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November 30, 2019

Grocery shopping: Five college players to watch who could interest the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft

As long as you're taking in some college football action this Saturday, here are some players who could make sense for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Kelly Bryant, QB, Missouri (6'3, 225): Missouri at Arkansas, 2:30 p.m.

Bryant originally enrolled at Clemson, where he succeeded Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback. At Clemson, he beat six top-25 teams, a Clemson record, and led Clemson to the College Football Playoffs in 2017, before the Tigers lost to Alabama.

In 2018, he started four games, all wins, before he was benched in favor of Trevor Lawrence. In December of 2018, Bryant transferred to Missouri, Clemson won the National Championship, and a petty Dabo Swinney decided that Bryant shouldn't get a championship ring.

In 2019, playing for Missouri as a graduate student, Bryant and his new Tigers team got out to a hot 5-1 start, before their season fell apart when Bryant started racking up an assortment of injuries, that he tried to play through.

Bryant will be an interesting NFL prospect. Some teams will knock him for transferring in-season. Others will admire the toughness he showed playing through his injuries this season.

As a player, Bryant has good size (which the Eagles will like), he can run, and while he doesn't have a cannon for an arm and his elongated release will need a lot of work, he is efficient running RPO concepts, which, of course, the Eagles ran a ton of with Nick Foles during their Super Bowl run. A highlight reel from his 2017 season at Clemson:


The Eagles swung and missed on Clayton Thorson in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. I think they'll try again in 2020, and Bryant makes sense to me as a late Day 3 developmental prospect.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama (6'1, 192): Alabama at Auburn, 3:30 p.m.

Before the season began, I wasn't even going to bother profiling Jeudy, on the premise that I felt there was no way in hell he'd be available whenever the Eagles are picking. Aside from a small frame that might make teams worry about his durability at the next level, there really isn't anything not to like. His numbers:

Jerry Jeudy Rec Yards YPC TD 
 201714 264 18.9 
 201868 1315 19.3 14 
 201966 933 14.1 


Jeudy has water bug-like quickness in small spaces, and great speed when given some room to run. He's also already an outstanding route runner who often makes opposing defensive backs look ridiculous, and he's a sure-handed receiver who doesn't drop many passes. 

A highlight reel (also, note that Tua is really good too):


As we've noted repeatedly, this draft class is absolutely loaded at wide receiver. If the Eagles don't make the playoffs, there's an outside chance the Eagles could land Jeudy. It would require a lot of quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and pass rushers to go early, and for other teams to take some of the other outstanding receiver prospects before him. 

Personally, I think it'd be crazy for Jeudy to escape the top 10, but you never know, so for the sake of being thorough at this position, we may as well profile him. 


MORE: Eagles-Dolphins final injury report, with analysis | Chuck Bednarik, two more Eagles greats named to NFL 100 All-Time Team | Report: Eagles and Lane Johnson agree to four-year contract extension


Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame (6'4, 229): (16) Notre Dame at Stanford, 4:00 p.m.

Claypool is a big senior enjoying his most productive season at Notre Dame, though he doesn't have super-impressive stats overall over his career:

Chase Claypool Rec Yards YPC TD 
 201681 16.2 
 201729 402 13.9 
 201850 639 12.8 
 201956 828 14.8 10 


At 6'4, and roughly 230 pounds, what is Claypool's fit in the NFL? BGN Radio star Benjamin Solak makes a compelling case for him in a "big slot" role, similar to that of the Giants' Evan Engram or the Packers' Allen Lazard, with room to grow his role from there.

A taste of what he is as a player:


In the Eagles' offense, I see Claypool as a nice fit in something of a souped-up Trey Burton role:


While I don't think the Eagles should be screwing around with specialty players until they get some legitimate speed, I do think Claypool is an intriguing fit if the cost is right, saaaayyyyy, on Day 3.

Darryl Williams, OG/C, Mississippi State (6'3, 310): Ole Miss at Mississippi State

OK, so Ole Miss and Mississippi State already played Thursday night, but since MSU doesn't have any regular season games left and they probably won't get into a bowl game, this is the last opportunity to profile Williams, and on paper, he's a decent fit for the Eagles.

