Philadelphia Eagles: Grading Andy Reid's Draft History With the Team
One need only look at the Pittsburgh Steelers', Green Bay Packers', or New England Patriots' homegrown talent to see that successful teams build through the draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles haven't produced a Super Bowl under Andy Reid, but have consistently been one of the best teams in the league for the last decade. They have reached five NFC Championship Games and missed the playoffs just three times in his tenure, with drafted talents Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Trent Cole and others playing a major part of that success.
However, Reid's draft history with the Eagles is far from spotless, and his drafts have often come under fire from Eagles faithful.
Here's a look at Andy Reid's draft history with the Eagles, including hits, misses, and how his former picks have performed on the field.
First Round Hits
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Andy Reid's early picks have been a mixed bag, but some major successes have defined his tenure as Eagles coach, none more so than his first ever pick, Donovan McNabb.
McNabb is the Eagles' all-time leader in games, wins, completions, attempts, passing yards, and touchdowns. He even cracks the top ten in all-time rushing yards with the team.
Reaching six Pro Bowls in his 11 years with the Eagles, McNabb helped turn one of the league's worst franchises into a perennial contender.
Beyond McNabb, DT Corey Simon (2001) and CB Lito Sheppard (2002) both had productive careers, earning Pro Bowl selections with the Eagles.
DTs Mike Patterson (2002) and Brodrick Bunkley (2003) have been multi-year starters at their positions, if not stars.
Receiver Jeremy Maclin has only played two seasons for the Eagles, but his increasing production and electric play across from DeSean Jackson puts him on track to be a hit.
First Round Misses
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Reid has also missed badly on several first round picks, each leaving the Eagles with a hole moving forward.
Freddie Mitchell in 2001 was a colossal bust. Though fans will always remember him for 4th-and-26, Mitchell managed just 90 receptions and fewer than 1300 yards in his four seasons with the Eagles, leaving the Eagles undermanned at wide receiver until they brought in Terrell Owens in 2004.
Jerome McDougle in 2003 was perhaps an even worse miss than Mitchell. McDougle totaled just three sacks in five years with the Eagles, missing the whole 2005 season after suffering a gunshot wound while being robbed.
Once Hugh Douglas left the Eagles, the team struggled to find an impact defensive end until Trent Cole developed into a star. The team is still searching for a reliable bookend for Cole.
One player that could fit in either category is Shawn Andrews in 2004. Andrews missed most of two seasons with injuries, but was selected to two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team in three full seasons with the team.
However, back problems and troubles with depression cut short the promising guard's career with the Eagles, and his lasting impact was minimized enough that he must be considered a bust.
Brandon Graham (2010) hasn't played for long enough to judge his career, but he struggled early last year before an ACL tear ended his season early.
Second to Fourth Round Hits
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Rounds two through four are where the Eagles made some serious headway during the Reid era. A number of picks Reid has made in that range have gone on to long, successful, and sometimes Pro Bowl careers with the team.
1999 is a perfect example. John Welbourn (4th round) was a multi-year starter during the early years of the Reid era. Doug Brzezinski was a capable and oft-used backup in multiple positions along the line.
Here are other successful Eagles mid-round picks by year:
2000—Todd Pinkston and Bobby Williams
Pinkston was often a target for Eagles fans' criticism, but he did start for multiple years and put up some decent seasons. Williams didn't pan out for the Eagles, but has been a solid starter for the Bengals.
2001—Derrick Burgess and Correll Buckhalter
Burgess is a player the Eagles probably should have held on to, an impact part-timer who later blossomed with the Raider. Buckhalter suffered multiple ACL tears, but when healthy, was an outstanding backup.
2002—Michael Lewis, Sheldon Brown and Brian Westbrook
Perhaps Reid's best draft, 2002 yielded some great talent. Westbrook, of course, is perhaps the greatest Eagles running back ever. Sheldon Brown was a solid corner for nearly a decade, and probably should have made a Pro Bowl at some point. Lewis petered out, but was a Pro Bowl performed with the team.
2003—LJ Smith
Another eventual target for derision, Smith nonetheless was a solid receiving tight end when healthy and put up nice numbers with the Eagles.
2004—None
2005—Todd Herremans
Herremans, an absolute mountain of a man, remains a starter on the Eagles and one of the offensive line's most consistent performers.
2006—Jason Avant
Avant has turned into an extremely reliable weapon for the Eagles. He has the best hands on the team and has emerged as one of the NFL's best third-down possession receivers.
2007—Kevin Kolb and Stewart Bradley
Kolb is a bit of a mixed bag, but he would be the franchise QB if not for Michael Vick's resurgence and has shown enough that he could easily net the Eagles a first-rounder. Bradley has been oft-injured, but when healthy, proved a solid starting middle linebacker.
2008—DeSean Jackson and Mike McGlynn
Jackson is an absolute gem, one of the top picks of the Reid era and one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL. McGlynn has been a capable backup and filled in well when Jamaal Jackson went down with an injury last season.
