Philadelphia Eagles Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
The NFL draft is just a few hours away. Finally.
After months of rumors and speculation, we get to see if head coach Chip Kelly is going to move up from No. 20 to No. 2 to pick quarterback Marcus Mariota.
The two have history together from their time in Oregon, but it will take a huge haul to land the Heisman Trophy winner.
The Eagles have holes at wide receiver, right guard, cornerback and safety—not to mention quarterback, depending on how you view Sam Bradford and his surgically repaired knee.
There's no doubt that Kelly will attempt to do some wheeling and dealing throughout the draft, even if he wasn't able to pull off the trade of the century and move up to No. 2 to grab Marcus Mariota.
I will be updating this article a few minutes after each Eagles draft pick, so stay tuned for instant Eagles analysis and coverage on what could quite simply be the most important draft in the history of the franchise.
Round 1
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20. Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
Many, including myself, didn't expect the Eagles to be picking at their normal spot in the first round. Chip Kelly, in his first year as the team's general manager, is known for his aggressive nature in pursuing players he covets.
The guess by me, as I wrote, was that he would trade up with the Tennessee Titans to the No. 2 overall pick and grab his college quarterback, Marcus Mariota. But the Titans reportedly rejected Kelly's massive trade proposal, as reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
In a draft that has featured just one trade through the first 20 picks, the Eagles remained at their natural draft position to grab USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor.
Agholor, who has the exact same measurables as departed receiver Jeremy Maclin, possesses the ability to play both outside and inside. During his senior season at USC, he caught 104 passes for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also returned a pair of punts for touchdowns, giving the Eagles a possible replacement for Darren Sproles on special teams in a few seasons.
With the Eagles, expect Jordan Matthews to be the No. 1 receiver. The rest is uncertain at the moment. Riley Cooper is best suited for the outside, while Josh Huff and Agholor can play both inside and outside. Kelly has no issue giving Matthews, a rookie in 2014, a high workload, as the second-round pick finished the season with 67 catches for 872 yards and eight scores.
Veteran Sam Bradford's tenure in St. Louis was largely disappointing because of the Rams' lack of talent at both receiver and on the offensive line. He's got to be loving what has happened tonight, as he (a) wasn't traded and (b) was given a first-round receiver.
Grade: B
Round 2
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47. Eric Rowe, CB/S, Utah
Chip Kelly attempted to trade up to Minnesota's 45th overall pick, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, but the Vikings and Eagles weren't able to work out a trade proposal fast enough.
But two picks later, the Eagles traded up five spots with the Miami Dolphins and selected Utah defensive back Eric Rowe. In the trade, the Eagles parted ways with both of their fifth-round picks and gained a sixth-round pick. According to Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton, the Eagles gained 445 points on the draft value chart while giving up 442.5 points.
Rowe, whom I predicted the Eagles would select in my mock published at the end of Thursday night, is a player the Eagles had been eyeing from the start of the draft. In fact, Kelly said that his top two defensive back targets were Byron Jones, who was picked 27th by the Dallas Cowboys, and Rowe.
The Eagles currently have holes at both cornerback and safety, and they'll have four months to figure out which position they want Rowe to play. The guess here is that he'll play safety, but his coverage skills and experience at cornerback make him a viable candidate to cover opposing slot receivers.
Rowe, like Agholor, feels like a safe pick. Kelly did a good job of maximizing value with his trade. He patiently waited until just five picks before the Eagles were on the clock. He didn't give up a mid-round pick, instead parting with a pair of late-round picks. He also passed on versatile Oregon offensive lineman Jake Fisher, instead choosing to focus on the secondary—a much bigger need than the offensive line.
Grade: A
Round 3
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84. Jordan Hicks, LB, Texas
Easily Chip Kelly's most surprising pick of the draft so far came when the Eagles head coach selected Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks with the team's third-round pick.
Hicks, who projects as an inside linebacker in the National Football League, feels on the surface like an obvious replacement for Mychal Kendricks, who has reportedly been on the trade block for a number of days, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport (h/t Dan Hanzus of Around the NFL). It's become more and more clear that Kelly just doesn't have the 2012 second-round pick in his future plans, although he told reporters after the Hicks pick that he hasn't entertained any trade talks for any players.
During his college career, Hicks suffered a ruptured Achilles in 2013, but he returned in 2014 to record 107 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. He also missed the majority of the 2010 season with a hip injury.
Hicks' role with the 2015 Eagles is impossible to know at this point. If Kendricks is traded and veteran DeMeco Ryans isn't fully healed from his torn Achilles, Hicks could compete for a starting job in training camp. But if Kendricks and Ryans are both on the team, Hicks will likely contribute only on special teams.
The Hicks pick feels like a major reach, but it's also just a third-round pick, so it's not the same as the first round of the 2014 draft, when the Eagles reached for Louisville pass-rusher Marcus Smith with the 26th pick. Like every pick, of course, Hicks deserves the chance to show what he can do on an NFL field this fall.
Grade: D+
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Round 6
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191. JaCorey Shepherd, CB, Kansas
The Eagles entered the final day of the draft with a pick in the fourth round, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. But they moved out of their fourth-round pick in a trade with the Detroit Lions that netted them an extra third-round pick in 2016.
After four hours of sitting and waiting in the draft room, the Eagles used their first sixth-round pick on cornerback JaCorey Shepherd, a high-character versatile player who previously played wide receiver.
Shepherd will likely compete for a spot on the roster behind Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll, Brandon Boykin, Walter Thurmond and Jaylen Watkins. It also makes sense for the Eagles to consider moving him to safety, where the Eagles really have no option next to veteran Malcolm Jenkins.
Grade: A-
Round 6
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196. Randall Evans, CB, Kansas State
The Eagles double-dipped on cornerbacks in the sixth round, grabbing Kansas State's Randall Evans. Like Shepherd and every other Eagles draft pick, Evans is a high-character player, and he's also an option to one day move to safety if needed.
Evans ran a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he's solid in coverage, especially when the ball is in the air. Clearly, the Eagles are looking to improve a secondary that allowed 31 passing touchdowns in 2014.
Grade: B+
Round 7
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237. Brian Mihalik, DE, Boston College
With their final selection of the 2015 draft, the Philadelphia Eagles grabbed mammoth defensive lineman Brian Mihalik out of Boston College.
Mihalik, who stands a ridiculous 6'9" and weighs 300 pounds, is easily the biggest player on the team. He's the defensive version of King Dunlap, the former offensive tackle drafted in the seventh round back in 2008.
Mihalik collected 86 tackles, including 16.5 for a loss, during his college career. He added 8.5 sacks, seven passes defensed and an interception. He feels like a perfect fit to spend the 2015 season on the practice squad, where he can learn the position at the NFL level.
Grade: B-
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