The Eagles had an interesting situation at Safety before free agency began. Rodney McLeod was a free agent, the team chose not to retain Malcolm Jenkins, and there weren’t many options for them on the market. The team chose to resign McLeod to a one year deal and they even brought back Jalen Mills but as a Safety, not a corner. They didn’t stop there, they went out and signed versatile Safety, Philly native, Will Parks to a one year deal as well.
All of these one-year deals raised plenty of eyebrows but the idea was that the team would focus on their future at safety through the NFL Draft. The pond was full of prospects with all-pro potential but Howie Roseman and company view the draft in a different light to everybody else. They could’ve stolen their franchise Safety in the second round but instead invested in the backup QB role. A pick that didn’t sit well with most fans but will pay off later on.
Howie Roseman continued to move on after the second round. At the next pick, the Eagles went with hybrid Linebacker, Davion Taylor. A player that provides great speed at the position and could possibly versatile enough to play safety at times but that’s not what Roseman wanted. Not at all, Roseman had his eyes set on a bigger prize. That prize came at the 127th overall pick in the 4th round, quite possibly the biggest steal in this year’s draft. The Eagles chose to draft Clemson Safety, K’Von Wallace.
The pick alone sent shockwaves all throughout the City of Brotherly Love. I mean, Howie just draft the one safety who was ranked first by PFF with a 92.1 coverage grade since 2017. That grading alone ranked him as the number one safety in that regards since that year. So how did the young safety fall all the way to the fourth round?
K’Von is a young man who has a strong foundation built on his faith. In our most recent conversation, Wallace explained how his faith in Jesus Christ has led him through dark times. At 18 years old, Wallace chose to follow the path that God had set out for him on his own. A walk of faith that took patience and understanding in very difficult times.
K’von has used that as a stepping stone for him on the football field. His passion and understanding about life have become his greatest weapon on the gridiron, one that resembles a former Eagles and Clemson Tigers great, Hall of Fame inductee, Brian Dawkins.
For the Eagles and Wallace, it feels like much more than just destiny. After the Eagles let go of Malcolm Jenkins, they were criticized for not having a young protege waiting in the wings but it seems that the birds were actually looking for a prospect led by a different influence. It’s all come full circle for both the Eagles and K’Von.
When asked about what brought K’Von to the game of football, he attested the anger that he held within him. He wasn’t a problem child, was not a disrespectful kid at all but he found a way to use the game as an outlet for his anger. That anger has helped the growth of the NFL’s next upcoming great at the safety position.
The former Clemson product is one of the most versatile backs in his class and he believes that his background in track, baseball, and even wrestling has helped him succeed on the field. When speaking of his unique background in multiple sports K’Von said, “I literally did every sport to help benefit me in football.” On his wrestling background, he praised the influence it has had in his game, especially in his senior year.
“If you watch my senior film, I threw a lot of guys to the ground. Running backs, I think I got a Tackle in there too… Receivers, no question. Receivers and Tight Ends got it bad.” Said Wallace, “Every time I blitzed, I threw running backs to the ground. You’d just see me throwing all types of people on the ground.”
Wallace wasn’t lying either. He had his best year in 2019 with Clemson Tigers. K’Von finished the season with 72 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. His ability to play in the box and disrupt the run game is going to pay dividends for a defense that has tot fact Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott twice a year.
There’s a very high ceiling for the former Clemson Tiger and with the will to be great, the confidence to know how great he can be; K’Von Wallace is sure to set the Linc on fire with explosive plays. There’s a reason that PFF declared him as the biggest steal of the draft. Don’t be the last person to find out why. Want to hear more about K’Von then check out our latest episode of Flippin the Birds below!
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Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
