February 09, 2017

Ranking the Eagles' draft classes since 1999, Part III

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

This week, we'll be ranking the Eagles' draft classes going back to 1999, or Andy Reid's first year with the team. On Tuesday, we started with the worst, counting down from 18 to 13. Read that one at your own peril. On Wednesday, it got slightly better in Part II.

Today we'll count down from 6 to 1 in Part III.

6) 2012

Major short-term results, disappointing long-term returns:

Round	Player	Position	Pro Bowls	Years as primary starter
1	Fletcher Cox	DT	2	5
2	Mychal Kendricks	LB	0	4
2	Vinny Curry	DE	0	0
3	Nick Foles	QB	1	3
4	Brandon Boykin	CB	0	0
5	Dennis Kelly	OT	0	0
6	Marvin McNutt	WR	0	0
6	Brandon Washington	OG	0	0
7	Bryce Brown	RB	0	0
TOTAL	9 picks		3	12

After the 2013 season, this draft class looked amazing:

Nick Foles had just thrown 29 TDs vs. 2 INTs.
In his last four games (including the playoffs), Mychal Kendricks had 32 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 INTs.
Brandon Boykin had 6 INTs playing less than 50 percent of the snaps.
Through his first two seasons, Bryce Brown had 878 yards and a 4.6 yards per carry average as LeSean McCoy's backup.
While he didn't have big numbers, Fletcher Cox was very clearly developing into a beast on the interior of the defensive line.

Three years later, Cox is the only player from this class playing well for the Eagles. The were able to parlay Bryce Brown into a decent draft pick from the Bills, Foles became a trade piece to bring in (gags) Sam Bradford, and there's a decent chance Kendricks will be moved for a late pick this offseason.

Cox was a great pick, as he is a piece the Eagles can build their defense around, but the Eagles better hope that Vinny Curry can begin living up to the big contract he received last offseason, or this could become a one-player draft in the near future.

5) 2008

A trade back that paid huge dividends:

Round	Player	Position	Pro Bowls	Years as primary starter
2	Trevor Laws	DT	0	0
2	DeSean Jackson	WR	3	9
3	Bryan Smith	DE	0	0
4	Mike McGlynn	OG	0	4
4	Quintin Demps	S	0	3
4	Jack Ikegwuonu	CB	0	0
6	Mike Gibson	OT	0	0
6	Joe Mays	LB	0	2
6	Andy Studebaker	LB	0	0
7	King Dunlap	OT	0	4
TOTAL	10 picks		3	22

The Eagles found a great player in DeSean Jackson in the second round, who the Eagles then released for absolutely nothing in return. Nice job, Chip. Otherwise, this is a list of players who either amounted to nothing, or became decent starters on other teams.

So why is it ranked so highly? Well, the Eagles traded their first-round pick to the Panthers for a package of picks that netted Trevor Laws, Mike McGlynn, Quintin Demps, and Carolina's first-round pick in 2009, which the Eagles then traded along with a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick for Jason Peters.

Peters then obviously became a star LT for the next eight years in Philly. This was the one trade-back that became a big success.

4) 2005

Two late-round gems:

Round	Player	Position	Pro Bowls	Years as primary starter
1	Mike Patterson	DT	0	7
2	Reggie Brown	WR	0	3
2	Mike McCoy	LB	0	1
3	Ryan Moats	RB	0	0
4	Sean Considine	S	0	2
4	Todd Herremans	OG/OT	0	8
5	Trent Cole	DE	2	9
5	Scott Young	OG	0	0
6	Calvin Armstrong	OT	0	0
7	Keyonta Marshall	DT	0	0
7	David Bergeron	LB	0	0
TOTAL	11 picks		2	30

It seems like the Eagles hit very rarely on a late-round picks who become quality long-term starters. In the 2005 draft, the Eagles found two in Todd Herremans and Trent Cole. Add in the first round selection of Mike Patterson, and the Eagles found themselves three players with 24 combined years as a primary starter.

3) 2009

The only two-time All-Pro in 18 years of draft picks:

Round	Player	Position	Pro Bowls	Years as primary starter
1	Jeremy Maclin	WR	0	7
2	LeSean McCoy	RB	5 (2 All-Pros)	7
5	Cornelius Ingram	TE	0	0
5	Macho Harris	CB/S	0	0
5	Fenuki Tupou	OT	0	0
6	Brandon Gibson	WR	0	3
7	Paul Fanaika	OG	0	2
7	Moise Fokou	LB	0	2
TOTAL	8 picks		5 (2 All-Pros)	21

The Eagles found some star power at the top of the 2009 draft in Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. McCoy became the Eagles' all-time leading rusher in just six years.

And then Chip traded him for Kiko Alonso.

Jimmy Kempski/for PhillyVoice

2) 1999

A franchise quarterback!

Round	Player	Position	Pro Bowls	Years as primary starter
1	Donovan McNabb	QB	6	11
2	Barry Gardner	LB	0	1
3	Doug Brzezinski	OG	0	1
4	John Welbourn	OG	0	7
4	Damon Moore	S	0	1
4	Na Brown	WR	0	0
6	Cecil Martin	FB	0	2
6	Troy Smith	WR	0	0
7	Jed Weaver	TE	0	2
7	Pernell Davis	DT	0	0
TOTAL	10 picks		6	25

If only they had taken Ricky Williams.

1) 2002

Many fans hated this draft initially, but...

Round	Player	Position	Pro Bowls	Years as primary starter
1	Lito Sheppard	CB	2 (1 All-Pro)	4
2	Michael Lewis	S	1	6
2	Sheldon Brown	CB	0	9
3	Brian Westbrook	RB	2 (1 All-Pro)	6
4	Scott Peters	C	0	0
5	Freddie Milons	WR	0	0
6	Tyreo Harrison	LB	0	0
7	Raheem Brock	DE	0	7
TOTAL	8 picks		5 (2 All-Pros)	32

With Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor already on the roster, the Eagles drafted cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown in the first two rounds, an unorthodox approach that paid off big-time. Additionally, the Birds found Brian Westbrook, who in my opinion remains the best running back in Eagles history.

All told, the Eagles found three Pro Bowl players in Sheppard, Michael Lewis, and Westbrook, and one should-have-been Pro Bowl player in Brown. Additionally, while he had success elsewhere, Raheem Brock became a long-time NFL starter.

This was the polar opposite of the worst draft over the last 18 years, which was 2011. In 2011, the Eagles reached for need, selecting Danny Watkins and Jaiquawn Jarrett in the first two rounds. In 2002, they just took the best players, landing a pair of corners on an already cornerback-rich team.

The moral of the story here: Just take the best players.

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