Best Possible Outcomes for Philadelphia Eagles' Top 3 Draft Picks

The NFL draft is five weeks away, and if this offseason has shown what to expect from Chip Kelly, it’s to expect the unexpected.

The Philadelphia Eagles head coach was recently given full power over all personnel decisions, and he’s quickly transforming this roster into one that matches exactly what he wants in a team. Any player who joined the organization prior to Kelly’s arrival in 2013 is seemingly in danger of being jettisoned.

Kelly wasn’t shy in free agency in making a slew of moves to fit his profile, whether it be DeMarco Murray or Byron Maxwell at costly deals, trading for Sam Bradford or Kiko Alonso or letting Jeremy Maclin walk.

Kelly’s past drafts suggest he’s a big fan of bigger receivers, versatile offensive linemen, tall and long cornerbacks and players who went to Oregon or one of the other Pac-12 schools. Here’s a look at five different draft scenarios that would likely please Eagles fans.

All scouting combine results from NFL.com.

Marcus Mariota, Breshad Perriman and Byron Jones

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Given that Chip Kelly traded for quarterback Sam Bradford, it may seem doubtful that he’ll "mortgage the future" to trade up for Marcus Mariota.

That’s why the ideal scenario is that Mariota falls far enough in the draft that Kelly can trade up without giving away what the Washington Redskins surrendered in the Robert Griffin III trade. The key will be Mariota falling past the New York Jets at the No. 6 pick; if he can also get past the St. Louis Rams at the 10th spot, Kelly may be able to work out a trade with the Cleveland Browns, who pick 12th (and 19th).

A possible trade scenario would be Sam Bradford, Mychal Kendricks or Brandon Boykin, the 20th overall pick and next year’s first-round pick for the rights to acquire Mariota.

Breshad Perriman (6'2", 212 lbs) is a big target at wide receiver, and a trio of Perriman, Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff is a lot more promising than a trio of Riley Cooper, Matthews and Huff. Perriman should be available in the second round, and there’s a chance the Philadelphia Eagles could even get him in Round 3.

Connecticut’s Byron Jones is the cornerback prospect Kelly covets. He’s tall (6'1") with long arms (32"), and he wowed scouts with his measurables at the NFL Scouting Combine, particularly a 44.5-inch vertical leap. There’s a chance Jones could contribute at free safety as well; either way, he’ll make a difference.

Jaelen Strong, Jake Fisher and Quinten Rollins

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

If the Philadelphia Eagles don’t get Marcus Mariota, then Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong is a fine first-round draft pick. It’s no secret that wide receiver is a glaring need for the team, and Strong is a former Pac-12 player with the size (6'2", 217 lbs) to be extremely successful in Chip Kelly’s offense.

Jake Fisher is a borderline first-round prospect, but if he manages to fall to Round 2, that’s the ideal scenario for the Eagles.

Fisher has elite athleticism, which is probably why Chip Kelly recruited him to Oregon. Fisher started his college career as a guard before making the transfer to tackle. If the Eagles draft him, it’s likely that he starts at right guard as a rookie. When Lane Johnson eventually replaces Jason Peters at left tackle, Fisher is the expected heir apparent at right tackle.

Quinten Rollins is an unusual prospect; he’s a four-year college basketball player who only played one year of college football. He’s expectedly still raw, but if the Eagles get him in the third round, that’s a good steal.

Trae Waynes, Nelson Agholor and Ali Marpet

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Trae Waynes may have vaulted himself into the top half of the first round with a spectacular 40-yard dash time, but there’s still a chance he’s there when the Philadelphia Eagles pick at spot 20.

Waynes led all college cornerbacks with a 4.31 time in the 40-yard dash and 19 reps on the bench press; that means there’s no denying his athleticism. He committed his fair share of penalties at Michigan State and will have to cut down on those to succeed at the next level, but he has a very high ceiling.

USC’s Nelson Agholor (6'0", 198 lbs) would be a quality second-round receiver. His physical profile projects similarly to that of Jeremy Maclin, who made the Pro Bowl and set career bests across the board in 2014.

You know Chip Kelly has to be very interested in Hobart’s Ali Marpet, a Division III guard who posted otherworldly combine numbers. Getting Marpet in Round 3 is realistic.

Landon Collins, Devin Funchess and Cedric Ogbuehi

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Chip Kelly didn’t address the safety position at all in free agency, even allowing Nate Allen to walk (where he was remarkably overpaid by the Oakland Raiders).

If the Philadelphia Eagles’ season started now, it would likely be a camp competition between Earl Wolff, Jerome Couplin, Jaylen Watkins and Chris Maragos for the starting spot opposite Malcolm Jenkins. That’s why Alabama’s Landon Collins would be a necessity if he’s there at the No. 20 pick.

Second-round pick Devin Funchess is a hybrid wide receiver/tight end who could easily provide mismatch problems in an offense like Kelly’s that is designed to exploit the opposition’s weakest defender.

Offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi has 35 ⅞-inch arms, which is as long as you’ll ever find on a person. His draft stock will undoubtedly slip because he’s rehabbing a torn ACL, but he has experience playing both tackle and guard.

Brett Hundley, Kevin Johnson and Sammie Coates

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Philadelphia Eagles fans wouldn’t be overjoyed to see the team pick UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, but Chip Kelly could do a lot worse. Hundley was a three-year starter in college, completing 67.6 percent of his passes, throwing for 75 touchdowns and rushing for 30 more. He could do great things in Kelly’s offense, especially if he sits for a year and learns under Sam Bradford.

Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson would be a solid second-round pick; he’s a three-year college starter and special teams ace. He could contribute as a dime cornerback initially and eventually take over as a full-time starter.

Auburn’s Sammie Coates has the size to be a successful NFL receiver. He’s blessed with a 6’1”, 212-pound frame, and he could do what Jordan Matthews did in the slot in 2014.