Realistic Expectations for Every Philadelphia Eagles Rookie
Mix together a crop of ultra-talented rookies and a group of supporters as rabid as the Philadelphia Eagles' fanbase, and expectations can reach fever pitch before the new players hit the gridiron at the pro level.
The Eagles went into this offseason desperately needing youthful reinforcements at a number of key positions and got them. But not every rookie is best suited to extended playing time right off the bat, and even those who are suited for an immediate game are bound to undergo growing pains and hit the dreaded rookie wall.
With all of this said, a couple of key rookies stand out from the pack as players who will become integral parts of the team right away.
The sky could be the limit for a few Eagles rookies who appear ready to hit the ground running at the NFL level.
Let's assess every rookie who figures to make the 53-man roster at the present moment and target a realistic amount of production for each.
DE Derek Barnett
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Eagles fans may not want to get too ahead of themselves when a first-round defensive end pick is immediately compared to Reggie White, but Derek Barnett has offered nothing but optimism when looking at how he fits into the defense.
Barnett's comparison to White came from his breaking The Minister of Defense's collegiate school sacks record at Tennessee, but that likening carries immense weight in a place like Philadelphia. It will be years before those dots can truly be connected, but the early returns seem encouraging.
Throughout OTAs, Barnett turned heads by beating star tackle Lane Johnson on back-to-back snaps as noted by CSN Philly's Reuben Frank. The 20-year-old's motor emerged as one of his most attractive qualities, and Johnson lauded it as well as his technique:
"The thing about him, he has such a good bend, so if you miss with your hands (you're going to get beat). I think he's going to have a great year for us. He's got a great motor. Every play. That's a good thing for us."
The Eagles desperately need Barnett's help on the edge after a woeful season from the pass rush in 2016. Now, he can play opposite Brandon Graham and see one-on-one matchups off the bat that he should excel in.
Obviously No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett is the clubhouse leader for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but Barnett should give him a run for his money playing in a much better system alongside much better players.
A rookie sack total between eight and 10 along with DROY honors is a realistic expectation for such a talented pass-rusher.
CB Sidney Jones
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On the surface, the Eagles did magnificently to secure two seemingly first-round prospects in the draft with Washington cornerback Sidney Jones falling in their laps in the second round. But Philly knew upon picking him that 2017 likely won't be a hallmark year for the corner.
Jones is still in the midst of recovery from an offseason Achilles injury suffered at his Washington pro day, and there hasn't been much noise on an updated return time. The last significant word on that front came before the draft, when he estimated an end-of-October return to the field, per ESPN's Matt Bowen.
Of course, it would be far fetched to assume the Eagles are going to hold Jones to that timetable when priority No. 1, 2 and 3 is his long-term health. While Philly is hurting at corner and could use his services as soon as possible, the bigger picture is all that really matters regarding Jones.
For that reason, simply seeing him on the field for meaningful regular-season snaps by late November would be the expectation rather than actual production.
If Jones can emerge from this injury and return to the field fully healthy without a setback, it will give the Eagles' front office plenty of confidence that he can be a shutdown guy from 2018 on.
CB Rasul Douglas
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Jones is the cornerback prospect from this Eagles draft class who is most anticipated from a pure skill standpoint, but he's not the rookie cornerback most critical to Philly's defensive success in 2017.
That title belongs to former West Virginia cornerback Rasul Douglas, who was taken with the Eagles' third-round pick in the draft. That gave the indication that Douglas and Jones are expected to lock down the position for years to come, and for the former, that needs to start in 2017.
The big-bodied 6'2", 210-pound corner has been impressing the Eagles throughout OTAs and team minicamp, so much so that he's procured a bold prediction from new receiver Alshon Jeffery.
Jeffery, who knows something about elite cornerbacks, lauded Douglas by telling Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal:
"I look for him to have, my prediction, is probably to say about three to five picks this year. I believe he can do that. Maybe more, we'll see. The sky's the limit for him. He's already pretty good. He's going to be a good corner in this league. He's just got to keep working, keep learning from what his coaches tell him."
