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

As some of you may know, most may not, Bleacher Report decided to take on a great undertaking.  The NFL editors allowed one Featured Columnist from each team to act as general manager for a site-wide full mock draft.

Trades were allowed within reason and every GM was allowed to use other Featured Columnists for input, in order to simulate a real war room.

I acted as the Eagles' general manager for this project and enlisted Dave Stoessel as an assistant and also sought first-round advice from Darren Grossman.  We all agreed that in the first round, the team was most likely to add a defensive tackle.

Dave and I had four potential targets with the 15th pick and planned to take the best available of the four when we were on the clock.  

Before we go any further, we started the process before the NFL announced the official order and compensatory picks.  That means some of the draft positions may be off by a few slots.  We entered the draft with Nos. 15, 46, 51, 88, 115, 154, 174, 196 and 202.  

During the early round, figuring Asante Samuel would be traded, we shopped him hard and took the best available offer.  We received pick Nos. 104 and 182 for the expensive corner.  He appears to be the best player that nobody seems to want.

With that, it's time to reveal the Eagles' results in the first-ever Bleacher Report Community Mock Draft!  Also, there will be a bigger article out this week with draft grades from Matt Miller. 

15. Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

With our first pick, Dave and I had settled on four possible choices: Dontari Poe, Fletcher Cox, Luke Kuechly and Ryan Tannehill.

Poe and Kuechly were both taken and in the end, we just felt that Cox was a better pick than the quarterback.  

Cox helps shore up the middle of the defensive line against the run while also providing the versatility of getting pressure inside and outside.

He may not be the flashiest pick, but he would immediately help in the defensive line rotation and we felt he was probably a likely target in the actual draft.

46. Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

With a significant amount of time between picks, we had a lot of time to debate our targets at No. 46.

Our consensus was to target outside linebacker Lavonte David to play alongside newly acquired DeMeco Ryans.

Unfortunately for us, David was taken a few spots ahead.  With that, we didn't feel another OLB was worthy of a selection at that point.  We considered trading down but there was a player we felt was a great value.

That is where Andre Branch comes in.  He is viewed as a first-rounder in most mock drafts and viewed as a top 35 talent.  Without a position of need in range, we decided that an explosive end was a possible way for the Eagles to go.

He could be a huge weapon on the outside in the wide-nine and with Brandon Graham's future a huge question mark, it couldn't hurt to add this type of talent to the position.

51. Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

One of the areas of need that we felt was most important and could be upgraded immediately was in the return game.  With Brandon Boykin we were able to address that and then some.

Boykin is a highly productive returner who scored on both kicks and punts in his college career.  He would be an upgrade on kickoffs over Dion Lewis on day one.

Aside from his returning prowess, Boykin brings great value on defense as well.  He wasn't picked as a return man, but as a physical and feisty corner who can play in the slot and brings a ton of leadership and passion to the field.

Some may question Boykin's size, but he is a real football player that can affect the Eagles on both defense and special teams.  Also, with the aforementioned trade of Asante Samuel, they could be looking for depth at cornerback.

88. Demario Davis, OLB, Arkansas State

Some people may view this pick as a bit of a reach and I don't know that I could blame them.  He isn't well known and he comes from a small school.

That shouldn't fool you though.  Davis is a tall outside linebacker at 6'3" and he is a solid 235 pounds.  He was incredibly impressive at the combine by running 4.61 in the 40 and finishing first and second in the vertical jump and bench press respectively.

Before you worry that he is a "workout warrior," understand that he produces on the field as well.  He is a great hitter and tackler in the running game and he is also athletic enough to be an asset in coverage.

With his height and long arms he could make it a lot harder for opponents to find running backs and tight ends.  Davis is an athlete and an explosive hitter and he fills a serious need for the Eagles defense.

104. Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State

There has been a lot of chatter about the Eagles and their interest in quarterbacks.  That is one of the main reasons why we considered Tannehill with the 15th pick.

