5 Players Philadelphia Eagles Should Target on Day 2 of 2015 NFL Draft
It’s safe to say Round 1 of the 2015 NFL draft was anticlimactic. There was no blockbuster trade for Marcus Mariota, with the Oregon quarterback simply going to the Tennessee Titans with the second overall pick.
In fact, The MMQB's Peter King reports the Philadelphia Eagles never really seriously considered trading for the Titans’ spot.
What head coach Chip Kelly did instead was stay put at spot No. 20 and take a talented young wide receiver who should make an immediate impact in this offense in ’15. The Eagles enter Day 2 of the NFL draft with picks in both the second and third rounds, as well as ammunition should they want to acquire more draft picks—linebacker Mychal Kendricks, cornerback Brandon Boykin and guard Evan Mathis all present possible trade options.
Kelly will likely want to target the offensive line and the secondary on Friday; the offensive line was plagued with injuries a year ago and 33-year-old left tackle Jason Peters and 33-year-old Mathis are nearing the end of their days as starters.
Similarly, the secondary could use a new starter or two. Despite the $63 million signing of cornerback Byron Maxwell, there’s still an open spot opposite him, and the safety corps could definitely use a talented new player. Look for Kelly to target several of the following players in Rounds 2 and 3.
All scouting combine numbers are per NFL.com.
Eric Rowe, CB/S, Utah
1 of 5
Eric Rowe is likely a personal favorite of Chip Kelly’s given his skill set, versatility to play both cornerback and safety, and the fact that he attended a Pac-12 school.
Rowe was a four-year starter at Utah, playing the first three seasons at free safety before moving to corner as a senior. He’s 6’1”, 201 pounds and tested well at the combine, posting a 4.45 40-yard dash, 19 bench press reps and a 39-inch vertical leap. He’s an ideal fit to play the versatile hybrid corner/safety role Kelly prefers in his safeties, a position Malcolm Jenkins did in 2014.
Per Bleeding Green Nation, the Philadelphia Eagles have shown extensive interest in Rowe. They’ve worked him out, attended his pro day and talked with him at the Senior Bowl. He’s likely to be available when the Eagles are on the clock with the 52nd overall pick, though if Kelly wants to be sure he’ll get Rowe, he may want to move up a few spots with a willing trade partner.
Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon
2 of 5
Jake Fisher would be an ideal fit for the Philadelphia Eagles offense, and not just because he attended Chip Kelly’s Oregon.
Fisher is similar to Lane Johnson, Kelly’s first-ever draft pick with the team. Fisher is a former tight end who played multiple positions on the Oregon offensive line—first right guard, then right tackle and finally left tackle—and he’s considered to be more polished than former Duck Kyle Long, who has made two Pro Bowls in two NFL seasons.
Fisher has ideal size at 6’6”, 306 pounds, and his 5.01 40-yard dash time will make him one of the more athletic offensive linemen in the game and a superb fit for the Eagles’ zone-blocking offense. Fisher has 33 ¾” arms and 10⅜” hands, and he was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2014 for his performance on the line.
Ideally, Fisher competes for Todd Herremans’ vacant right guard spot as a rookie. A camp competition between Allen Barbre, Andrew Gardner and Matt Tobin should be expected, but Fisher should be able to win this job. Eventually, the Eagles would move Johnson to left tackle to replace Jason Peters, thus sliding Fisher to right tackle in Johnson’s vacant spot.
Quinten Rollins, CB/S, Miami (OH)
3 of 5
If Chip Kelly doesn’t get Eric Rowe, Quinten Rollins is a similar player, although not as polished. Rollins played just one year of college football after four years of playing basketball, but that didn’t stop him from recording seven interceptions as a cornerback and winning the 2014 MAC Defensive Player of the Year award.
Rollins does not have elite size, as he’s just 5’11”, 195 pounds with 30¼" arms, but he does have exceptional athleticism. He would contribute as a nickel cornerback/safety, much the way the Arizona Cardinals used Tyrann Mathieu in 2013.
Rollins is a traditional Kelly player in that he’s versatile—a former high school running back and receiver—and a great athlete. It’s a risk to draft Rollins in the second round, but spending a third-round selection on a player with his potential may make sense.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
4 of 5
Jake Fisher probably won’t be available when the Philadelphia Eagles pick in Round 2, but Penn State’s Donovan Smith is a fine fallback plan when the Eagles select at No. 84.
Smith has ridiculous size, as he’s 6’6”, 338 pounds and has 34⅜” arms and 10⅝" hands. He’s a classic Chip Kelly pick, as he has high character and graduated with a degree in criminology. Smith ran a pretty impressive 4.98 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and, like Fisher, would likely be given the opportunity to push for the starting right guard spot in 2015.
The Eagles did express predraft interest in Smith, having visited with him before the draft. He should be on their big board for tonight.
Ali Marpet, G, Hobart
5 of 5
It’s no secret that Chip Kelly wants his offensive line to get younger. Center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson are ideal run-blockers for what Kelly wants to do with his offense, and Hobart’s Ali Marpet is a risk but a probable fit.
Marpet is attempting to be the first Division III player in 25 years to get drafted within the top 100 picks, per MMQB's Robert Klemko. Marpet played left tackle at Hobart, a small school, but it’s expected he would transition to guard in the NFL.
Marpet has the physical tools to succeed at the next level: He’s 6’4”, 310 pounds, ran a 4.98 40-yard dash and bench-pressed 30 reps. The question will be whether he can hold up to elite competition after years of playing against the lowest level of college players.
A third-round pick is reasonable for Marpet, given that Kelly loves elite athletes and Marpet did more than hold his own at the Senior Bowl.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
