Boykin Trade Thrusts JaCorey Shepherd into Spotlight for Philadelphia Eagles

For the second time in three years, the Philadelphia Eagles are replacing both of their starting cornerbacks. Yet as daunting a task as that seemed, at least they had the nickel position figured out—well, right up until Brandon Boykin was traded, anyway.

It wasn’t exactly a complete surprise Boykin was dealt—he was entering the final year of his contract and presumably unhappy with a part-time role. However, the willingness to push rookie JaCorey Shepherd as the potential alternative may catch some observers off guard.

After all, Boykin has been one of, if not, the best NFL slot cover men over the past three seasons. According to Football Outsiders' advanced metrics, Boykin posted the second-best stop rate in coverage of any defensive back in the league.

Shepherd is a rookie and only a sixth-round draft pick to boot. Who is this kid, and what business did he have running with Philadelphia’s first-team defense when training camp opened on Sunday?

That’s a question only Shepherd’s play on the field can answer over the course of the next month before the Eagles kick off the regular season on September 14. And for what it’s worth, the Kansas product is not running unopposed—there are a number of other options on the roster.

Projection	Height	Weight	Arm Length	Bench Press Reps	40 Time
5th Round	5'11"	199 lbs.	30-and-5/8 inches	14	Between 4.65 and 4.68

That being said, Chip Kelly made it no secret who he thinks will and who he would like to see win the job. As camp convened in the wake of the Boykin deal, the head coach admitted the organization has been really “really, really impressed” with Shepherd thus far.

“When you turn the tape on, he's a legitimate football player,” Kelly said. “What we saw on tape is what we saw during OTAs and minicamp and the offseason program.”

“He's explosive. He's got great ball skills, really quick in and out of cuts. He seems like he's got a real knack to being around the ball all the time, showed up a lot when you turn the tape on. We were surprised that he was still around in the sixth. We kind of held our breath.”

Chris Jackson/Associated Press

As far as a rookie taking over Boykin’s spot is concerned, it’s not without precedent. In fact, that’s how Boykin came upon the job in 2012, and he performed admirably from day one. Not only that, he’s been on the field for less than 50 percent of the club’s defensive snaps each of the past two seasons, according to Football Outsiders, so it’s not exactly the most massive of roles.

Again, it’s not as if the Eagles are without a backup plan, either. Kelly mentioned veteran free agent E.J. Biggers and 2014 fourth-round selection Jaylen Watkins as being in competition for the job as well, not to mention safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond have done extensive work in the slot.

Although, for now, the spotlight is fixed solely on Shepherd. Perhaps that’s in part because the organization honestly doesn’t view him as a sixth-rounder at all.

As Kelly alluded to, the Eagles expected Shepherd to go earlier in the draft. But as Geoff Mosher for CSNPhilly.com wrote in May, a 4.7 in the 40-yard dash due to a hamstring injury caused Shepherd to fall from mid-round pick to late-round gamble—one the Eagles were all too willing to take.

YR	GMS	TKL	PD	INT
2011	10	0	0	0
2012	6	15	2	0
2013	12	45	13	2
2014	12	30	15	3

Shepherd finished his senior season tied for sixth in the nation with 15 pass breakups. By the time his name was finally called at the draft, it was quickly being followed up with the word “steal” by the types who watch tape as opposed to so-called experts who rely on measurables.

Jenkins—who is more than just a potential stopgap at nickel cornerback; he's a starting safety and the quarterback of the secondary—is among those observers who noticed Shepherd standing out already.

“I think Shepherd has probably been the one who’s stood out the most,” Jenkins gushed. “He’s getting reps with the ones at the nickel position and hasn’t missed a beat. He knows what he’s doing, and that’s the most encouraging thing, especially from a rookie this early in camp. Usually you have a lot of mental errors, but there haven’t been any yet.”

None of which is to say Shepherd will make fans forget about Boykin in 2015. Obviously, the Eagles took a risk by getting rid of a proven commodity for, well, any of the warm bodies that might replace him.

At this stage of the summer, Shepherd appears to most likely replace Boykin, a tall order to say the least. Ready or not, the rookie is officially under the microscope now.

All quotes and observations from training camp are the author’s.