We thought about Cousins at No. 51 and again at No. 88 but decided there were more pressing needs.  This far into the draft, though, there is no way that Andy Reid would pass on Kirk Cousins.

He isn't viewed as an elite prospect, but in the fourth round he is a steal.  Cousins has shown all through the postseason that he throws a great ball, he can make every throw, he can put the ball where he wants to and he shows great character and leadership qualities.

With neither Mike Kafka or Trent Edwards looking like the quarterback of the future, it is quite possible that Cousins could be.

115. Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn

This draft obviously took place prior to the Jason Peters injury, or else we may have addressed this position sooner.  We planned all along to take a tackle at this point solely to provide depth.

Dave and I actually each had a player in mind for this pick.  Dave was most interested in Nate Potter while I slightly preferred Matt McCants.  Once again, both targets were gone, but we feel that we still got a good pick here. 

Mosley is viewed as a possible third-rounder, so it was good value in the middle of the fourth.  He also is a tough, physical and mean player, traits that have been missing since Jon Runyan moved on.

He isn't the most athletic offensive tackle but he had the 10th-fastest 40 time at the position and tied for third in the bench press at the combine.

He has the ability to get out and block on the second level, as he converted from tight end.  Mosley also was a starter on a national championship offensive line in 2010.  He has some developing to do, but he has a chance to be a good pro.

147. Devon Wylie, WR/PR, Fresno State

Many fans seem to feel that the Eagles are in desperate need of a tall receiver who can be a force in the red zone.  

After trying unsuccessfully to trade back into the end of the fourth round for 6'6" tight end Ladarius Green there wasn't much value left at tight end or in tall wide receivers.

So we packaged pick Nos. 174 and 196 to move up and select what we thought was a steal in Devon Wylie.  He is a burner, having run the 40 in 4.39 seconds.  

Wylie will be a tremendous slot receiver in the NFL with his blazing speed and incredible quickness.  He is also an incredible punt returner that can relieve DeSean Jackson of his special teams duties without downgrading.

We had Wylie as a target all along and were thrilled to get him with at this point in the draft.

154. Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M

Another area of need we felt we should address was backup running back.  LeSean McCoy is one of very few true feature backs in the NFL, but he could also use a bit of a rest at times.

More than just rest, if he misses any time to injury, the Eagles need something better than Dion Lewis on the field.  Cyrus Gray was a perfect pick in the back half of the draft.

Gray was incredibly durable and productive in college, putting together two straight 1,000-yard seasons to close his career.  He's a very good receiver as well with 103 career receptions.  He also has extensive experience returning kicks with two returns for touchdowns.

He found the end zone a lot on offense as well with 30 career rushing touchdowns and six touchdowns through the air.  

Another bonus for Gray is that he is one of the better blocking backs as well which would allow him to get on the field right away.

182. Christian Thompson, S, South Carolina State

This pick may not be the most popular because many observers prefer to draft a safety high, but the Eagles are unlikely to spend a third straight high pick on the same position.

But they could look to add one and Christian Thompson would be a great player to look at in the sixth round.

He is a tremendous athlete with legitimate 4.50 speed and he can run with most receivers.  He is a little raw in coverage, but he is great against the run.

Thompson's teammates nicknamed him "CT Scan" because of his violent hitting.  Everyone in Philadelphia is dying for a big hitter in the backend and Thompson has the ability to provide that in time.

202. Evan Rodriguez, FB/TE, Temple

At this point in the draft, there isn't really much of a sure thing, so why not take a shot on a local college player who can be a very versatile offensive weapon?

Rodriguez is a bit of a hybrid tight end/fullback who may fill an H-Back type role.  He had a surprisingly great combine performance among tight ends posting a 4.58 in the 40, 18 reps in the bench press and a 36" vertical leap.

Aside from tremendous athleticism and explosiveness, Rodriguez looked comfortable running routes and catching the football.  He was a very productive receiver at Temple, catching 70 passes for 882 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons.

Rodriguez is not a star but he can be a very effective player, especially for one taken this late and with the Eagles' final pick.