The 10 Most Likely Draft Picks by the Philadelphia Eagles

The most fascinating aspect of the offseason, the NFL draft, is less than one week away. For the Philadelphia Eagles, the Marcus Mariota rumors will not stop. In fact, they're continuing to heat up, as national analysts like Adam Schefter, Brian Baldinger and Pete Prisco have all said they could see Chip Kelly drafting his former college quarterback in a massive draft-day trade. 

Personally, I've been on the Mariota bandwagon since the day the team traded Nick Foles for veteran Sam Bradford, a former No. 1 overall draft pick who is recovering from two straight ACL tears on a high salary in 2015. It just doesn't make sense, as I've written before, for Kelly to hitch his coaching future on a quarterback who has struggled with injuries and consistency, even with the limited supporting cast he's had in St. Louis and the incredible success he had at Oklahoma. 

Kelly has insisted he won't mortgage his future to trade up for Mariota, but in the past, NFL head coaches have certainly lied before. It's easily possible to see Kelly trading up for Mariota and stating acquiring a franchise quarterback isn't mortgaging the future because this player IS the future. 

Even if the Eagles do draft Mariota, they will likely have picks from at least the third through the seventh rounds. That means they'll make a total of at least six picks on draft day. Below I will take a look at the 10 most likely players to be drafted by the Eagles, regardless of the round the players are selected. 

1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

There is no player that is more likely to be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles than Marcus Mariota. Kelly's college quarterback is a player the Eagles coach called the best quarterback available in this year's draft and a player who will win multiple Super Bowls.

After watching Kelly part ways with players like LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, it's hard to believe he scoured the NFL and decided Sam Bradford is the quarterback who will be able to beat teams like Seattle and Green Bay. Bradford feels like an obvious fallback option, but in the end, the guess here is Kelly still finds a way to land Mariota. Even if he doesn't, he's going to give it everything he has. That can't be said for any of the following players. 

2. Jake Fisher, OT/G, Oregon

I wrote about why Jake Fisher is a perfect fit for the Eagles in this piece. For starters, he attended Oregon, so Kelly coached him and is extremely familiar with his abilities. Fisher can play tackle or guard.

With the 2015 Eagles, he'd likely be a right guard, but he could move to right tackle in a year or two when Jason Peters is finished with his NFL career. A projected late first- or early second-round pick in most mock drafts, Fisher has the versatility and athleticism Todd McShay compared to current Eagles tackle Lane Johnson. 

3. Byron Jones, CB/S, UConn

Byron Jones is the best athlete in this year's NFL draft. Easily. It's not even close, in fact. According to SPARQ, which measures an athlete's overall athletic ability by his spider chart, Jones tests in the 99.9 percentile. He'll be the second-best among all active NFL players, behind current Eagles guard Evan Mathis.

Kelly is a head coach who is obsessed with athletic players, more so than your average NFL coach. He's going to look at a player like Jones, who set the world record in the broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine, and fantasize about what a player with that type of athleticism could do in his defense.

Jones can also play cornerback or safety. Both are positions of need for the Eagles and it's easy to see Jones making a major contribution, even as a rookie. The Eagles expressed interest in Jones by hosting him for a visit at their facility, per CSNPhilly's Geoff Mosher. 

4. Eric Rowe, CB/S, Utah

Versatile defensive back Eric Rowe, who can play both cornerback and safety, is a player the Eagles have expressed a significant amount of interest in. They've been very high on Rowe, per draft insider Tony Pauline, and they orchestrated a private workout with him, plus an official visit.

I've seen Eric Rowe going anywhere from around pick 20, where the Eagles pick, to late in the second round. He could play either cornerback or safety for the Eagles, and his speed and ability to play the ball while it's in the air will be a great asset in an Eagles' defense that allowed 30 passing touchdowns in 2014. 

5. Adrian Amos, S, Penn State

The Eagles have been looking for safeties for seven years now, ever since veteran Brian Dawkins left in free agency following the 2008 season. Local safety Adrian Amos, from Penn State, is a player the Eagles have been very interested in. Amos visited the Eagles for a private workout, documenting his visit online.

He has good size and can play both corner and safety, like current Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins. In fact, almost every defensive back the Eagles have expressed interest in can play both positions. He's also the best athlete at his position, per SPARQ. Amos projects as a mid-round pick, a player who could compete for a starting job alongside Jenkins during the 2015 season. 

6. Nelson Agholor, WR, USC

After losing former first-round pick Jeremy Maclin in free agency, the Eagles really need an upgrade at wide receiver, where Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Josh Huff are the team's top three receivers. Agholor, whose measurables are almost identical to Maclin's, has been the receiver Kelly has shown the most interest in during the pre-draft process.

The former standout receiver at USC was originally recruited to Oregon by Chip Kelly, per Yahoo's Rand Getlin. Algholor caught 105 passes, including 12 touchdowns, during the 2014 season. He projects as a slot receiver in the NFL, where his speed on the inside will give the Eagles' offense another weapon in the passing game. He's projected to be a second-round pick, although he'd probably be off the board by the time the Eagles were on the clock at Pick 52. 

7. Chris Conley, WR, Georgia

Perhaps the most athletic receiver at the NFL Scouting Combine, Chris Conley's SPARQ score of 98.8 percent ranked first at his position. He's a tremendous athlete, a player who can run, catch and block at a high level.

His college numbers weren't particularly impressive, but Georgia utilizes a heavy running game, which affected Conley's receiving numbers. He also averaged more than 18.0 yards per catch last year, and his ability to stretch the field should help an Eagles offense that saw No. 2 receiver Riley Cooper average just 10.5 yards per catch in 2014. Conley met with the Eagles for a pre-draft visit, per Mark Dominik of ESPN. 

8. Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma

Although Oklahoma tight end Blake Bell caught just 16 passes during his entire college career, his raw ability as an athlete, as well as his high upside, is what will be intriguing to Kelly.

Bell, who began his career as a quarterback before switching to tight end before his senor season, stands 6'6" and weighs 252 pounds. He's a massive presence in the receiving game, and he has a chance to become the team's No. 2 tight end behind Zach Ertz after Brent Celek's tenure is finished in Philadelphia.  

9. Jesse James, TE, Penn State

With Brent Celek entering his age-30 season, it's likely the Eagles look for his replacement soon. Trey Burton, currently the team's third tight end, could be the replacement for Celek, but through the draft, Penn State's Jesse James makes a lot of sense.

James would be the largest receiving target on the Eagles, as he stands 6'7" and weighs 261 pounds. He caught 38 passes and three touchdowns during his senior year, and he worked out for the Eagles recently. 

10. Jalen Collins, CB, LSU

A projected late first-round pick, Jalen Collins would give the Eagles an upgrade at one of their weakest positions. He is skilled at playing press coverage and has good size, a necessity for a cornerback in Billy Davis' defense.

He's only made 13 starts during his college career, but that didn't stop the Eagles from signing prized free-agent Byron Maxwell, who only started 17 games in four years at Seattle before landing a $63 million deal. The Eagles hosted Collins for a visit at their complex a few weeks ago, per CSNPhilly's Geoff Mosher.