7 Mid-Round Prospects Who Should Be on Philadelphia Eagles' Radar
Much of the draft talk has centered on what the Philadelphia Eagles will do in the first round. Will head coach Chip Kelly, who certainly isn't shy in being bold, make a draft-day splash to acquire Marcus Mariota? Or will he stay put and take the best player available with the 20th selection in the first round?
In just a few days, that will all become clear, but for now, there are some mid-round players the Eagles should have on their radar. After all, this is a team that missed the playoffs last year—despite winning 10 games and setting a franchise record with 474 points scored—and there are upgrades that could be afforded at numerous positions.
The secondary was too often abysmal in 2014, and that was never more evident than in the rematch with the Dallas Cowboys. The signing of $63 million cornerback Byron Maxwell fixes one position in the defensive backfield, but the Eagles could still make upgrades at a handful of other spots.
This organization still hasn't found a suitable replacement for Brian Dawkins. The receiving corps took a hit when Pro Bowler Jeremy Maclin departed for Kansas City via free agency, and the offensive line could afford to get younger, especially if Kelly trades All-Pro left guard Evan Mathis.
Kelly is particular with his players, and it's doubtful he spends a draft pick on a player without having done extensive research first. After all, last year, every single player the Eagles selected was either hosted for a predraft workout or attended Kelly's former school, Oregon.
Keeping that in mind, look for Kelly to target the following seven players as mid-round draft selections.
All scouting combine numbers are per NFL.com.
Chris Conley, WR, Georgia
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If you haven't realized by now, Chip Kelly likes tall, big wide receivers. He released DeSean Jackson (5'10") and let Jeremy Maclin (6'0") walk, and he's drafted, signed or re-signed Jordan Matthews (6'3"), Miles Austin (6'3") and Riley Cooper (6'4"). The only exception is Josh Huff (5'11", 205 lbs), but he did go to Oregon.
That being said, Georgia's Chris Conley makes a lot of sense as a mid-round prospect for the Philadelphia Eagles. He has good size at 6'2", 213 pounds, and he tore up the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.35 40-yard dash, 18 reps on the bench press and a ridiculous 45-inch vertical leap. That's elite athleticism, and it could push Conley into the third round despite subpar receiving numbers in his final collegiate season.
If the Eagles draft Conley, he'll be given every opportunity to win a starting spot on the outside. After all, if the season started now, it would likely be Matthews in the slot with Cooper and Huff on the outside. That won't scare anyone, but a player with Conley's measurables may.
Garrett Grayson, QB, Colorado State
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Let’s say Chip Kelly doesn’t get Marcus Mariota. There’s a good chance he will still want to get a quarterback in the draft.
Sam Bradford is on the last year of his rookie contract. Mark Sanchez isn’t the long-term answer. Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow will be battling it out for that last spot, but that won’t stop Kelly from picking a quarterback who intrigues him.
Per The Denver Post’s Troy E. Renck, Garrett Grayson excelled in an interview with the Philadelphia Eagles. Grayson has good size (6’2”, 213 lbs), speed (4.72 40-yard dash) and impressive accuracy. He played at a high level in 2014, tossing 32 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, and he crept up draft boards.
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah rates Grayson as the third-best quarterback, and Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier sees Grayson as a first-round prospect.
Should Grayson fall to the third round, he’s a solid fallback plan for Kelly.
DeVante Davis, WR, UNLV
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UNLV’s DeVante Davis is an underrated prospect with the physical tools to develop into a quality NFL receiver. He’s 6’3”, 220 pounds with long arms (32 ⅜") and a solid 4.53 time in the 40-yard dash.
He played at a smaller school and may have to play special teams to work his way onto the Philadelphia Eagles roster, but he should have a good chance in at least securing a fourth or fifth receiver spot on the 2015 club.
The Eagles did not host Davis for a one-on one visit, but they did see him at his pro day, per Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton. He is a solid value pick if he’s here in the fifth round.
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Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
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It’s fair to call Donovan Smith a poor man’s Jake Fisher, but he still projects to be a quality NFL offensive lineman. Smith has seen his stock rise leading up to the draft, and his versatility as a tackle or guard could sneak him into the top 40 picks.
Still, it’s more likely Smith hears his name in Round 3, and the Philadelphia Eagles have to be one of the teams interested. Smith is a former left tackle with excellent size (6’6”, 338 lbs, 34 ⅜” arms), and he ran a 4.98 40-yard dash, which is pretty exceptional for a man of his frame.
Getting Smith would give the Eagles competition at the right guard position, where there is a void now that they've released Todd Herremans. Smith would battle it out with Allen Barbre, Andrew Gardner and Matt Tobin to see if he can secure a starting role in 2015.
Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio)
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There are likely five corners/safeties the Philadelphia Eagles will strongly target in the upcoming NFL draft—Byron Jones, Eric Rowe, Quinten Rollins, Damarious Randall and Adrian Amos.
All are the hybrid corner/safety types with excellent athleticism. Rollins may be the most raw of all the prospects, as he literally played just one year of college football. That’s because he played four years of basketball first before a late-college switch to football led to a breakout seven-interception season and a likely future in the NFL.
Rollins isn’t the ideal size for a safety, as he’s 5’11, 195 pounds and doesn’t have particularly long arms (30 ¼"). What he would likely be able to do though is line up over the wide receiver like a nickel corner or as a younger version of Malcolm Jenkins. The Eagles have expressed interest in Rollins, having talked with him at the Senior Bowl, visited his pro day and worked him out, per Lee Gowton.
Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State
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Here’s another mid-round quarterback who could intrigue Chip Kelly. Kelly’s affinity for Pac-12 players is well-known, especially at the quarterback position, where he’s drafted Matt Barkley (USC), signed Mark Sanchez (USC) and reportedly is willing to offer the farm for Marcus Mariota (Oregon), as Eagles reporter Jeff McLane told The Fanatic's Eytan Shander and Harry Mayes back in February (via Fox Sports).
But how about Oregon State’s Sean Mannion? There’s a lot to like about Mannion even though he’s not Mariota.
"Oregon St.'s Sean Mannion 3rd-rated QB on few boards. Big (6-5.5, 230). Improved footwork, Productive. Gym rat. Coach's son. Highest FB IQ
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 28, 2015"
That sounds like a guy Kelly would like. Mannion was a four-year starter at Oregon State and could potentially do good things in this quarterback-friendly Philadelphia Eagles offense.
Ali Marpet, G, Hobart
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Ali Marpet was made for Chip Kelly's offense. He's a former Division III left tackle who possesses elite NFL athleticism. Marpet dominated the scouting combine, running a 4.98 40-yard dash and putting up 30 reps on the bench press.
Per The MMQB's Robert Klemko, there hasn't been a Division III player picked in the top 100 selections in over 25 years, so Kelly would definitely be taking a risk with Marpet. However, Marpet more than held his own at the Senior Bowl, and he would be joining a zone-based offense that would be made for his athleticism as a natural run-blocker.
Ideally, Kelly can get Marpet in Round 3 or even Round 4. From there, he'll likely engage in a camp competition for Todd Herremans' vacant right guard spot. It wouldn't be a surprise to see a veteran like Allen Barbre or Andrew Gardner win that job, which would be fine in that it would allow Marpet more time to learn the Eagles offense and offer depth.
Should Kelly also part ways with All-Pro left guard Evan Mathis—as has been rumored for quite some time now—there will be higher expectations for Marpet to win one of the starting guard spots as a rookie.
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