Draftmas in Philly should be a gas!

adraft

Here are some artist’s renderings of what the staging will look like in Philadelphia on April 27:

Draftmas in Philly should be a gas!

Draftmas in Philly should be a gas!

Draftmas in Philly should be a gas!

Draftmas in Philly should be a gas!

Draftmas in Philly should be a gas!

A number of activities will be offered for those unable to gain entry into the theater. There will be a 100-yard zip line,  a “Combine Corner” where fans can run against NFL players on a 40-yard long LED wall, and a virtual reality center.

Still gathering the last-minute scouting tips and prognostications for your MACH 10 ballot? Here are the latest Eagles advisories from NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell (Howard’s nephew, not his son!):

Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey —

Cosell believes that multi-threat McCaffrey would fit in the Eagles’ system, which is not dependent on a foundational workhorse back. “He’s 201 pounds and he’s rocked up. He can’t touch the ball 20-25 times every week,” Cosell said. “I think McCaffrey is the kind of back that one week could carry 14 times; the next week, depending on the game, he could carry seven times. But he gives you a ton in the pass game because he can line up anywhere in your formation. That’s what he’s really, really good at.”

Asked if there is a good player comparison for McCaffrey, Cosell said, “theoretically he’d be like Reggie Bush when he was with the Saints, that kind of player. He’s probably a better Theo Riddick-type player,” referencing theDetroit Lions back who caught 80 passes in 2015, “but I think he’s a better runner than Theo Riddick. But I think he fits what [the Eagles] do with all their multiple formations and personnel packages and he could be a part of a running tandem by committee.”

Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley —

Most projections have fellow Ohio State corner Marshon Lattimore as the first cornerback off the board, but Cosell prefers Conley. “Conley is a really intriguing player to me. I like him better than Lattimore as a prospect,” he said.

Cosell believes Lattimore is more of “an athlete than a football player at this point, and now it comes down to coaching.” Conley, meanwhile, brings a level of experience and versatility that Cosell sees great value in. He would fit [the Eagles] because he can play outside and in the slot,” he said. “Ohio State played a lot of press man, he’s played that. Good-sized kid. Conley is a good prospect.”

“I’m not saying Conley is the immediate answer, but they have to start working in that direction,” Cosell said. “They’ve got to get corners in this draft.”

Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett/ Missouri DE Charles Harris —

“Barnett is polarizing because he is not a great athlete but he got a lot of sacks. He’ll be polarizing in draft rooms because it’s production versus the lack of what you might call ideal traits. Like if you put on the tape of Barnett and then immediately put on the tape of [Missouri pass rusher Charles] Harris, Harris just looks far more explosive as a mover, he’s a twitchier guy, but his production does not equal Barnett’s. So now you have to decide what that means, and everybody will come down on that differently.”

“I would probably lean towards Harris only because I like the way he moves better. And I think when all is said and done, that will be a factor in the NFL,” Cosell said. “Harris just looks different on film because he’s a more explosive guy.”

Western Michigan WR Corey Davis — 

Cosell favorably compared Mike Williams to Alshon Jeffery and called him “a moment of truth guy”…but he prefers Corey Davis for the Eagles. “Davis to me is a more explosive athlete. I’m not going to sit here and tell you he’s Jerry Rice — although somebody I respect greatly in the league told me he thought he was Jerry Rice — but I just think he is a more explosive mover and he still has great size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds). He’s a very refined route runner for a college player; most are not. I just think there’s more to Davis’ game to me. He has more tools in the toolbox.”

Washington wide receiver John Ross —

“Ross is not just fast. He has route-running ability. Clearly he’s a vertical guy right now and he’s a great run after the catch guy, so he fits, too. They signedTorrey Smith, but obviously Ross provides a vertical dimension for whoever drafts him. …I think he is a pretty solid receiving prospect.”

Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster —

“Reuben Foster to me, just on film as a prospect, is one of the top three prospects in this draft. I think he is absolutely tremendous on film. Then you get into this: it is a position that is normally not associated with being a premium position. Every team is going to look at that differently. There are so many variables with teams.”

 

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