CB AJ Green, Oklahoma State
With many of the big-name corners opting to sit the Senior Bowl out, my eyes immediately turned to AJ Green.
The Eagles seem to have a phobia of ‘dinner’ cornerbacks and AJ Green is another DB who plays physical and wraps up ball-carriers securely. He doesn’t have a lot of ball production, but he’s physical and extremely aggressive.
This can work against him, with the scrappy play often drawing flags, so that is something to watch.
Overall, the 6’1, 190 lbs, corner was a four-year starter who ended his senior year with 39 solo tackles and a pick. Any flashes of production here will boost his stock heavily.
TE Brycen Hopkens, Purdue
I feel like the Eagles really do miss having a third tight end they can lean on. Joshua Perkins was a pleasant surprise, but it’s not quite Trey Burton. Hopkens had 830 yards and 6 scores for the Boilermakers this year and while he isn’t a blocking TE by any means and struggles as an in-line blocker, is someone that possesses a great deal of vertical speed and strength in leveraging his way down the route. His route-running is a little clumsy at times, but it’s not bad by any stretch.
Hopkens should be a day-two selection and I know what you’re immediately thinking. But if the Eagles want to run a lot of 12-13 personnel, this is cheap and cheerful in the long run and of course, adds an insurance policy if Ertz/Goedert went down (which almost became a scary reality in 2019). The Birds will gain three compensatory picks this year and if he falls into the third, I could see the Eagles snapping him up.
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State
The Eagles miss Jordan Hicks and have a potential ‘out’ on Nigel Bradham’s contract. The pride of the Sun Belt Conference, ADG is an outside linebacker that shines when you turn on the tape.
He only allowed 10/21 targets of 10+ yards to be completed in the last two years, earned a PFF grade of 87.1 against the run, and was used down near the line of scrimmage frequently.
In coverage, his spacing and positioning is beyond impressive. In 2019, he registered 104 tackles (14.5 TFL), five sacks, eight PBU’s, six QB hits, and an interception in 2019.
Small. School. Sleeper.
QB Steven Montez
The Eagles may well be looking to draft a QB3 this year and Colorado’s Steven Montez fits the bill. He has the bigger frame that Pederson covets (6’5, 230 lbs) and completed 63% of his passes last year.
Montez is definitely a project. He has the requisite arm strength, but accuracy is sporadic and mechanically there’s a lot to do in terms of progressing through reads and standing tall. His footwork is beyond shaky and he struggles to align himself with the target.
But interestingly, Nate Sudfeld had similar concerns coming out of college and that didn’t end too badly…
DE Bradley Anae, Utah
The Eagles like pass-rushers and this 6’3, 257 lbs, EDGE had 13 sacks as a senior. Likely a day two pick, Anae has a lot of bend to his game and has a violent swipe in his back pocket along with a few moves. He doesn’t have the athleticism or overall slipperiness that most edge rushers do and he stays pushing upward when into the chest of a tackle, making it hard to disengage. There’s clearly an upside there, but this week will go a long way in seeing how high it really is.
