Round 5, pick 148: Shaq Quarterman, LB, Miami
Keeping up the trend of double-dipping, the Eagles add a very raw linebacker in round 5 who has a lot of upside. Finding a replacement MIKE has to be a priority after seeing the Eagles struggle without Jordan Hicks. Quarterman isn’t the coverage ace that Hicks was, but he is an interesting prospect. Here’s my writeup from….you get the drill.
Quarterman looks every bit of his 6’1, 241 lbs frame and is a scary young man. He earned All-ACC honors for the second year in a row, garnering a 77.8 PFF grade and leading the defense in snaps. He’s also set the school record for consecutive starts, so he ticks the durability box.
Quarterman against the run is just salivating to watch. He’s like a sniffer-dog and will come barrelling down into phase the second he reads where the ball is going, wrapping up in a smothering fashion. He’s hard to wash out of plays and defines the term ‘having a nose for the football’.
The downside is, zone coverage is worrying. There were a few too many times where he’d ‘Nate Gerry’ his way down to the line only to see the ball tossed over his head for a big gain.
Round 5, pick 150: Davon Hamilton, DT, Ohio State
I don’t like the idea of leaving defensive tackle unticked this late, but needs must and there’s a lot to like about this 6’4, 310 lbs, who commanded double teams frequently as a Buckeye.
With Malik Jackson healthy, Hamilton would likely command the same attention as a DT4 alongside Hassan Ridgeway (if brought back) and with 9.5 TFL and 6 sacks last season, a lot of damage.
Hamilton is impressively agile for his size and knows how to leverage his position off the snap to help his teammates. An intelligent DT who can clog lanes with ease, and pressure the passer with some sneaky athleticism, he’s got violent hands and a lot of upper-body power than can sometimes be unbalanced.
The Eagles get themselves a developmental talent to grow alongside the behemoth Anthony Rush for a steal here.
Round 6, pick 170: Harrison Bryant, TE, FAU
The Eagles love running 12-personnel, but they’ve been chained ever since losing Trey Burton. Richard Rodgers has struggled to stay healthy and Joshua Perkins is more like a massive-slot receiver.
Bryant is a one-dimensional receiving tight end, but that’s what they need here with two established blockers in Ertz & Goedert. At 6’5, 242 lbs, Bryant could be another red-zone weapon for the Eagles.
He’s not the cleanest route-runner, but he uses his body well and does a great job driving through contact at the catch-point and beyond. There’s some impressive speed to his game, making him lethal down the seam, but some sloppy footwork may haunt him in more complex routes.
It’s a late pick that screams project. But the fact that Bryant led FAU in receiving yards with 1,004, as well as in touchdowns with 15, left me purring.
