NFL Draft 2012: Philadelphia Eagles Full 7-Round Mock Draft

The 2011 season began with a bang for the Philadelphia Eagles, with the team picked by many pundits as a Super Bowl favorite after a playoff appearance in 2010 and a slew of free-agent acquisitions.

However, things did not go nearly as planned, as injuries, poor play, bad luck and Andy Reid calling eight consecutive timeouts in the first quarter (OK, that didn't happen, but if he could you know he would) of a game caused the Eagles to stumble and lurch their way to a disastrously disappointing 8-8 record.

However, hope springs anew in the City of Brotherly Love, and the Eagles will try to right the ship in 2012, beginning with free agency next month and continuing with April's NFL Draft.

The Eagles have a whopping 10 picks in the draft, which should afford them ample opportunities to address some of the holes in their roster, and here's a look at how the draft might shake out for the Iggles.

Now will someone please explain to me how Juan Castillo still has a job?

Please?

First Round: Pick 15 (15): Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

Linebacker Zach Brown is coming off a fantastic showing at last month's Senior Bowl, displaying great agility and pursuit speed, and if the first team All-ACC performer can back that showing up with a strong combine, Brown's draft stock could easily vault into the middle of the first round.

Many Eagles fans would probably rather see Boston College middle linebacker Luke Kuechly selected here, but Brown is a much more athletic player and is an ideal fit as a 4-3 WILL, which may actually be a more important linebacker slot in the Philly 4-3 than the MIKE.

Middle linebacker would also be easier to address in free agency, with players such as Stephen Tulloch of the Detroit Lions and David Hawthorne of the Seattle Seahawks likely to hit the open market.

Second Round: Pick 14 (46): Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

It's a very real possibility that wide receiver DeSean Jackson will not be back in Philadelphia in 2012 after a disaster of a season in which he failed to top 1,000 receiving yards, was benched for poor play and spent more time griping about money than he did catching footballs.

Should that be the case, the Eagles will likely look to draft a replacement for Jackson early, and 6'4" Rueben Randle could provide a nice complement to wideout Jeremy Maclin and would provide quarterback Michael Vick with a big target in the red zone.

Second Round: Pick 19 (51): Harrison Smith: SS, Notre Dame

Besides linebacker, the other area of the Philadelphia Eagles defense that badly needs a boost is the back end of the secondary, where starters Jarrad Page and Kurt Coleman were unimpressive a year ago.

Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith is a versatile player who can man both the strong and free safety positions, and after a good showing at the Senior Bowl, the 6'2", 214-pound Smith's draft stock is on the rise.

Third Round: Pick 13 (77): Tank Carder, MLB, TCU

Middle linebacker is definitely a position of need for the Eagles and even should they address the position in free agency, this pick would be a nice value for Philadelphia.

Linebacker Tank Carder of Texas Christian University was a third team All American who at worst could provide depth behind Jamar Chaney at SLB and whoever lines up at MLB, and at best could blossom into the Eagles' middle linebacker of the future.

Fourth Round: Pick 4 (99): Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State

Starting quarterback Michael Vick is 31, and backup Mike Kafka is just that, so at some point soon the Eagles are going to have to start looking for a potential successor to Vick under center in Philadelphia.

Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler would be a "project" type pick that would require development at the NFL level, but an early fourth-round pick isn't a bad gamble on a 6'8" (yep, 6'8") quarterback with a big arm.

Fourth Round: Pick 19 (114): Michael Brewster, C, Ohio State

Center Jason Kelce started all 16 games for the Eagles as a rookie in 2011—the first rookie to do so for the Eagles since 2000—but Kelce suffered a potentially serious foot injury in the season finale and the Eagles could use better depth at the position.

Michael Brewster was a three-year starter at Ohio State and a second-team All Big Ten performer in 2011, and the 6'5", 293-pounder would provide that depth and quite possibly give Kelce a run for his money for the starting job.

Fifth Round: Pick 18 (145): Jaye Howard, DT, Florida

Cullen Jenkins was a nice addition last year for the Eagles at defensive tackle, but batterymate Mike Patterson is a journeyman and Philadelphia could at the very least use some depth behind them.

Jaye Howard was inconsistent at times for the Florida Gators as a senior, but did manage to rack up 5.5 sacks last season, and if the Eagles can get the 6'3", 302-pound Howard to play to his potential, he would be an upgrade in the middle of the Philly defensive line.

Sixth Round: Pick 17 (176): DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio State

Should DeSean Jackson indeed depart, the Eagles may want to add more than one wide receiver in the draft—especially since the signing of Steve Smith (no, not the star wideout from Carolina who likes to beat up his teammates, the other one) hasn't panned out.

Suspensions cost Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey most of his senior season and sent his draft stock plummeting, but if the 6'3", 205-pound Posey can regain his All Big Ten form from 2010, he could be an immense steal this late in the draft.

Sixth Round: Pick 25 (185): Markus Zusevics, OT, Iowa

Once you get this deep into the draft, it's time to either swing for the fences with a speculative pick hoping to strike gold or try to acquire depth with some less risky selections.

Markus Zusevics would be more the latter than the former, but although the 6'5", 294-pounder spent most of his collegiate career playing in Reily Reiff's shadow at Iowa, Zusevics is a versatile and solid player capable of playing either tackle or guard.

Sixth Round: Pick 31 (190): TaShaun Gipson, CB, Wyoming

If the speculation is to be believed and cornerback Asante Samuel's days in Philadelphia are about to end (good for the Eagles...he might actually be a worse tackler than Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and I didn't think that was possible), then the Eagles might as well take a flier on some cornerback help with their last pick.

TaShaun Gipson racked up 95 tackles for the Cowboys last year, earning second team All-Mountain West Conference honors, and at 6'0", 195 pounds, possesses the frame and 4.5 speed to make him worth a shot.