2009—LeSean McCoy
Reid again struck gold in the second round with McCoy, who projects as the Eagles' starting running back for years to come.
2010—Nate Allen
Yet another second-rounder, Allen performed admirably as a first-year started before going down with a knee injury. The team will be counting on his recovery in 2011.
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Second to Fourth Round Misses
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Of course, some mid-round picks came to the Eagles with high expectations that ultimately went unfulfilled. This list focuses on those who washed out early and made almost no contribution to the team.
Some picks who were omitted may have been decent special-teams players or at least backups for several years.
1999—Na Brown
Brown had some of the worst hands of any Eagles receiver during the Reid era. His stone-fisted approach to catching the football doomed him.
2000—None
2001—Quinton Caver
Reid's history of drafting linebackers is a spotted one. Ultimately, Caver didn't pan out and spent just a couple years with the team, never making a real contribution.
2002—None
2003—Billy McMullen
McMullen had great size, but unfortunately that proved the limit of his skill set. He caught only a handful of passes with the team and never seriously threatened for playing time.
2004—Matt Ware and Trey Darilek
Ware was drafted with the hope he could perform as a nickel cornerback. With the exception of an electrifying, game-winning blocked field goal return for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers, he made little impact. Darilek never saw the field with the team.
2005—Matt McCoy
Another failed linebacking project, McCoy was in and out of the starting lineup and never managed to prove he deserved a spot on the team. He was quickly supplanted by Chris Gocong, no star in his own right.
2006—None
2007—Victor Abiamiri and Tony Hunt
Abiamiri has struggled with injuries throughout his career and has rarely seen the field. Hunt was brought in as a power back, but lacked the explosion necessary to pick up tough yardage and was quickly relegated to mop-up duty.
2008—Bryan Smith and Jack Ikegwuonu
Smith never saw the field for the team. Ikegwuonu was a solid prospect who had dropped because of a leg injury in his senior season, but never grasped the Eagles' defense and played very little.
2009—None
2010—Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
Though it's early to pass judgment on Te'o-Nesheim, he saw almost no playing time with the Eagles in 2010 and enters 2011 at or near the bottom of the depth chart.
Fifth Through Seventh Round Hits
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The late rounds are difficult to project, and as a result, any impactful pick means a lot. This article ignores late-round misses, because there are so many of them.
Here are a few late-rounders who have made their presence felt on the Eagles.
1999—Cecil Martin
The fullback was a multi-year starter with the team, and the Eagles struggled to fill his shoes for several years after he left.
2000—None
2001—A.J. Feeley
Feeley started a handful of games in his career but was of course stuck behind McNabb. However, the team did eventually deal him for a second-round pick. That's a great return for a seventh-round investment.
2002—None
2003—None
2004—Thomas Tapeh
Like Martin before him, Tapeh spent time as the Eagles starting fullback. Though he wasn't a great player, any late-round starter deserves mention
2005—Trent Cole
The greatest late-round pick of the Reid era, Cole has been the best defensive lineman on the Eagles for years. A Pro Bowl talent, he has racked up 42 sacks in the past four seasons and is also a strong defender against the run.
2006—Omar Gaither
Gaither has been shuffled around on the field and in and out of the starting lineup, but has been an important contributor and depth linebacker for the team since he was drafted.
2007—Brent Celek
Though he had a down year last season, Celek has shown great ability as a pass-catching tight end for the Eagles and has been the team's best TE since Chad Lewis.
2008—King Dunlap
Dunlap is still a work in progress, but the team really likes the giant offensive tackle. He saw playing time last season and replaced a benched Winston Justice in the playoff game against the Packers this past season.
2009—Brandon Gibson and Moise Fokou
Gibson was traded to the St Louis Rams in the Will Witherspoon deal, but has shown talent and ability in St. Louis. Fokou started most of the season for the Eagles last year and has been a good special teams player.
2010—Riley Cooper, Jamar Chaney, and Kurt Coleman
Cooper is behind some very talented wide receivers on the depth chart, but showed impact ability and uses his size well. Chaney filled in better than expected when Stewart Bradley went down with an injury late last year. Coleman was a great special teams performer and dime back who may very well start this season as the Eagles starting strong safety, if the team doesn't bring back Quentin Mikell.
Conclusion
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Despite Eagles fans' propensity to attack Reid for his draft history, he has actually produced solid results. Much of the Eagles' talent now is homegrown.
Reid hit on many more first-rounders than he missed, as only Freddie Mitchell and Jerome McDougle currently stand out as definite busts.
The middle rounds have been great to Reid, as he's managed to pick up electrifying talents like Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy.
The late rounds have produced a great player in Trent Cole and also some solid starters, which have to be considered successful picks.
Every coach will have hits and misses, but ultimately Reid is ahead of the pack. Eagles fans should feel confident in his ability to select good players in this year's draft.
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