April 25, 2019
Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports
If Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown is still available at pick 25, the Eagles would surely be tempted by the prospect of adding his speed to an offense that already employs DeSean Jackson.
Throughout the pre-draft process, we have done a number of mock draft roundups, but they were always focused on who the national draft analysts thought the Philadelphia Eagles might take in Round 1. Here we'll take a look at who the local writers think the Eagles will take.
You can find PhillyVoice's final mock draft here.
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State (Jeff McLane, Philadelphia Inquirer)
Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence could be possibilities, but I think Simmons’ great potential, despite his ACL injury, will be too appealing.
Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson (Zach Berman, Philadelphia Inquirer)
Christian Wilkins dropping to this spot would be the ideal scenario, but his Clemson teammate would be a good pick, too. You can’t teach size, and Lawrence is as big and strong of a prospect as the Eagles can find. Don’t label him only a run-stuffer, though – he had 2.5 sacks in the 2016 ACC championship, and he has athleticism that can be developed to make him a force in Philly for the next decade. I’d also pay attention to Jeffrey Simmons, Jerry Tillery and Marquise Brown. And don’t rule out the Eagles trading down and adding a third-round pick if they feel the board is crowded.
Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson (Les Bowen, Philadelphia Daily News)
Best value at this spot. I don’t think they’ll trade up, but they could trade down and recover the third-round pick they lost in the Golden Tate deal. They might be able to trade into the second and still get Lawrence, or go with a safety as their first pick.
Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson (Paul Domowitch, Philadelphia Daily News)
Imagine this guy rotating inside with Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson. Yowser!
Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma (Tim McManus, ESPN)
(No analysis given, in print anyway.)
Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State (Sheil Kapadia, The Athletic)
*To note, Sheil has the Eagles trade out of the first round.
I mocked the first 24 picks and then looked at the options still available to the Eagles. Among the options were Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown, Boston College offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom and Florida defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. But I think the Eagles would like to move back here, and I think they can find a partner in the Broncos.
Yes, Denver traded for Joe Flacco, but he’s not the long-term solution. In this scenario, the Broncos use the No. 10 pick on LSU linebacker Devin White. But Missouri quarterback Drew Lock unexpectedly falls as the first round unfolds, and Howie Roseman gets John Elway on the phone. Elway wants to give up a fourth-round pick, not a third rounder, but Roseman’s not having it. He points out that in 2016, the Broncos moved up from 31 to 26 and gave up a third-round pick. Here, they are moving up 16 spots, so the price should be even more expensive. Elway finally gives in, and we have a deal.
At No. 41, the Eagles could go in a number of different directions: wide receiver, defensive lineman, running back. But if they’re going to pay Carson Wentz around $30 or $35 million per year in the near future, it makes sense to continue to invest in bodies to protect him. Howard (6-foot-5, 322 pounds) has played both left and right tackle. Under Jeff Stoutland’s tutelage, maybe he can even swing inside if necessary. With Jason Peters likely entering his final year, Jason Kelce’s future beyond 2019 undecided and Brandon Brooks coming back from an Achilles injury, the Eagles need young talent up front. Howard helps give them that. He may not fill an immediate need, but offensive line depth is a factor every year, and Howard can eventually elevate to a starting role.
Brian Burns, Edge, Florida State (Bo Wulf, The Athletic)
*Bo has the Eagles trading up to pick No. 15. (Also, he wrote a whole lot more than what we copied and pasted here.)
Position aside, Burns and Graham are not similar players. Burns is a super athlete who was born to bend around tackles. He’s not raw, though, with an array of pass-rush moves and advanced hand technique. He was also productive, notching 10.0 sacks as a junior in 2018 and 23.0 total during his three seasons with Florida State. The downside is that he’s slight for the position. There are serious questions about whether he can play three downs at the next level.
Fortunately, the Eagles don’t need him to do that anytime soon. Burns would come in and immediately join the defensive line rotation, without being counted on to change the face of the unit. It’s an ideal landing spot.
Cody Ford, OG/OT, Oklahoma (Dave Zangaro, NBC Philly)
Before you start yelling at me, saying Ford will be off the board by the time the Eagles are on the clock, let me say this: You might be right. I think Ford is a no-doubt-about-it first-round pick and I’d agree there’s a good chance he’s gone in the teens. So maybe it takes a modest trade up. I’d be on board with that. And if he falls to 25, that would be great for the Eagles.
