Eagles Draft Day: Final Thoughts

The NFL Draft is closer. This will be the culmination of a long couple months of speculating and predicting who the Eagles will take in the first round. Will it be a wide receiver, a quarterback or will the Eagles choose to take someone defensively? The second question everyone has on their mind is whether the Eagles take part in any trades during the draft. Zach Ertz has yet to be traded and it seems like the perfect time for the Eagles to make a move with him. Finally, this article will analyze the Eagles position coming into draft night. Do they have the optimal set of picks to make their process optimal for them? 

First Round: Offensive Options

The Eagles have a 12th overall pick in this year’s draft. It has been well known that the Eagles are searching for a talented wide receiver that will bring in immediate production at the position. The front runner for the Eagles to take in first at this position is Devonta Smith. Smith won the 2020 Heisman Trophy after a monster year at the University of Alabama. Smith has speed, excellent round running and can make spectacular plays on the ball. Another receiver the Eagles could go with is Jaylen Waddle. Waddle is another receiver from Alabama that set the world on fire. He is known for his speed and ability to make explosive plays. He is another option for the Eagles in the first round.

Another position that the Eagles are rumored to take in the first is a quarterback. This has been controversial because Jaylen Hurts did play well during the 2021 and deserves a shot. He also has experience playing in regular season games and knows what to expect in the NFL. The most glaring option that the Eagles can take is Justin Fields. He’s racked up 2,100 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns during his last season at Ohio State.

Fields has also turned a lot of heads during his two pro days as he looked impressive. He has great vision and can progress through his reads. He is also mobile if he gets in trouble within the pocket. The Eagles would need to trade up in the draft to pick him up, as he is a highly valued QB in the upcoming draft. Other quarterbacks the Eagles could take is Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones and Trey Lance. Lawrence is highly improbable as Jacksonville  will probably go ahead and take him. All the other quarterbacks listed could be fair game.

First Round: Defensive Options

The last option the Eagles have is going with a defensive player. The Eagles are in desperate need of a cornerback as Darius Slay has underperformed and the rest are still young and are trying to find their way in the NFL. The first cornerback that comes to mind is Jaycee Horn. He is great at man-to-man coverage and has the ability to lock down any receiver he goes up against. He could possibly be available if he is still not drafted once the Eagles make their first pick.

Philadelphia could also go with a linebacker, as Alex Singleton needs major help in the backfield. Micah Parsons would be great addition at this spot as he is a great pass rusher. He had five sacks in the 2019 season. He also had 14 tackles that were for losses. There are many options that are plausible for the Eagles heading into the first round.

Eagles looking to trade in the Draft

The Eagles could also be in the running to make a trade or two during the upcoming draft. One of those trades could involve Eagles star tight end Zack Ertz. The Eagles could use this trade to get some higher round picks in the upcoming draft. Philadelphia could also use the Zack Ertz to get a Kyle Pitts or a Justin fields The Eagles were rumored to take Pitts earlier on, but are now out of the running since the Eagles traded down to 12th overall. Anything is possible at this point with the Ertz trade situation.The Eagles could also gain leverage by making trade deals without Ertz. As they have many in the later rounds of the draft that aren’t high valued.

Eagles postion in draft

The Eagles do not have a lot optimal picks in this years draft. They only have four picks in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Most of their picks come in Rounds 4 through 7. The round where the Eagles have the most amount of picks is Round 6, where they will have three picks. This is why the Eagles should make a trade to gain more picks in the earlier rounds or compensate and pull off a huge trade either during the draft or after the draft. There is also a huge drop off in talent going into the later rounds. A lot of player have opted to play another year in school. These are all of the Eagles picks throughout the 2021 Draft.

Round 1:

No. 12 Overall

Round 2:

No. 37 overall

Round 3:

No. 84 overall

Round 4:

No. 123 overall

Round 5:

No. 150 overall

Round 6:

No.189 overall

No. 224 overall

No.225 overall

Round 7:

No. 234 overall

No. 240 Overall

This is Eagles Draft Day: Final Thoughts 

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