Eagles' Draft Scouting Guide for the 2015 Senior Bowl

Draft season begins in earnest for the Philadelphia Eagles and all NFL teams this week in Mobile, Alabama. That, of course, is the site of the Senior Bowl, where coaching staffs, scouts and front offices have the opportunity to watch and meet incoming prospects firsthand for a series of practices that culminate in an all-star game.

For many prospects, this is a huge part of the process—a potentially make-or-break event. How these players practice and perform in competition, under the guidance of NFL coaching staffs, with so much attention and focus on each and every snap and repetition could be the difference between anywhere from several selections to multiple rounds for many young men.

In the Eagles’ case, no doubt the focus will be on various positions of great need. Defense is a key, especially the secondary, but offensive line and quarterback are on the radar as well. This is the place to begin hunting for one and all.

Ahead, we examine a handful of the most intriguing prospects at the Senior Bowl that fit Philly’s needs and profiles. The game will be broadcast on Saturday, January 24 at 4 p.m. on the NFL Network, so if you’re tuning in, be sure to keep your eyes on the following positions and names.

Cornerback

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

By all appearances, the top cornerback prospects in the draft won’t be playing in this year’s Senior Bowl. However, that doesn’t mean the Eagles won’t be paying close attention to the talent that is on hand.

The Birds likely need to come away with not one, but two cornerbacks from this draft, which means the interest in the position should extend beyond the first and second rounds. That’s where this year’s Senior Bowl class comes in.

There are a number of mid-round prospects participating who have the size/length requirements the Eagles seem to be seeking on the outside. That, of course, is based on practically every free-agent signing and draft pick the team has made at cornerback since Chip Kelly became head coach.

Specifically, Quinten Rollins out of Miami, OH, Eric Rowe out of Utah and Josh Shaw out of USC (pictured in previous slide) have the requisite 6’0” height Kelly seems to seek in his perimeter defenders, each conveniently located on the North squad. Most prospect rankings, such as Gang Green Nation and CBSSports.com, have those three young men going in the fourth or fifth rounds.

Of course, the Eagles should leave no stone unturned given the club’s dire situation at cornerback, meaning they should consider talents of all shapes and sizes. That being said, based on recent history, these seem to be the three the franchise is likely to have eyes on.

Safety

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Unlike at cornerback, where many of the top prospects apparently did not even feel the need to participate in the Senior Bowl, this is not an especially deep draft at safety. Likewise, some of the most attractive talents will not participate.

That’s OK. There’s one safety in Mobile the Eagles should really watch closely.

Cody Prewitt out of Ole Miss has elite size for a defensive back at 6’2”, 220 pounds. He also has the instincts and ball skills to match, earning All-American recognition as a junior in 2013 when he hauled in six interceptions.

Prewitt’s overall athleticism may be in question, and we should get more answers about measureables at the combine. Assuming the numbers are adequate, though, Prewitt’s performance in the Senior Bowl could very well mean the difference between going in the third round and possibly even sneaking into the first.

Prewitt will play on the South squad, perhaps the most intriguing defensive back on the roster as far as Philadelphia is concerned. There simply aren’t many defensive backs with his size and resume in this or any draft for that matter.

Outside Linebacker

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

The Eagles have plenty of outside linebackers or few, depending on your perspective. Connor Barwin is great, obviously, but Trent Cole is a potential cap casualty, Brandon Graham is a free agent and Marcus Smith couldn’t get on the field as a rookie.

The fact of the matter is the Eagles need to scout perimeter linebackers for their 3-4, regardless of how everything shakes out with the current group. Naturally, the Senior Bowl is just the place to start.

As far as edge-rushers are concerned, three in particular will be of note for the Birds. Kentucky’s Bud Dupree, Washington’s Hau’oli Kikaha and Utah’s Nate Orchard are among the pass-rushers who are considered prime targets for 3-4 alignments. Dupree will play for the South, while Kikaha and Orchard will dress for the North.

Orchard may be especially noteworthy after leading the nation with 18.0 sacks in ’14.

One more player who may interest Philly is Za’Darius Smith, a teammate of Dupree’s at Kentucky, and of Kikaha and Orchard’s at the Senior Bowl. Smith has limited football experience, or at linebacker for that matter, but as a former basketball player, it will be interesting to learn how coachable he is during the practice week.

Interior Linebacker

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

As it turns out, the Eagles also need help in the middle. Mychal Kendricks has one interior linebacker spot nailed down, but at the other, DeMeco Ryans is coming off his second Achilles injury, will turn 31 this summer, is in the final year of his contract and was always something of a questionable fit as an every-down player in a 3-4.

Even if Ryans returns healthy and ready to play in ’15, he’ll require a replacement sooner or later.

Of the interior linebackers at the Senior Bowl—there are only four, according to NFL.com—Stephone Anthony out of Clemson may be the most intriguing. Sure, Miami’s Denzel Perryman and USC’s Hayes Pullard may be ranked higher, but both lack ideal size, and Kendricks is already just 6'0" himself. Anthony is 6’2”, plus the fact he’ll be available later in the draft isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either.

Then again, the Eagles may also want to take a long hard look at Mike Hull as well. The Penn State product is listed as an outside linebacker, but so were guys such as Sean Lee and NaVorro Bowman, who have carved out Pro Bowl-caliber careers in the middle for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. Hull is on the short side, too, but his value may be too good to pass up at a certain point in the draft.

One way or the other, the Eagles need an interior linebacker, but they can’t address every need on the roster in Rounds 1 and 2. They may need to think creative, and examining their options at the Senior Bowl is a good place to start.

Quarterback

LM Otoro/Associated Press

Given all their team needs, and the seeming dearth of options in this year’s draft, it might be wise for the Eagles to pass on quarterback. That being said, the Senior Bowl provides one last chance to evaluate exactly what’s available at the most important position in football.

Unfortunately, the game’s contingency further highlights just how weak a class this is for signal-callers. Still, there is one passer in particular among the bunch in whom the Eagles just may have some legitimate level of interest.

Bryce Petty out of Baylor is perhaps the one QB in this draft who, based on the situation in Philly and his anticipated draft slotting, may make the most sense for the Birds. A projected third-round pick, the cost of selecting Petty is not so high that it’s prohibitive if he doesn’t pan out, yet would provide the franchise some semblance of insurance in case Nick Foles doesn’t pan out.

Naturally, Petty’s Senior Bowl performance will be important. If it’s spectacular, given the lack of quarterback talent in this draft, Petty could rise, perhaps even into the second round. If it’s average or nothing special, his stock could remain the same or even slip to Day 4, where he would be even more enticing.

Either way, Petty is the main signal-caller to keep an eye on this week, which means all quarterback-needy teams—including the Eagles—will be watching his every move intently.