 2 that they're comfortable with either. That means if the Rams surprise and draft Wentz, Jared Goff Eagles jerseys will be flying off the shelves across the City of Brotherly Love.
Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated: Jared Goff (QB, California)
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This is starting to get interesting.
Rang isn't the only premier draft analyst to go with the unconventional, as Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated joins him on the Wentz-to-the-Rams train. After noting that Wentz is "seemingly set up to be with the downhill running style of one Todd Gurley," he moves on to the Eagles' pick:
"Earlier this week, new Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson said that Wentz is “everything you want in a quarterback at this level” ... and also called Wentz and Goff “pretty even, in my opinion.” So, did the Eagles move up anticipating Goff would go No. 1, leaving them Wentz?
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One thing is certain: There's plenty of love to go around for Roseman and these two quarterbacks. He's just not in the position to be able to make the decision on who to take.
Perhaps Wentz makes the most sense, considering he's not ready to start and Goff can more realistically start right away in Los Angeles. That doesn't make the pick the right one, though. Perhaps the Rams see a guy who can start right away in Wentz, and perhaps the Eagles see a guy who can ride the bench for a bit in Goff.
Either way, the Eagles made the move to No. 2 knowing very well the Rams are intending to take one of them. So don't expect Roseman and the Eagles to be upset with how it shakes out.
Cris Collinsworth, Pro Football Focus: Carson Wentz (QB, NDSU)
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Leave it to trusted NFL voice Cris Collinsworth to break the tie. Wentz 3, Goff 2.
Collinsworth crafted his second mock of the offseason over at Pro Football Focus, opening with a heap of praise for Goff as the draft's top quarterback and even comparing him to fellow Cal product Aaron Rodgers. After noting how important it is for L.A. to draft a quarterback who can win in 2016, he moves on to the Eagles and Wentz:
"The Eagles are in the opposite situation with Wentz as the Rams are with Goff. Wentz has the size to hold up well in the weather conditions of the NFC East, along with incredible potential and upside that may take a few years to develop, but that’s not as big an issue for Philadelphia with Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel there. (Although I can’t possibly imagine that all three of those guys are still going to be there by opening day). I don’t think Wentz has quite the run skills of Cam Newton, but he won't be far behind, as he is a big, powerful guy who will be as productive of a runner as he wants to be and as the team lets him be. That rushing ability will serve him well as he develops as a quarterback.
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Al Michaels' NBC sidekick covers all the bases here—including some we've yet to address. We've covered Wentz not having to start right away and his running style, but taking into account how his size would translate to the NFC East is another interesting take.
You saw how the slender Robert Griffin III fared in the East with Washington in comparison to big-bodied QBs Tony Romo and Eli Manning, who have had productive careers despite taking a beating. Wentz, at 6'5" and nearly 230 pounds, has the size that will make it tough on defensive lines in New York, Dallas and Washington to take him down—at least compared to Bradford.
Robert Klemko, MMQB: Carson Wentz (QB, NDSU)
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The Eagles liked both Goff and Wentz enough to trade up to No. 2; that's been established. But did they also feel another QB-needy franchise on their heels?
That's what Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback was feeling as he dove into the "why" of the Eagles and Browns trade last week:
"Why the Browns made the deal: Hue Jackson bought himself some time do develop a raw rookie passer when he jump-started the career of Robert Griffin III. It's an easy call, especially if he thinks he can mold a Paxton Lynch or a Christian Hackenberg into a legit starter, while building roster depth with Philadelphia’s picks. Why the Eagles made the deal: Doug Pederson liked Wentz enough to pull the early trigger on a deal the 49ers were likely considering.
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That's an interesting concept to kick around—that the Eagles may have waited until draft night to actually pull the trigger if not for feeling pressure from another suitor. The 49ers, picking at No. 7 and inarguably in even more need of a QB, likely could have put together a prettier deal with a higher pick and perhaps Colin Kaepernick than the Eagles could muster.
When L.A. completed the trade up to No. 1, the race to Cleveland's No. 2 immediately heated up, and the Eagles were quick to close in. But if you thought they gave up a king's ransom, just imagine how much worse it could have been had Philly gotten into a bidding war with San Francisco or somebody else.
Wentz 4, Goff 2.
Nate Davis, USA Today: Carson Wentz (QB, NDSU)
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There are a couple of draft experts out there who see a different end result, but the majority rules, and the majority is with Goff at No. 1 and Wentz at No. 2.
Nate Davis of USA Today is a part of that majority:
"Barring a curveball from the Rams, Wentz will become the future at the position – and his playing days could lie beyond the horizon given the contracts signed by QBs Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel in March. Still, that's good news for Wentz (or Goff), who will benefit from redshirt time and what should be a solid apprenticeship under new Eagles coach (and former NFL quarterback) Doug Pederson.
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By all standards, this is the more sensical move and the one you can bet on heading into Thursday. All of the ties for Goff to L.A.—ability to start right away, growing up in California and having a more NFL-ready game for a team better positioned to win in 2016—are well-founded.
In that sense, the Rams would have to see something in Wentz that not many are seeing, which is the ability to come in and win games as a rookie. It just so happens that NFL readiness is near the bottom of the Eagles' must-have list for their new QB, and they're in a rebuilding phase that will allow Wentz the time he needs without feeling too much pressure.
So there you have it. With the help of the best mock-drafters on the web, we've broken down every in and out of the Eagles' No. 2 overall selection—as much as a choice between two quarterbacks can possibly be broken down.
If many of you Eagles fans out there are like me, you're just ready to have one of them and be done with the guessing and speculation. Bring on April 28!
