The NFL combine has officially come and gone and now the attention turns to Pro Days in the draft process. Mock drafts have the Eagles targeting many different players and positions. Here is the first Eagles mock draft of the season.
Round #1, pick 10: Calijah Kancey, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh
The Eagles need to get younger on the defensive line and a lot of the free agents they have hitting the market may be out of their price range with a Jalen Hurts mega-extension on the horizon. In this scenario, the Eagles take an athletic defensive tackle to help fill the void. Kancey was not a first-round pick to start the season and has now shot himself into the top ten talks. With the likelihood of Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave leaving, Kancey would help fill a big void. A defensive tackle rotation of Kancey, Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams would give the Eagles a young nucleus to build around. There has been a lot of chatter about Devon Witherspoon from Illinois being the pick here, but I still think the Eagles stick to their philosophy and build through the trenches.
Pitt DT Calijah Kancey officially ran a 4.67
That's the fastest time at the Combine for a DT since 2003 🤯pic.twitter.com/m9xr575XyV
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 2, 2023
Round #1, pick 30: Jahmyr Gibbs, Running Back, Alabama
A pick like this would completely go against the history of Howie Roseman, but Gibbs has the potential to take the Eagles’ dominant offense to another level. Gibbs has the skill set to even line up at wide receiver and the Eagles can use him all around the offense. The Alabama back had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns this past season for the Crimson Tide. With the likely departure of Miles Sanders, Gibbs would come in and wouldn’t just be an immediate starter, he has the potential to be even better than Sanders. This isn’t a typical Roseman pick, but Gibbs isn’t just some typical running back.
Jahmyr Gibbs showing he has perhaps the most elite feet at RB in the NFL Draft. #NFLCombine #RollTide #AlabamaFootball
— Justin Riley (@JustinRiley7) March 5, 2023
Round #2, pick 62: Eli Ricks, Cornerback, Alabama
Let’s keep this train going of drafting from the SEC. The Eagles are going to need a corner. Darius Slay has one year left on his deal and isn’t getting any younger, and after Friday’s news, it looks like he may not even be returning. James Bradberry is going to get a massive deal from someone this off-season that likely isn’t the Eagles. Ricks could come in and be the immediate starter on the outside. Ricks has not had a lot of playing time in college, but he has the skills, especially ball skills, to be a successful NFL corner. He will definitely need to put on mass, but he is an intriguing prospect.
Kayshon Boutte says he’s gonna run a 4.3. Said Eli Ricks was the best player he faced in college. pic.twitter.com/r1QxdtB0Nk
— RosterWatch (@RosterWatch) March 3, 2023
Round #3, pick 94: Yasir Abdullah, Outside Linebacker/Edge Rusher, Louisville
Similar to the role of Haason Reddick, Abdullah would give the Eagles more depth off the edge. He doesn’t ideally fit the role of a prototypical 4-3 defensive end, but more of a SAM linebacker and getting after the quarterback. Letting Abdullah get after the quarterback as well as learning from Reddick seems like a good get in the third round.
Round #7, pick 221: Jack Andrews, Interior Offensive Linemen, Troy
Before getting into this pick, expect the Eagles to acquire mid-round picks. Whether it be trading back or trading players, Roseman will gather more assets in the middle round during the actual draft. With that being said, Andrews is very good in the run game and would give Jeff Stoutland another player to develop.
Round #7, pick 250: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Quarterback, UCLA
With their final pick, the Eagles get their backup quarterback. With Minshew now a free agent the Eagles need another quarterback. The Eagles met with Robinson during the combine and the fit makes sense. He has run offenses similar to the Eagles and would serve as a nice developmental backup behind Hurts.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson makes so much sense as a backup behind Jalen Hurts.
Used to fast paced, run-read and RPO heavy offense, super athletic, can sling it.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/mYMF4EhopC
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) March 4, 2023
Featured Image: Joe Sargent/Getty Images
