Well, to say a lot has changed since I issued my first mock draft, would be a monumental understatement. Herremans, McCoy, Foles, Maclin, Cole, Fletcher, Allen, and Williams are all gone. Enter Alonso, Murray, Mathews, Bradford, Thurmond, and Maxwell to remold this team into a smash mouth team built on a power running game and playmaking defense. Apparently Chip Kelly isn’t the one to blame for the Marcus Smith pick, that is of course, if you believe him and Dave Spadaro. Spadaro said that Roseman made the selection at WIP’s Annual Great Birds Debate, then Kelly echoed a similar statement when he called an impromptu press conference after the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford.
Now that the roster has been shaken up and the Eagles seem to be relatively finished in Free Agency, it’s time again to look toward the NFL Draft. The Eagles have three major holes to fill, Safety, Wide Receiver, and an offensive lineman.
1st Round Pick, #20 Overall
Jake Fisher, Offensive Tackle (Oregon)
I switched out from the Eagles taking Landon Collins here at 20. It seems like many teams don’t have that high of a grade on Collins and if this wasn’t such a weak safety class, Collins may not even go in the first round. Fisher is big, athletic, and versatile, arguably the three things that Chip Kelly values most. Factor in that he’s from Oregon, and he’s basically the perfect player for Chip Kelly. The Eagles can plug Fisher into a guard spot and have him start from day 1, not to mention he provides great depth in case there’s also an injury somewhere along the offensive line.
2nd Round Pick, #52 Overall
Phillip Dorsett, Wide Receiver (Miami)
I originally had Devin Smith here from Ohio State, but I’m thinking that Smith will be off the board late in round one. While Dorsett doesn’t have the size that Smith has, he’s a more polished route runner and can still hit the home run, just like Smith. If Jordan Matthews ends up playing on the outside this year, Huff and Cooper will most likely battle for playing time opposite of Matthews, this opens the door for Dorsett to get right into the slot.
3rd Round Pick, #84 Overall
Damarious Randall, Safety (ASU)
Randall is a really nice player with exceptional ball skills. The biggest issue with this selection is whether or not he’ll be on the board, he could easily be gone in the second round considering how there’s not a ton of depth at safety in this class. Randall doesn’t have great size, but again, has great ball skills. Some teams have discussed even transitioning him to corner because of that. Again, Chip values versatility and I believe this would be a great fit for Chip and Randall.
4th Round (Pick #110 from Buf/from SF)
Tony Lippett, Wide Receiver (Michigan State)
This pick remains the same from my original draft. If the Eagles draft Lippett, I believe they’d strongly consider him at corner back, but could also play receiver. Again, versatility is key. We haven’t seen anyone play both ways in a very long time, but clearly, Chip marches to the beat of his own drum. A lot of people don’t know that Richard Sherman started out as a receiver and made the transition to corner while playing at Stanford. I’m not saying Lippett is going to be the next Richard Sherman, but his length and body control make him an interesting prospect. Teams were eager to see him workout as a corner at the senior bowl, but he stayed at receiver all week. MSU coaches are on record saying that they think he could be an excellent corner and if they didn’t need him at receiver, he would have seen playing time in the defensive backfield.
4th Round (Pick #116)
Jake Ryan, Outside Linebacker (Michigan)
This is another pick that will remain the same from my original mock draft. Ryan was a huge success in Michigan in 2012 as a Sophomore leading his team in tackles. However, his 2013 campaign was marred by a torn ACL in Spring practice and he didn’t seem like he was back to 100% until he was well into the 2014 season. Ryan is 6-3 and weighs around 240. He won’t blow you away with his measurables at the combine, but he’s a tough, intelligent football player that could provide solid depth for the Eagles at this position. Eagles fans won’t want to hear this, but I firmly believe this mid 4th round pick would beat out last year’s first round pick in camp.
5th Round (Pick #148)
Darren Waller, Wide Receiver (GT)
Waller is a massive receiver that measures in at just over 6’6 out of Georgia Tech. While nobody is going to confuse Waller with former GT alumni, Calvin Johnson, he’s got value for a team like the Eagles. He comes from one of the very few college teams that puts emphasis on receivers being able to block for their running backs. In case you haven’t heard, Chip loves receivers that will block for his backs. Factor the size, the blocking, and the possible red zone threat that Waller provides, you have someone Chip could be quite fond of in the 5th round.
6th Round (Pick #180)
Blaine Clausell, Offensive Tackle (Mississippi St.)
This pick will remain the same as the Eagles will continue to look to add depth in the trenches. Blaine Clausell is a big bodied offensive tackle that played in the SEC. He blocked for a very heavy run based offense with Dak Prescott this year. Chip Kelly likes to run the ball and with his measurables, Blaine Clausell makes for an intriguing prospect.
7th Round (Pick #212)
Shaquille Riddick, Defensive End (West Virginia)
This pick will also remain the same as the defensive line is most likely the strongest unit the Eagles have, but again, depth is key at this point in the NFL Draft. Riddick is a tall and rangy OLB/DE coming out of WVU. His football IQ certainly isn’t great, but he’s shown flashes at times. WVU has never really gotten a ton out of their defense, but Shaq has a higher ceiling than most prospects that might be around in the 7th round. Remember, Chip says that big people beat up little people.
I said that this would be the biggest offseason in 10 years for the Eagles. Not only was it the biggest, but it was by far the busiest. It’s not over and I fully expect the Eagles to be active on draft night. Maybe you’ve heard, Chip is kind of fond of someone coming out in this year’s draft.
Also, to add in a side note, the Eagles family lost one of their oldest, and greatest memories, Chuck Bednarik. I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck multiple times and he seemed happier and more pleasant every time I met him, he’ll truly be missed in the community. My thoughts and prayers are with the Bednarik family, may he rest in peace.
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