Wide Receiver:
R2: A.J. Brown, Ole Miss: Official visit
R2: Parris Campbell, Ohio State: Official Visit
R2: N’Keal Harry, Arizona State: Official Visit
R2/3: Emanuel Hall, Missouri: Combine
R3/4: Diontae Johnson, Toledo: Official Visit
R4: Mecole Hardman, Georgia: Official Visit
R4/5: David Sills, West Virginia: Senior Bowl, Combine
R5: Jalen Hurd, Baylor: Official Visit
R5: Hunter Renfrow, Clemson: Senior Bowl
R6/7: Olamide Zaccheus, Virginia: Local Visit
R7: Alex Wesley, Northern Colorado: Senior Bowl
UDFA – Ventell Bryant, Temple: Local visit
UDFA – Vincent Papale, Deleware: Local visit
UDFA – Jesper Horsted, Princeton: Local visit
The Eagles spent six official visits on wide receivers, but there’s an even more pressing pattern emerging. The majority of names listed above fit one of two prototypes:
A) ‘Big Slot’ receiver. (Think Jordan Matthews)
B) Speedy WR2 option who can take the top off a defense
Nelson Agholor’s $9M cap-hit isn’t lost on me here. There is a slim chance he’s moved during the draft process and replaced with a name like Parris Campbell or Jalen Hurd in the mid-rounds. Or, the Eagles opt to milk that last year dry and allow one of the aforementioned names to develop underneath him, preparing to take the WR3 throne next year.
The Eagles still don’t really know what they have in Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson and DeSean Jackson won’t be around forever. A name like David Sills or Emanuel Hall, who are devout speed-options on the outside would make plenty of sense on day three, given there’s no real pressing need any more due to the Eagles thunderous starting trio.
One under-the-radar note would be the bromance between West Virginia and Philadelphia. Wendell Smallwood, Rasul Douglas (and former UDFA C Tyler Orlosky) have all signed with the Eagles in recent years. Could a wide receiver be the next in a growing line of WVU graduates to suit up in midnight green?
Tight End:
R2: Irv Smith, Alabama: Combine
R4/5: Dax Raymond, Utah State: Combine
R5: Trevon Wesco, West Virginia: Pro Day
UDFA: Jerome Washington, Ruthers: Local Visit
UDFA: Charles Scarff, Deleware: Private Workout, Local Visit
I’ve been a big advocate of drafting a tight end this year. What the Eagles lacked in 2018 were those gorgeous 13-personnel sets that saw Ertz and Burton ripping down the seam, while Brent Celek helped carve open running lanes.
Dallas Goedert’s development as a blocker really stood out in his rookie year, but the injury to Richard Rodgers limited Pederson’s creativity, with only two tight ends eligible to play and both of them becoming key offensive cogs.
It makes sense to target a viable receiving option late in the draft (dare I say it, West Virginia’s Trevon Wesco). I can’t see the team drafting in the second round or above, as amazing as Noah Fant would be as an Eagle, but a day three pick to add a fourth tight end, the magic number for the Eagles dating back to 2012 in terms of development, is very likely.
