Combine gets real today…The Eagles can't mess this up. Coming off a 4-12 season and with plenty of holes on the roster, the Eagles need to hit big with their overall scouting and their first-round pick. They can't afford a Jaiquawn Jarrett-style whiff at No. 35 overall, either.
The Eagles insist they are going to create a draft board and take the best player on it, no matter what. That is where they believe things went awry in the past. That means this week in Indianapolis every position is of equal importance.
We won't see the quarterbacks' physical auditions until Sunday. But you have got to believe Geno Smith is on the Eagles' radar. It's a natural fit for Chip Kelly's offensive vision. If Geno slips into the 2nd round, look out…
I'm not saying the West Virginia phenom is even close to Joe Montana potential. There's a QB coming out of Arizona that may fit the Chip Kelly profile, too. And I certainly feel the Birds should take big Luke Joeckel at OT if he is still available in Round 1—but I have my doubts Luke will be around for the taking.
That's where Geno Smith enters the equation.
Drafting for now or for the future? It's a huge philosophical challenge for a new head coach.
Anyhoo, assuming Joeckel or potential game-changing DT Star Lotulelei is off the board when the Eagles pick, here are the guys I personally feel will come under the laser pointers of Chip and Howie when it's their turn to pick:
1. Geno Smith – The West Virginia star is likely to be the first quarterback selected in the draft. The Eagles may have a crack at him. They'll be watching his every move at the Combine to determine if he's worth being selected with the fourth pick. Michael Vick's return makes it clear that Kelly isn't completely sold on Nick Foles as the future of the franchise. The Eagles know they can't pass on a franchise-changing quarterback if they believe Smith is one.
2. Dee Milliner – It's unlikely that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will return and nobody knows yet what is going to happen with the overpaid Nnamdi Asomugha. The Eagles are going to need cornerbacks in the draft or free agency. Milliner (6-1, 198) could be the guy… Milliner's performance at Alabama was impressive. The only real question is whether his athleticism will allow him to do the same at the next level. His performance at the Combine could determine whether he's high enough on the board for the Eagles to take him with their top pick.
3. Dion Jordan – Kelly knows Jordan well. He was his coach at Oregon. Jordan, a potential defensive end or outside linebacker, is a freakish athlete who Mike Mayock said is 2-3 years away from being Aldon Smith. He could propel himself into the conversation near the top of the first round with a lights-out performance in Indianapolis.
4. Kyle Long – Trade-back theory, anyone? Here's another Oregon star who could be of interest to the Eagles. Long (6-7, 311) played offensive tackle for the Ducks and has the athleticism and mobility that Kelly demands from his linemen. Long has an impressive pedigree too. His father, Howie, is a Hall of Fame player and brother, Chris, is a defensive end for the Rams.
5. Travis Kelce – Another trade-back conspiracy theory—It wouldn't be the least bit surprising for the Eagles to upgrade at tight end this offseason. Kelce (6-6, 260) is an interesting prospect. He had 45 catches for 722 yards and 8 TDs his senior season. He's also the bother of Eagles center Jason Kelce.
Speaking of great drafts which combine fulfillment of both present and future needs, in my mind the best of all time was the 1981 draft of our rival, the Washington Redskins.
Amid screams of "Blasphemy", consider the evidence:
1. Mark May, T, Pittsburgh
3. Russ Grimm, G, Pittsburgh
4. Tom Flick, QB, Washington
5. Dexter Manley, DE, Oklahoma State
5. Gary Sayre, G, Cameron
6. Larry Kubin, LB, Penn State
8. Charlie Brown, WR, South Carolina State
9. Darryl Grant, G, Rice
10. Phil Kessel, QB, Northern Michigan
10. Allan Kennedy, T, Washington State
11. Jerry Hill, WR, Northern Alabama
12. Clint Didier, TE, Portland State
A recent NFL Network special (covered in Redskins.com) ranked it the seventh greatest draft class of all time. The class produced three Redskins greats, plus several starters and role players. The group helped solidify a roster that would go on to win a Super Bowl championship in 1982.
