Philadelphia Eagles 2010 NFL Draft Prospect: Mike Iupati, OL, Idaho

Although the Philadelphia Eagles need a lot of help on defense, they could definitely use some help on the interior of their line.

The top interior lineman in this year’s draft is Mike Iupati out of Idaho. Standing at 6'6", 330 pounds, Iupati is a load in the middle and has been getting a lot of attention this offseason.

It is possible that Iupati could be on the board when the 24th overall selection rolls around, but if there are any teams looking to spend a first-round draft pick on an offensive guard, Iupati will more than likely be the selection.

At the NFL combine, Iupati put up 225 pounds a total of 27 times and recorded a 40-yard dash time of 5.26 seconds. He does not have blistering speed, but that is not exactly a priority when it comes to an interior lineman.

Both Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have Iupati off the board before the Eagles are slated to pick at 24, but Kiper has Iupati going the pick right before, to the Packers. Most offensive linemen that get drafted early are offensive tackles, so I could see Iupati falling later into the first round.

Although Iupati is a great talent and may be the kind of player who can come in and dominate as a rookie, he probably will not end up in Philadelphia. There are just way too many other needs for the Eagles. If they end up with two picks in the first round, it is a possibility that they make a run at Iupati, but I would rather see them take two defensive players.

It is hard to pass guys like this up when they could definitely make an impact on your team, but I think the Eagles need players to make impacts in other areas. However, with Andy Reid’s love of linemen, you never know what will happen.