Day two of the NFL Draft is just over an hour away, with the Eagles picking 43rd overall and 99th overall respectively. After drafting pass rush specialist, Derek Barnett, in round one..all eyes turn to how the Birds will spend their next two picks. With such a big drop between picks 43 and 99, it’s imperative that the Eagles have a plan in place to maximize the remaining potential that day two has to offer. So what are the three most notable questions facing the Eagles tonight?
How soon do the team address pressing need for cornerback?
Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, Adoree Jackson, Marlon Humphrey, and Tre’Davious White are all off the board..leaving the Eagles with a plethora of second and third round talent to dive into at the cornerback position. The Eagles had plenty of cornerback assets available to to them in the first round and instead decided to bolster the front four..so the question is, do they go all in on DB tonight?
We previewed six of the prospects who could be plausible targets for the Eagles when proceedings kick off at 7PM EST here, and from Awuzie to Kazee, the Eagles still have an abundance of potential starting talent to choose from. But if they go elsewhere with the second round pick, having to wait until the bottom of the third round to pick once again, barring a trade up, could see that selection become limited.
Best player available seems to be the mentality..and six corners who met with the Eagles prior to the draft are still on the board. Will any be drafted by the Birds in the second round? If not, are the Eagles throwing a hail mary and hoping that some of the corners available in the mid/late rounds of the Draft can hold their own, coming out of the gate.
If the Eagles completely evade upgrading the secondary tonight, it’s worth noting that they do have two fourth round picks as well as one pick in each remaining round..but as aforementioned, they would be hoping that some big dominos fall at the right time to ensure that they can upgrade the secondary after adding some potential star talent elsewhere.
Tonight is the first time that team need and BPA meet head on due to where the Eagles picks lie, so which will outmuscle the other?
Where do the Eagles stand on red flags?
Last night, the Eagles had an opportunity to draft Reuben Foster, Jonathan Allen, or even take a chance on Gareon Conley. They instead played it safe and bought in one of the most durable pass rushers from the SEC, with Barnett playing in all 39 games during his three-year career. Allen and Foster were reported to have some injury concerns coming into the draft..and the diluted sample from Foster certainly didn’t help things. Roseman praised the character traits of Barnett last night..but were the two Bama studs an exception to the rule?
Tonight, the Eagles stance on red flags stands a true test. The heartbreaking injury suffered by Sidney Jones, the well documented off-the-field issues that have haunted Joe Mixon, and the strange slip in stock from Dalvin Cook are all up in the air for debate tonight..but will the Eagles be willing to take a chance on any of the aforementioned at 43?
Last night, the Eagles played it safe and smart, opting against the rumored trade up for Christian McCaffrey, and completely avoiding any uncertainty with the future of their first round pick. But Sidney Jones and Joe Mixon could well be some of the brightest talents that the league has seen in the last few years..and if the Eagles believe that, they could be finding extreme value by drafting either.
It’s Joe Douglas who sets the draft board and just how high the Eagles are on any of the players listed above is a mystery. But the rumors have refused to stop circulating and so the questions over whether the Eagles will adapt their “low-risk, high-reward” mentality to the cases of Jones, Cook, or Mixon, have only grown in numbers.
If the Eagles do take a chance on any of these players, it says to me that they truly believed Barnett was the best player on the board at 14. If they decide to go in a different direction, then it brings a comforting bond of trust between fans and the Eagles front office..something that has been missing in recent years. From Marcus Smith, to Nelson Agholor, there have been no shortage in picks that haven’t turned out as expected..and witnessing a front office approach tonight with such a meticulous mindset would be encouraging.
Can the Birds’ climb the ladder of the third round?
As mentioned earlier, there’s a BIG drop between the 11th pick in the second round and the 99th overall pick, 56 to be exact. It’s almost difficult to believe that the Eagles would be willing to wait that long without plucking one of the many mid round talents from this years exceptional draft class. Could we see another Howie Roseman draft deal?
It would be interesting to see how far up the third round the Eagles are willing to move, and what they would have to part ways with in order to do so. From players, to picks, the Eagles have a variety of assets..some of which they have been shopping for quite some time due to salary cap limitations. Could tonight be the night that the Eagles finally cash in?
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