In first-round pick Mark May, the Redskins obtained one-fifth of the great "Hogs" offensive line that dominated the 1980s. May played in 123 games in Washington from 1981-89. He started out at right guard, where he started in Super Bowl XVIII, but eventually shifted to right tackle later in his Redskins career.
In the third round, the team went back to Pittsburgh for offensive lineman Russ Grimm, who played center and guard for the Redskins from 1981-91. Grimm played his entire career in Washington, 140 games in all, and was a key contributor on three Super Bowl championship teams.
Grimm helped open up plenty of gaping holes for the Redskins’ ground game during the 1980s. He was a key blocker for Hall of Fame running back John Riggins on his famous 43-yard touchdown run Super Bowl XVII.
In the fifth round, the Redskins hit pay-dirt again with defensive lineman Dexter Manley out of Oklahoma State. Always a high-energy player, Manley played for the Redskins from 1981-89 and most of the decade he teamed with another Redskins great in Charles Mann to lead Washington’s defensive line. Manley helped guide the Redskins to two Super Bowl championships and he finished as the franchise’s career sacks leader with 97.5. From 1983-86, he averaged 14.5 sacks per season; in the 1986 season alone, he logged a franchise-high 18.5 sacks.
In the eighth round, the Redskins chose a small, wiry wide receiver out of South Carolina State in Charlie Brown. His blazing speed allowed him to have an immediate impact on the Redskins’ offense. In 1982, Brown caught 32 passes, eight for touchdowns–good enough to earn him a Pro Bowl nod in a strike-shortened season.
In Super Bowl XVII, Brown closed out the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to seal a 27-17 win. A year later, Brown emerged as one of the top receivers in the league, catching 78 passes for 1,225 yards and eight touchdowns. He earned another Pro Bowl nod that season.
After the 1984 season, Brown was traded to the Atlanta Falcons, where he closed out his six-year NFL career. He finished with 220 career receptions and 25 touchdowns.
In the ninth round, the Redskins saw in guard Darryl Grant out of Rice a potentially dominant defensive lineman. Grant spent his rookie campaign adjusting to playing defensive tackle, then joined the rotation in 1982. In the 1982 NFC Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys, one of the memorable moments from the 31-17 win was Grant’s 10-yard interception return for a touchdown. Grant high-stepped his way into the end zone for the score. Grant would go on to play in 141 games for the Redskins from 1981-90, finishing with 27 sacks and two interceptions. His best season was 1984 when he recorded a career-high eight sacks, a lofty figure for a defensive tackle.
The Redskins closed out the 1981 draft with tight end Clint Didier out of Portland State. Didier would back up Redskins tight end Don Warren most of the 1980s, but saw plenty of playing time in Joe Gibbs’ offense. From 1982-87, Didier played in 74 games for the Redskins, catching 129 passes for 1,815 passes and 19 touchdowns. His best season: 1985, when he caught a career-high 41 passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns. In his last game as a Redskin, in Super Bowl XXII, Didier caught an 8-yard touchdown pass as Washington romped to a 42-10 win over Denver. Didier closed out his eight-year career with the Green Bay Packers.
The story of the Redskins’ 1981 draft would not be complete without noting two more key additions. Using their second-round pick, the Redskins made a trade to obtain Baltimore Colts running back Joe Washington.
Washington played for the Redskins from 1981-84 and was oftentimes a spark plug for the offense while backing up Riggins. His best season was 1981, when he logged 916 rushing yards and caught 70 passes.
After the draft, the Redskins found another future "Hog" with undrafted rookie Joe Jacoby out of Louisville. Jacoby clawed his way into a starting job and joined Grimm to form a dominant left side of the offensive line. Jacoby starred for the Redskins from 1981-93.
Rivals, yes…and the 'Skins put the hurt on us back in those days… but that's the kind of scouting and drafting template that paid off instantly for Washington, and the model of success and good fortune that Chip and Howie must have studied. It involved a combination of due diligence, improvisation and creative trading. It's exactly the formula the Eagles need right now.
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