2011 NFL Draft: Philadelphia Eagles Prospect, California DE Cameron Jordan

With Eagles head coach Andy Reid saying that it would be a "real stretch" for defensive end Brandon Graham to be ready for the 2011 opener, there is a little bit of question surrounding the defensive end position.

If they were to take a defensive end early in the 2011 draft, history says he'd probably be a speedy, "high motor" kind of player. However, the Eagles could go against the grain this year and take a guy like Cameron Jordan out of the University of California.

Jordan stands at 6’4” and 287 pounds and is bigger than the defensive ends Eagles fans are used to seeing. This is because Jordan was a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme at Cal, which requires their defensive ends to be bigger than those ends in a 4-3 system.

Although he may be best suited in the NFL with a team who runs a 3-4, Jordan could easily make the switch to a 4-3, something he'd have to do in Philadelphia.

Some people may be turned off by the switch, but it's not something that overly concerns me. I'd like to see the Eagles have a talented end with good size that they can line up on the inside on passing downs. I'm hoping Ricky Sapp could be that guy this year, but I could definitely see Jordan having an immediate impact in that role.

Jordan has a very balanced game and showed that he can be effective against both the run and pass while in college. He displays great work with his hands in shedding blockers and putting himself in positions to make plays. When pass rushing, he has a natural swim move that he uses very effectively.

The only negative reports about Jordan are that he can sometimes be overly aggressive.  For a football player, that doesn't sound like the worst thing in the world. However, when players are labeled as overly aggressive, it often times mean they find themselves out of position on the field, in places they can't make plays.

Personally, I've wanted the Eagles to find a defensive end with solid size for some time now. Jordan fits the bill there, but he may not be the type of player the Eagles are interested in. However, I think he would have the ability to come in and contribute to the Eagles' defensive scheme immediately.

View some of Jordan's college highlights by clicking here.