Ideal 1st-Round Fits for Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles have plenty of positions where an infusion of elite young talent would be well-received, but they can only fill one with their first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft.

While no team has a set-in-stone depth chart at the end of March, the Eagles' roster looks especially far from complete now that the thick of the free-agent period has passed.

The secondary really has no starting cornerbacks to pencil in on the current roster, the front seven is depleted at both defensive end and linebacker, and there remain questions about the offensive skill positions.

The Eagles still have a couple of tough decisions to make regarding potential cuts or trades, which would open up even more holes on a team that has already put a lot of pressure on itself in the draft.

There may be a silver lining in that the Eagles need immediate and future help at so many positions that it should make them flexible on what types of players they can select in Round 1.

If the board doesn't fall the way they want, they are still likely to end up with an impact player at a position of serious need.

With that in mind, let's target some of the likeliest names who would fit the Philadelphia Eagles' plans for 2017 and beyond.

CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama

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The Eagles don't have a single cornerback on the roster right now who they could trust to be a Day 1 starter. That needs to change by the end of April, and it would change right away if they nabbed Marlon Humphrey.

The former Alabama cornerback is one of the most NFL-ready defensive backs produced by Nick Saban, and that's saying something. He has prototypical size to match up against the big NFC East receivers at 6'0" and 197 pounds, doesn't lack for speed with a 4.41-second 40-yard dash and has great instincts to pick up run assignments on the edge.

Humphrey won't be a shut-down corner as a rookie and will need to improve his technique at the next level, but his combination of size and speed gives him the potential of a perennial Pro Bowler. In fact, the potential is so high that he may not even be around at No. 14 overall.

But with Ohio State's Marshon Lattimore garnering interest as a top-five selection, Humphrey will likely be the second corner off the board. That could allow the Eagles to jockey for positioning in the hopes they land him to shore up a hapless secondary.

WR John Ross, Washington

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The Eagles made sure their receiving core wasn't in the dire situation that the cornerbacks are in by landing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency. But that doesn't mean they should ignore an immediate game-changer if one falls in their laps.

They could be tempted if and when Washington wideout John Ross is there at No. 14 overall. He became a central focus at the position after his 4.22-second 40 marked the fastest time ever run at the combine, but his production and route-running brilliance made him a potential first-rounder before Indianapolis.

Carson Wentz's offense is substantially more dangerous with the additions of Jeffery and Smith, but it still doesn't have a dynamic presence who forces defenses to cover the whole field. Ross would provide that.

He'll be able to blow by coverage for deep gains as well as garner separation in the short passing game, giving the Eagles' offense a whole new dimension and possibly impacting the return game as well.

Philly could obviously better use an impact corner in Round 1, but the picks above them may not pan out as they want. If they don't, it's still likely Ross will be available and the pick would send shockwaves through the NFC.

DE Derek Barnett, Tennessee

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The Eagles' pass rush was anemic in 2016. Outside of Brandon Graham, they didn't have anything in the form of a consistent presence with Vinny Curry and Marcus Smith. Connor Barwin is no longer an Eagle after they slashed his heavy contract before free agency.

Dominant edge-rushers are at a premium in today's NFL, and that makes it awfully head-scratching that Tennessee's Derek Barnett isn't getting more attention as a top-10 pick. He broke the school record of the legendary Reggie White with the Vols, and that small connection alone should send shivers down the spines of Eagles fans.

Like White, Barnett is a mauling presence on the edge who can beat the best tackles in the game with brute force, finesse moves and everything in between. He constantly shed double teams in college to get quarterback pressure, and he wouldn't face many of those lining up next to Fletcher Cox. 

Philly's need at defensive end may not be dire enough to warrant a Round 1 selection, but the Eagles may not be able to afford to pass up on a dominating pocket disruptor who should quickly prove as a rookie how overlooked he was in the draft process.

RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State

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There's still a long-term need at wide receiver, but there's no more immediate need on offense than in the backfield, where Wendell Smallwood will be the lone returning back if Ryan Mathews is cut or traded. 

Taking a back in Round 1 doesn't make sense unless he can immediately bring the offense to a new level, and Florida State's Dalvin Cook would do exactly that. The 5'10", 210-pound menace has top-flight speed with a 4.49-second 40, insanely quick acceleration and plenty of power to go along with it.

Cook's best games came against FSU's best opponents, and he's a proven home-run hitter who can make big plays out of nothing on the ground as well as through the air. He embodies the go-to back that the Eagles have been missing since the days of Brian Westbrook. 

The best aspect of potentially drafting Cook is that the Eagles may be able to swing trading down a few spots while still landing him.

CB Gareon Conley, Ohio State

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This year's draft class at cornerback is lauded as one of the most talent-rich and deepest groups in recent memory, but it's tough to find a truly elite prospect outside of Lattimore or Humphrey.

However, Lattimore's former partner with the Buckeyes, Gareon Conley, may be one.

Conley is an outstanding press-corner with a combination of size (6'0", 195 pounds) and speed (4.44-second 40) that has him garnering first-round consideration. His stock may have been initially hurt by the attention paid to Lattimore, but his combine performance has teams taking notice.

Teams may be reluctant to chase corners in the middle of Round 1 once Lattimore and Humphrey are off the board, and that would give the Eagles plenty of flexibility if they are intent on landing a Round 1 corner.

They could realistically trade down into the final few picks of Thursday night, pick up some mid-round selections and still land their top-flight corner in the first round.

WR Mike Williams, Clemson

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Eagles fans have been high on the potential of drafting Mike Williams long before his national championship outburst against Alabama, and that performance only solidified their interest. 

Landing Jeffery could be seen as the Eagles exiting the running for a wideout at No. 14 overall, but they may think about the future and take Williams anyway.

Jeffery is only on contract for one season, meaning Williams could realistically be the No. 1 target after year one.

Receivers are expected to take more time to develop in the NFL than most positions, but Williams figures to make an impact right away. He's the best jump-ball receiver to enter the draft in a couple of seasons and will use his freakish athleticism to make up for his only weakness, which is an inability to get consistent separation.

There are obviously needs at other spots, but receiver was arguably the biggest during the 2016 season, and no Eagles fan could argue if they morphed the unit from one of the league's worst to one of the league's best in a matter of months.

RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

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Cook may be the most complete running back prospect on the horizon for the Eagles entering the draft, but there's no better do-it-all offensive Swiss Army knife in the draft than Stanford's Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey nearly earned himself a Heisman Trophy with a dominant 2015 campaign. He followed it up in 2016 with 1,639 rushing yards and that was somehow labeled as a down season just based off the ridiculous bar he set the year prior.

Scouts and teams are still trying to figure out whether McCaffrey is more of a complementary back or a feature guy, but the Eagles don't need him to be a three-down back. He can do what he does best, which is feature all across the offense doing everything from running go-routes to rushing between the tackles and excelling no matter where the ball is put in his hands.

A combination of McCaffrey and Smallwood would give head coach Doug Pederson a wealth of weapons and would immediately make Wentz's offense one of the most feared units in the game.