I'd easily have taken either corner in retro in the top 15. Q being a true lock down corner, I'd have taken him #1 overall. The way he has stepped in and helped anchor the unit. That fact that you just don't hear his name is insane much less him being a rookie. The fact that we have a high end starting caliber tandem in the same draft. Mind completely blown.

18 hours ago, ManchesterEagle said:

Wonder how good the DL actually is. Carter is a stud. Sweat is very good. The rest are debatable 

I think they are good enough that if they are given an extra half second or that bit extra time they can get to the QB or get the pressures. They aren’t great and they may not even be good but they have a potentially elite secondary.

5 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I think they are good enough that if they are given an extra half second or that bit extra time they can get to the QB or get the pressures. They aren’t great and they may not even be good but they have a potentially elite secondary.

I think the other thing to bear in mind is that we have linebackers who can both blitz and are able to blitz because our corners can hold up in single coverage 

25 minutes ago, ManchesterEagle said:

I think the other thing to bear in mind is that we have linebackers who can both blitz and are able to blitz because our corners can hold up in single coverage 

And Roseman needs to extend Baun......just can't let him walk in free agency.

36 minutes ago, birdman#12 said:

And Roseman needs to extend Baun......just can't let him walk in free agency.

Agreed - just going to be difficult to get the amount right. He’s playing like a pro bowler but has only been half a season. Can they come to a compromise around the 3 year 28-30 million area? 

On 11/11/2024 at 9:30 PM, brkmsn said:

I was just reminding people that he didn't completely ignore the position on days 1 and 2 of the draft. Jones was a 1st round graded talent that slipped to rd 2 due to injury. Not exactly the same, but similar to DeJean. Obviously Jones didn't cut it at the NFL level, though. He had the talent, but not the desire. 

I think a difference is those weren't 1st round. A lot of fans wanted a top corner prospect and it had been over 20 years since they did that. It's also worth noting that the 2017 draft was when Joe Douglas was here. Plus that was said to be a deep corner class and that's what they came away with. Part of that draft was taking DE Barnett in the 1st, thinking they can get corners later in the draft. They used a 2nd on a guy who would sit a year and then was a bust, so now you're relying on a 3rd round pick to step in. The secondary was garbage the prior year they really needed help. 

Apart from that year, Howie took corners and safeties 4th round or later. Mostly in the 5th-7th rounds. He relied more on free agency and trade in the secondary. There was the Eric Rowe 2nd round pick and he got traded away (many blamed coaching on not utilizing him).

Drafting top talent in Q and DeJean instantly improved the secondary. Even last year's 3rd and 4th round picks of Brown and Ringo were better value in those rounds and guys who are contributing more than in the past. Their scouting must have improved.

Howie sucked at drafting wide receivers. He addressed that. Remember when Howie drafted the fireman, but then scooped up Mialata in the 7th? Howie sucked at drafting and selecting cornerbacks. Seems like he’s addressed that now. He actually looks like he’s getting better with linebackers too.

7 hours ago, ManchesterEagle said:

I think the other thing to bear in mind is that we have linebackers who can both blitz and are able to blitz because our corners can hold up in single coverage 

To your point, I've actually been impressed with Dean when he blitzes.  He really gets in there and violently throws his body around to get to the QB.  As someone who was really skeptical of Dean, he's been a pleasant surprise this season.

6 hours ago, NOTW said:

I think a difference is those weren't 1st round. A lot of fans wanted a top corner prospect and it had been over 20 years since they did that. It's also worth noting that the 2017 draft was when Joe Douglas was here. Plus that was said to be a deep corner class and that's what they came away with. Part of that draft was taking DE Barnett in the 1st, thinking they can get corners later in the draft. They used a 2nd on a guy who would sit a year and then was a bust, so now you're relying on a 3rd round pick to step in. The secondary was garbage the prior year they really needed help. 

Apart from that year, Howie took corners and safeties 4th round or later. Mostly in the 5th-7th rounds. He relied more on free agency and trade in the secondary. There was the Eric Rowe 2nd round pick and he got traded away (many blamed coaching on not utilizing him).

Drafting top talent in Q and DeJean instantly improved the secondary. Even last year's 3rd and 4th round picks of Brown and Ringo were better value in those rounds and guys who are contributing more than in the past. Their scouting must have improved.

I had been advocating for a top (pick) CB for several years. I just don't think Howie was ignoring the position in the draft as much as it appeared. I believe the Eagles had hoped that Surtain would fall to them even after trading down and they felt that if he wasn't there, Horn would be. Obviously the Eagles also had their eye on Smith if neither CB was available and after they went at 8 and 9, the Eagles made sure they got Smith by trading back up to 10. We could have stayed put at #6 and drafted Surtain, but there was a lot of opposition to picking him at #6 --- especially here on the EMB. A lot of posters here argued that he wasn't  worthy of a top 10 pick and that his ceiling was "decent starter." 

Anyway, it always has to do with the draft board and who is available and who they feel is the best value at the time of the pick. I'm sure they've had other CBs they were willing to take that either went just before their pick or another player higher on their board slipped and was still available. It's just the way things sometimes work out. That's why we traded for Darby, traded for Slay, and signed Bradberry as a FA. 

 

25 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

especially here on the EMB. A lot of posters here argued that he wasn't  worthy of a top 10 pick and that his ceiling was "decent starter." 

I think i remember a lot were more for Horn. I wanted Surtain, i was kind of pissed, i thought Devonte would of been broken in half by week 2 lol. Im glad the way things turned out obviously but Surtain would of ended up being a great pick too. Although the offense would have been atrocious lol

I think these are our best homegrown corners (I know it might be too early in their careers to tell) since Sheppard and Brown.