Creating all-time teams is often a difficult task because there are so many options to choose from. But what if we were to create the best team of all time using only players drafted by the Eagles?
Quarterback
Carson Wentz, Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb
This is probably the hardest decision to make because you have three franchise quarterbacks from three different eras of Eagles football. You can make pros and cons for each, which really doesn’t help make this easier. From Cunningham’s disappointing playoff record, to McNabb’s painful battle for ego, to Wentz’s…ugh, I’m not going into the injury argument.
For me, McNabb isn’t the leader that I’d want running point in the locker room and while Cunningham was the human joystick, Wentz’s completion percentages and flat-out absurd stats and accuracy just push him a tad higher if we were drafting a team today. Cunningham ended a 12-year playoff drought, but Wentz guided his team to a decimating 2017 season record that allowed Foles to go on and win it all. It’s really close between them, but I think I’d go with Carson Wentz as my QB1 because of how much he’s achieved in the face of adversity with such a lack of help…as Cunningham did. The difference is that Wentz just has the more complete package, in my opinion.
Or, I could just let one massive Training Camp competition decide who starts.
Running back
Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Wilbert Montgomery Duce Staley
This backfield would be terrifying. I wanted so badly to include Miles Sanders because IMAGINE. But we have to play it safe here. Duce Staley is the perfect fit behind Westbook and McCoy, and who could overlook Montgomery’s back-to-back pro bowls and the fact he was the Brian Westbrook of his time. The man had 2,012 all-purpose yards in 1979 – a feat that would still raise eyebrows today.
Offensive line
Lane Johnson, Bob Brown, Jason Kelce, Tra Thomas, Bob Kuechenburg, Ed Budde, Jermane Mayberry, Guy Morriss, Bobby Williams
No Jason Peters, no Todd Herremans. But there is a plethora of dominant tackle talent here, including Lane Johnson and Tra Thomas – Salivating. Bob Brown is a hall of famer who spent five years with the team who drafted him, while Center Guy Morriss spent ten years in Philadelphia, starting all 16 games on five occasions.
Bob Kuechenburg never actually played a snap for the Eagles. He quit after training camp and joined the Continental Football League before returning to the NFL and earning six pro bowls. Great.
This group is about as good as you could ask for in terms of depth.
Tight End
Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, Keith Jackson
This got a little difficult because there were some really good tight ends throughout Eagles history. None have been as dominant as Zach Ertz, few will be remembered the way Brent Celek will be, and there’s only one Keith Jackson, who won the NFC Rookie of The Year award with the Eagles after enjoying a rookie receiving season record that would take over 20 years to break. DeSean Jackson was the man who surpassed Jackson’s 869 rookie receiving yards.
Wide receiver
DeSean Jackson, Harold Carmichael, Tommy McDonald, Mike Quick, Fred Barnett, Calvin Williams
What. A. Group. I was so, so close to including Jeremy Maclin or Jordan Matthews here over a name like Calvin Williams. But Williams, drafted in 1990, broke the team’s single-season touchdown record as a rookie and led the team in touchdown receptions on four separate occasions. There is some real receiving pedigree here, I wonder who will appear on this ist a decade from now…
Defensive tackle
Fletcher Cox, Charlie Johnson, Jerome Brown, Corey Simon
Another elite positional group here. Imagine a world where Fletcher Cox and Jerome Brown graced the field at the same time. The two combined for over 70 sacks in their careers! Charlie Johnson had three consecutive pro bowl years, and Corey Simon eventually won a Super Bowl away from Philly after helping lead the Eagles to four NFC championship games.
Defensive end
Clyde Simmons, Brandon Graham, Trent Cole, Carl Hairston, Dennis Harrison, Derek Burgess
It really hurts that we can’t include Reggie White in this list, but he was a supplemental draft pick, and rules are rules. However, Clyde Simmons had a 19 sack season. It wasn’t even like that was a fluke, he had two more 13+ sack seasons during his time with the Eagles alone. Trent Cole is an absolute beast and having him and BG on this unit only feels right.
Linebacker
Seth Joyner, Jeremiah Trotter, William Thomas, Maxie Baughan, Jerry Robinson
Joyner and Trotter teaming up with a team hall of famer in Maxie Baughan, this unit is nasty. William Thomas is often a forgotten hero who made back-to-back pro bowls for the Eagles in the mid-90’s, but this unit is just terrifyingly good.
Cornerback
Bobby Taylor, Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown, Mark McMillan, Joe Lavender
This is the only unit that doesn’t really fill me with elite level confidence. Lito and Sheldon are a dream duo without a doubt and Bobby Taylor’s nine-year stint with the team has to be commended. This is a solid group of players who all represent secondaries that weren’t being burned alive every week…and that’s good enough for me.
Safety
Brian Dawkins, Eric Allen (squeezing some CB juice), Kurt Coleman, Jerry Norton, Randy Logan
This. Is. The. One.
Weapon-X and Eric Allen being backed up by one of the most underrated Safeties of this generation (in my opinion) and Randy Logan, who spent eleven season with the Eagles, is just a mean, green, hard-hitting machine. Jerry Norton also enjoyed two pro bowls with the Eagles…AND TOOK SNAPS AT RUNNING BACK.
Special teams
David Akers, Max Runager, Jon Dorenbos
Drafting kickers and punters is rare here, and David Akers beats out Tony Franklin as he played for the Eagles for such a long time, garnering five pro-bowl selections in that span, shattering records in the process. Max Runager punted for the 1980 Super Bowl team and while Jon Dorenbos wasn’t drafted by the Eagles, what long snapper is? He’s a magician and casts a spell to get on this list.
What do you think about the All-Draft team? Who would make yours? Let us know in the comments!
