Grocery shopping: Five college players to watch who could interest the Eagles in the 2019 NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles are in the playoffs, and so, you can still enjoy watching football. And hey look, there are a bunch of good college football bowl games on today! Below are five players who could make sense for the Eagles in the 2019 NFL Draft, in which the Birds are projected to have 10 picks.

To note, I meant to publish this yesterday, but my three-hour drive home from Washington D.C. kinda ruined that, so we're profiling two guys that played yesterday. Sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Terry Beckner Jr., DT, Missouri (6'4, 295): (23) Missouri vs. Oklahoma State, Autozone Liberty Bowl (yesterday)

Beckner was the 36th rated recruit coming out of high school in 2015, but a pair of knee surgeries (one on each knee) stalled his early college career. Over the last two seasons, however, he has 22 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. A highlight reel: 

Beckner will be of interest to teams at the medical checks at the 2019 NFL Combine, but could be a a later-round pickup as a rotational interior lineman.

Trayveon Williams, RB, Texas A&M (5'9, 200): NC State at (19) Texas A&M, Taxslayer Gator Bowl (yesterday)

Williams lit it up in the this bowl game, carrying 19 times for 236 yards, and 3 TDs. On the season, he had 271 carries for 1760 yards, and 18 TDs. He is currently third in the nation in rushing yards. A highlight reel: 

Williams is short, but well build, like Darren Sproles. He is also a good receiver out of the backfield, as Texas A&M moved him around the formation to create mismatches. Add in that he's also competent in pass protection, and the Eagles should have interest.

Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State (6'0, 215): (18) Mississippi State vs. Iowa, Outback Bowl, 12:00 p.m.

What really stands out about Abram's game is that he is a very physical player, who looks to deliver big shots whenever given the opportunity. A highlight reel:

Unfortunately, what highlight reels like that don't show are the missed tackles as a result of trying to deliver the knockout blow, and Abram has plenty of those. For example, cfbfilmroom.com had him down for 12 missed tackles last season, though he did clean clean that up a bit in 2018 (when he had 5).

Still, Abram's play speed is obvious, and he'll probably test relatively well at the 2019 NFL Combine. 

Abram's potential fit in the Eagles' offense would be interesting. I see him more as a player suited more toward the single-high (Rodney McLeod) safety spot, where he wouldn't be asked to cover man-to-man much, as he doesn't have extensive corner experience in his background.

Josh Allen, Edge, Kentucky (6'5, 260): (14) Kentucky vs. (12) Penn State, VRBO Citrus Bowl, 1:00 p.m.

With the Eagles making the playoffs, Allen will be long gone by the time they're picking. Should he fall out of the top 10, however (unlikely), in a draft in which the cost to trade up might not be crazy because the quarterbacks aren't very appealing, maybe the Eagles could make a power move?

Anyway, regardless of whether or not the Eagles have any reasonable chance of drafting Allen, just enjoy him today against Penn State.

Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia (5'11, 215): (15) Texas vs. (5) Georgia, Allstate Sugar Bowl, 8:45 p.m.

Even as the son of boxer Evander Holyfield, Elijah Holyfield gets lost in the shuffle at Georgia, which produced a pair of top 35 picks at running back last year, in Sony Michel (31st to the Pats) and Nick Chubb (35th to the Browns). This season, Holyfield shared carries with the more well-known D'Andre Swift.

Still Holyfield is a good player in his own right. In 2018, he had 147 carries for 956 yards (6.5 YPC) and 7 TDs. A highlight reel: 

Holyfield has great vision. He runs under control using quick steps to find a crease, and when one opens up, he hits it with conviction. One significant downside is that Holyfield has just 6 receptions over his college career. Sign me up in the mid-to-late rounds.