Such production from a rookie would be eye-popping, but the Eagles may need it. Currently, they employ Patrick Robinson, Ron Brooks and Jalen Mills as their other cornerbacks expected to compete for a starting spot and none of them have a ceiling near as high as that of Douglas.
Three to five interceptions would be welcomed, but simply emerging as a reliable starter as a rookie feels realistic for a cornerback who was likely expected to be that by the Eagles front office when they selected him.
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RB Donnel Pumphrey
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Many Eagles fans wanted running back to be addressed early on in the draft to land a star rock-toting presence, but they opted to hit their more significant needs before landing the versatile Donnel Pumphrey.
Pumphrey emerged as one of college football's most explosive backs while at San Diego State, proving to be an effective between-the-tackles runner who also excels at catching the ball out of the backfield. Despite a slender 5'9" frame, the 22-year-old can punish defenders and isn't your typical scat-back.
While that skill set translates well to head coach Doug Pederson's West Coast offense, it's easy to see how Pumphrey's impact could be small as a rookie. The Eagles signed LeGarrette Blount as a short-yardage maestro, but he offers more than just that, while second-year back Wendell Smallwood appears ready to take on a bigger role.
And that's not even including Darren Sproles, who appears to already provide the Eagles most of what Pumphrey would, albeit with considerably less power.
Instead of sheer production, the Eagles would love to see Pumphrey simply find his role in an offense suddenly flush with weaponry and carve out a solid six to eight touches a game.
A couple of hundred yards from scrimmage and a couple of scores would be a realistic outcome from Pumphrey's rookie season as he tries to fight through a deep Eagles depth chart.
WR Mack Hollins
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The Eagles addressed their significant need at receiver through free agency by landing Jeffery and Torrey Smith, but that didn't keep them from identifying a few rookies who can help the cause and push competition at the position.
Former North Carolina man Mack Hollins appears to fit the unit quite well. While Smith provides a veteran deep threat, the 23-year-old can also stretch the field but with a much bigger body and high-end athleticism that the receiver position in the NFL is moving closer to.
In essence, the Eagles are hoping Hollins can emerge into the type of receiver they initially hoped Dorial Green-Beckham (who appears to be on the outs for a roster spot after the draft) has failed to show he's capable of in two seasons in the league.
Of course, not only do young receivers tend to take longer than most other players to develop, but the Eagles suddenly have little room for Hollins to thrive as a rookie. Behind Jeffery and Smith, the Eagles have Jordan Matthews still impressing, while Nelson Agholor aims to erase the woes from his first two seasons in the league.
Hollins won't get a ton of targets and catches as a rookie, but expect the Eagles to still give him plenty of opportunity to showcase his potential.
Two or three long touchdowns and an increased role in the offense would be a welcome sight for an organization tired of seeing its young receivers fail to produce.
WR Shelton Gibson
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While Hollins hopes to provide a style of play that the Eagles' receiving core mistakenly thought they already had on the roster, West Virginia rookie Shelton Gibson brings something to the table that the gang green hasn't seen in some time.
What Gibson lacks in prototypical NFL receiver size (he's just 5'11"), he more than makes up for with top-end speed and elusiveness. He ran a 4.5-second 40 at the combine with a 10.7-second 60-yard shuttle, the latter of which topped all receivers by almost half a second.
If Gibson makes good on his potential and rounds out his skill set as a complete receiver, think DeSean Jackson in terms of what he could do with his speed and play-making ability on the outside.
As noted in the Hollins slide, the main issue with untapping Gibson's potential as a rookie is a bevy of wideouts the Eagles want (and in some cases, need) to give playing time to. But the fact that the 22-year-old offers speed not found elsewhere in the offense should lead him to plenty of features in 2017.
If Gibson ended his rookie campaign with 25 receptions, a defined role on offense and an instant impact in the return game, that would be a sensible rookie season for the speedster.
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