Ford offers real versatility after playing guard and tackle during his time in Norman. Joe Douglas wouldn’t say last week if they saw Ford as a guard or tackle, but said they know where he’d begin. That means they’ve at least thought about him in an Eagles uniform.
Ford would come in and be able to play and likely start at guard. He could be at right guard if Brandon Brooks isn’t all the way back from his Achilles tear or he could simply beat out Isaac Seumalo for the starting left guard spot. Then, if Jason Peters can’t stay on the field, he could possibly even play there too. At the very least, he could provide some depth as a rookie before growing into a starting role. If Ford is gone and the Eagles stay at this pick, Dalton Risner could be another potential first-round offensive lineman with versatility.
Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame (Eliot Shorr-Parks, 94.1 WIP)
The Eagles want to end the first round with a defensive linemen. They need one and the top talent in the draft is along the defensive line. Tillery checks multiple critical boxes for them. First, he is a position of need, as the Eagles need a third defensive tackle for next season. Second, he is a long-term need, as Fletcher Cox isn’t getting any younger and Malik Jackson is coming off of a down season in Jacksonville. Tillery has the ability to play all over the line, with scouts believing he is athletic enough to defensive end if needed. At 6-foot-6, 295 pounds, Tillery is huge for a defensive tackle and has long arms, measuring in at just over 34 inches. Finally, Tillery is considered a high-character prospect, something the Eagles clearly value.
Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson (Mike Kaye, NJ.com)
*Mike has the Eagles trading up to pick No. 20.
The Eagles are in position to trade up the board with ease. With two second-round and two fourth-round picks, the Eagles can work the board in the bottom-third of the first round. By trading away both fourth-round picks and their fifth-round selection, the Eagles are able to acquire the top remaining defensive end on the board. Ferrell was extremely productive at Clemson and he should be able to contribute right away in the Eagles’ pass rushing rotation. With Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry aging and Derek Barnett coming off season-ending shoulder surgery, the Eagles hedge their bets with a possible first-round steal.
Cody Ford, OG/OT, Oklahoma (Zack Rosenblatt, NJ.com)
The Eagles value versatility on the offensive line, and Ford can both help at guard right away and eventually become a starting tackle. He has a high ceiling, though will require a lot of coaching. The Eagles likely wouldn't need him to start until 2020 anyway.
Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma (Benjamin Solak, BGN)
Brown has serious Round 1 interest in the league for his game-breaking speed, RB-like vision with the ball in his hands, and excellent routes. Of course, Brown didn’t test and came into the Combine light because of a Lisfranc injury that should be monitored, but if he’s healthy, he has the potential to be an elite deep threat in the league.
I don’t love this pick, but we don’t have much of a feel for where the Eagles might like to go at 25 beyond Brown, so he’s currently our best bet.
Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson (Dave Weinberg, Press of Atlantic City)
He joins Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson in the Eagles' rotation.
Chris Lindstrom, OL, Boston College (Ed Kracz, Sports Xchange)
The Eagles have said they will take the best player available. Well, that could be Lindstrom, because the most popular picks among the local beats seem to be Clemson defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and Oklahoma receiver Marquise Brown and I think both will be gone at this point.
Don’t be frightened by the misfire on Danny Watkins eight years ago. This is a different Howie Roseman, now.
The 6-4, 310-pound Lindstrom checks a couple of boxes the Eagles’ executive vice president of football operations likes – versatility and a true passion for the game.
Lindstrom has played right tackle and right guard during his career at BC, and could even settle at center. Also, he comes from a family of football players. His father, Chris Lindstrom, Sr., played 19 games in the NFL as a defensive end. He has an uncle who played at Boston College and a brother who was a teammate on the offensive line this past season.
Certainly the Eagles could use an offensive lineman after releasing Stefen Wisniewski this offseason and the possibility that Brandon Brooks may not quite be ready to return from an Achilles tear suffered on Jan. 13. Lindstrom can step in right away for Brooks if Brooks is not ready and he can challenge Isaac Seumalo to start at left guard, leaving Seumalo in a super-reserve role similar to Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
Down the road, Lindstrom could even take over for center Jason Kelce, who has been flirting with retirement that past couple offseasons.
Follow Jimmy & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @JimmyKempski | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
Add Jimmy's RSS feed to your feed reader