Williams started at left guard in his sophomore (2017) and junior (2018) seasons, before moving to center his senior (2019) season. Whenever Jason Kelce retires, the Eagles will have to decide whether they insert someone new in at center, or if they move Isaac Seumalo there from left guard. Either way, a player with LG and C experience makes sense.

Williams is more of a rugged gamer than he is a player with impressive measurables from a size or athleticism standpoint. Here he is against pro-level players vs. Alabama last season, playing LG:


I think he's a Day 3 prospect who makes sense as a versatile interior offensive lineman, whether that's as a starter down the line, or depth.


MORE: Week 13 NFL picks: Rounding up the experts' predictions for Eagles vs. Dolphins | Week 13 betting advice: Take the Eagles minus-10 over the Dolphins | Eagles vs. Dolphins: Predictions, betting odds and broadcast info for Week 13


Douglas Coleman, S, Texas Tech (6'1, 200): Texas Tech at Texas

Again, like Williams above, Coleman already played this week. Unfortunately for Coleman, he is probably best known for this bonehead play earlier this season against Kansas:

Eh, whatever. Coleman has done more good than harm this season, as he has a share of the NCAA lead in interceptions, with 8 of them. Additionally, he's a safety with corner experience in his background (he mostly played in the slot for Texas Tech his first three seasons there), so that will appeal to Jim Schwartz.


Previously profiled players

• August 24

  1. Lamical Perine, RB, Florida
  2. Jabari Zuniga, DE, Florida
  3. C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
  4. Jonathan Garvin, DE, Miami
  5. Jeff Thomas, WR, Miami

• August 31

  1. Scottie Phillips, RB, Ole Miss
  2. Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama
  3. Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
  4. Troy Dye, LB, Oregon
  5. Jeremiah Dinson, S, Auburn

• September 7

  1. Nate Stanley, QB, Iowa
  2. Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado
  3. J.D. Spielman, WR, Nebraska
  4. Jason Huntley, RB, New Mexico State
  5. Ashtyn Davis, S, California

• September 14

  1. Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
  2. Cohl Cabral, C, Arizona State
  3. Cam Akers, RB, Florida State
  4. Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia
  5. Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma

• September 21

  1. Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin
  2. Shyheim Carter, S, Alabama
  3. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
  4. Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State
  5. Solomon Kindley, OG, Georgia

• September 28

  1. Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
  2. Alex Leatherwood, OG/OT, Alabama
  3. Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
  4. Jaquarius Landrews, S, Mississippi State
  5. Zack Moss, RB, Utah

• October 5

  1. Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
  2. Ben Bredeson, OG, Michigan
  3. Oluwole Betiku Jr., DE, Illinois
  4. K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State
  5. Jake Hanson, C, Oregon

• October 12

  1. DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
  2. Raekwon Davis, DL, Alabama
  3. Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
  4. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
  5. Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State

• October 19

  1. Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
  2. Larrell Murchison, DT, NC State
  3. Brandon Jones, S, Texas
  4. Steven Gonzalez, OG, Penn State
  5. Lavert Hill, CB, Michigan

• October 26

  1. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
  2. Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State
  3. Lloyd Cushenberry III, C, LSU
  4. K.J. Costello, QB, Stanford
  5. McTelvin Agim, DT, Arkansas

• November 2

  1. Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State
  2. Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
  3. Patrick Nelson, S/LB, SMU
  4. James Proche, WR, SMU
  5. Joe Reed, WR/RB/KR, Virginia

• November 9

  1. K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State
  2. James Lynch, DT, Baylor
  3. Grant Delpit, S, LSU
  4. Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
  5. Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas

• November 16

  1. A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa
  2. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
  3. Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota
  4. Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
  5. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

November 23

  1. Binjimen Victor, WR, Ohio State
  2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU
  3. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
  4. Matt Hennessy, C, Temple
  5. Julian Blackmon, S, Utah


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