April 21, 2022
With the 2022 NFL Draft now just one week away, there are a bunch of new mock drafts out there from the heavy-hitting national guys/gals, and since I'm saving some of my better draft stuff for next week, let's just do this.
Pick 15: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: He might not be ready for Week 1 as he rehabs his torn ACL, but Williams has the wheels, elusiveness and hands to be a serious problem for NFL defenses. The Eagles keep drafting Day 1 receivers, but pairing Williams with DeVonta Smith -- last year's first-rounder -- should halt that urge for quite a while.
Pick 18: Daxton Hill, CB/S, Michigan: I'm a huge fan of Hill, who played mostly as a slot corner for the Wolverines last season. He could stuff the stat sheet for the Eagles, making tackles at the line of scrimmage and getting his hands on passes as a center fielder.
#JimmySays: Williams has a garden-variety ACL tear. I'd gladly take him, with confidence. I don't think he'll be there.
Pick 15: Drake London, WR, USC: Could Philly draft a wide receiver in the first round for the third straight year? Yes. Yes, they can. Remember, they have 10 total selections, and Nick Sirianni is an offensive coach with a big say in this pick.
Pick 18: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah: Lloyd's a great player and person and has the X's-and-O's know-how to be the shot-caller of the Eagles' D. He has exceptional pass-coverage skills (check out his INT against Stanford) and can line up with tight ends in the passing game.
#JimmySays: London is going to go Round 1, and I get the fit with the Eagles, in that he's a bigger receiver and would theoretically pair nicely with the Eagles' smaller duo of DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins. So it makes sense for the national folks to mock him to the Eagles.
I just don't get how London is a consensus top 15 kind of player. He struggled gaining separation in college and he's not going to be able to outplay NFL corners on contested catches the same way he did in the Pac-12. We've already seen this scenario play out with the Eagles. Drafting London 42 draft slots higher than where they took J.J. Arcega-Whiteside would basically be this:
The Eagles do tend to learn lessons slowly, so it's certainly possible that they take London.
As for Sirianni having a big say in these picks, the Eagles like Sirianni and I'm sure they respect his opinions, but he doesn't even have control of the 53-man roster. They might throw him a bone on a cheap free agent signing like Zach Pascal, but I'll disagree that he'll have much sway in the first round of this draft.
Pick 15: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia: Wait, what? The Ravens didn't take a DT?! Well, the Eagles do, helping to fortify their front after bringing back six-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox.
Pick 18: Drake London, WR, USC: Big frame, big catch radius, breaks tackles and tacks on additional yardage after the catch. QB Jalen Hurts gets another versatile wideout who will help him continue to expand his game. I thought hard about LB here, but past precedent suggests that's not a position the Eagles will target in Round 1.
#JimmySays: Davis remains a player that I think the Eagles should have heavy interest in at pick 15 if he's there.
Pick 15: Drake London, WR, USC: For the third draft in a row, the Eagles go receiver in the first round. London is a true ball winner with inside and outside versatility. He’s my personal No. 1 WR in this year’s class. He lacks top end speed but has excellent body control and bend both in his route running and with the ball in his hands, which is impressive given his size (6-3 7/8, 219). Pairing London with DeVonta Smith would give the Eagles synergy in their receiver room and offer Jalen Hurts (or a different QB in the future) a large target who can bail out Philadelphia in tough situations.
Pick 18: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia: The Eagles help shore up their defensive front seven by adding this draft’s ultimate plugger in Davis. There are question marks about Davis’ pass rush chops and how many snaps he will be able to play at the next level. But he is a rare blend of size and athleticism that makes him a math changer. He will take advantage of smaller offensive linemen by pushing the pocket in passing situations and keeping teammates clean in the run game.
#JimmySays: I'm glad someone posted London's size, because he is not the gigantic beast that he is perceived to be. You know who a very close size comp is? Mack Hollins!
| Drake London | Mack Hollins | |
| Height | 6'3 7/8" | 6'4 |
| Weight | 219 | 221 |
| Arm length | 33" | 33 1/4" |
| Hand size | 9 3/8" | 9 3/4" |
Obviously, we're not comparing Hollins to London in terms of skill set. But while Hollins was certainly a bigger receiver, he wasn't a guy ever really stood out in a super obvious way in Eagles training camp or in games.
Pick 15: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia: Wyatt is another player who changed some minds with his Senior Bowl week and he continued to convince folks of his first-round talents by putting on a show at the combine. Incredibly quick off the snap and powerful once he gets going, he can be unstoppable when he's on his game.
Pick 18: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington: Even though McDuffie balled out on the outside for the Huskies this season, we get Tyrann Matthieu vibes when we watch him. He has the athleticism to line up anywhere -- and he told us at the combine that he can do just that at the next level. McDuffie is one of the best cornerbacks in this class and adds some much-needed depth in Philly.
#JimmySays: 🤮
Pick 15: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: This is a risky pick since he's coming off a torn ACL, but he's running again and should be ready by mid-season. This would give the Eagles a game-changer.
Pick 18: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue: They have to get help for their pass rush. Age is starting to become a bit of an issue on their front. Karlaftis will help.
#JimmySays: Karlaftis' name hasn't appeared much in Eagles mock drafts of late, but I believe he'd be a perfectly fine pick at 18. I know he's a polarizing player. I like him.
Pick 15: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: A healthy Williams would have likely been the first receiver taken, so getting him at No. 15 is still solid value. After all, he said a few weeks ago that the plan is to be ready by training camp, and even if that's not the case, he's well worth the wait. Williams brings explosiveness, and the Eagles need explosive plays to complement their run-first offense. Equip Jalen Hurts with Williams and Devonta Smith, and there's no reason he shouldn't take another step forward in Year 3.
Pick 18: Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson: Booth, while inconsistent at times, has the measurables, athleticism and ball skills to develop into a playmaker on the back end of the Eagles' zone-coverage defense. Let Darius Slay take Booth under his wing, and Philadelphia fans will be happy with the eventual result.
#JimmySays: I like Booth quite a bit, but I like him less at 18 and more among a cluster of other good players who can be had with a trade back.
Pick 15: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: Injury or not, Williams is a wanted man in this draft class. He has the speed and route-running nuance to attack all three levels of the field. If he had not gotten injured, odds were pretty good that he would have been the first wide receiver selected and he still may.
Pick 18: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia: Wyatt is a part of a strong rotation with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave. It is difficult to envision Cox playing much longer, so having a ready-made replacement on the roster is an enticing possibility. The Georgia product was one of the best performers at the NFL combine.
#JimmySays: All these CBS guys published mock drafts today, by the way. I think some of them are on something like version 37.0.
And then, what the hell... I did a simulated mock at TheDraftNetwork.
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