Another Eagles favorite emerging in mock drafts

Another Eagles favorite emerging in mock drafts

 

While the Eagles have been quiet in free agency and they’re not done yet, it’s never too early to get ready for the draft.

We are less than five weeks away from the start of the draft and the Eagles have three picks in the first round.

The latest stroll around some mock drafts has a new name emerging as a favorite target for the Eagles:

Kyle Stackpole, CBS Sports

15. Derek Stingley, CB, LSU

What they said: "The Eagles buy low on Stingley, the consensus No. 1 corner entering 2021 before inconsistent play and a season-ending injury allowed others to close the gap. If Stingley can regain his 2019 form, when he had 15 pass breakups and six interceptions, he'll be a worthy complement to Darius Slay in the secondary.”

16. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

What they said: "The Eagles have missed out on/chose not to pursue the top free agent wide receivers so far, so using one of their three first-round picks on the position would make sense. Burks is a YAC machine, which will make Jalen Hurts' job that much easier and take pressure off DeVonta Smith.”

19. Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia

What they said: "Even with the Eagles bringing back veteran Fletcher Cox after initially releasing him, they could still use another quality player along the defensive front. Wyatt will fortify that unit as a stout run defender and able pass rusher.”

My take on the haul: This would be really solid. From a talent standpoint, Stingley is the best cornerback in this draft class. But we’ve really only seen him play one year of college football and that was as a true freshman in 2019. There are some serious medical questions about Stingley. But if he hasn’t been removed from the Eagles’ board for medical reasons, then drafting him at No. 15 could be the steal of the first round and could give the Eagles their first homegrown star cornerback in a long time.

Burks is a name we’ve seen mocked to the Eagles frequently over the last month. The Eagles haven’t made a splash for a receiver in free agency, which might make it a little more likely they’ll draft one again with a high pick. This would be their third straight year drafting a first-round receiver. But Burks is a fun player who did a little bit of everything at Arkansas, where they made a concerted effort to get the ball in his hands. He’s a great YAC player and that could be very intriguing to Nick Sirianni.

But the Wyatt pick is the one we’ve really seen become more popular over the last month or so, starting with NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. He mocked Wyatt to the Eagles in his second mock draft. Wyatt (6-3, 304) is one of several Georgia defenders who will likely go in the first round next month. While his fellow DL teammate Jordan Davis stole the show at the combine, Wyatt had a very impressive performance too and ran a 4.77 at 304 pounds. He’s a versatile player who can lineup in multiple spots on the line but his best fit might be as gap-penetrating 3-technique. The Eagles could use an upgrade on their defensive line and Wyatt is reportedly coming to Philadelphia for a pre-draft visit.

Michael Renner, PFF

15. Derek Stingley, CB, LSU

What they said: "If he gets any sort of clean bill of health prior to the draft, the Eagles can’t pass on a talent like Stingley. Pairing him with Darius Slay immediately transforms their cornerback room. Stingley has the best pure man-coverage traits in the draft and only allowed a completion percentage of 39.2% in his career.”

16. Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia

What they said: "No one loves investing in their defensive line more than Howie Roseman. With Fletcher Cox on the steady decline, the Eagles tab one of the few 300-plus-pounders in combine history who tested out more explosive than Cox to be his replacement.”

19. George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue

What they said: "Karlaftis is arguably the best power rusher in the draft class. With Brandon Graham nearing the end of the line, Karlaftis can be a seamless replacement. He’s a consistent bull-rusher who put up 54 pressures for the Boilermakers last season.”

51. Brian Asamoah, LB, Oklahoma

83. John Metchie, WR, Alabama

My take on the haul: In this mock draft (a three-rounder!) the Eagles use their first four picks on defense. That would be a bit surprising but there will be a lot of defensive talent at the top of this draft. We’ve talked about Stingley and Wyatt but Karlaftis is another name that has been linked to the Eagles. He met with the Birds at the combine and there’s a lot to like about the 275-pound speed-to-power rusher. The Eagles’ need on the edge might not be as great after signing Haason Reddick in free agency but Karlaftis is a much different player and the Eagles shouldn’t be out on edge rushers just because Reddick is in the building.

Damian Parson, TheDraftNetwork

15. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

What they said: "Arguably the best player in the draft falls due to potential "positional value”? Unfortunately. Philadelphia natives should not cry tears of sorrow with this selection. Kyle Hamilton can do everything for a defense. His football IQ and range will impact opposing quarterbacks’ comfort levels to test certain windows. Adding him to this secondary is a big step in the right direction.”

16. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

What they said: "Jason Kelce is returning for another season in Philadelphia. Even so, the need for a long-term replacement remains paramount. Tyler Linderbaum is the essential "perfect” choice to learn behind Kelce before stepping in as his replacement. Linderbaum is uber-intelligent with knowledge of leveraging as an undersized OL. His quickness and competitiveness fit this culture.”

19. Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia

What they said: "Fletcher Cox returns to the Eagles on a one-year deal. This means a long-term replacement is in order. Devonte Wyatt is a well-rounded single-gap penetrator. He is a good athlete at his size. The Eagles won a championship with an elite defensive line rotation. Wyatt can help limit Cox’s usage and keep his legs fresh for playoff pushes later in the season.”

My take on the haul: Yeah, another Wyatt.

Aside from him, the Hamilton pick is intriguing. The Eagles brought back Anthony Harris in free agency but Rodney McLeod is still on the market. The Eagles reportedly tried to take a big swing at safety in free agency but couldn’t land Marcus Williams. Adding a player like Hamilton would give them a big-time playmaker on the back end. The Eagles have never drafted a safety in the first round but with three first-rounders maybe it’s more likely. And if Hamilton is there at 15, there’s a pretty good chance he’s the top player on the board.

The Linderbaum one is intriguing too. The Eagles don’t need a Jason Kelce replacement because Kelce is back in 2022. But if the Eagles are really convinced that Linderbaum is the right guy to eventually replace him, would they bring him in and let him learn for a year behind Kelce? It’s tough to take a guy in the first round and go in with a plan to not let him play in Year 1. But, again, the Eagles have an added luxury with three first-rounders. So maybe they could make this work. They did meet with Linderbaum at the combine in a meeting that was led by Jeff Stoutland. If Stout says Linderbaum is the right guy to eventually replace Kelce then maybe the Eagles will listen.

Nate Davis, USA Today Sports

15. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

What they said: "Yes, this would mean a first-round wideout for a third consecutive year for Philly, but the team can afford this move given how flush GM Howie Roseman is with options in 2022. His 4.55 combine 40 seems downright pedestrian when stacked up against his receiver peers. But at 6-2, 225 pounds, Burks would bring a different element to a Smurf-ish group that hasn’t gotten enough from holdovers like Jalen Reagor or 2019 second-round bust J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. Burks’ size would also be a plus for sometimes scattershot QB Jalen Hurts, and his potential as a Deebo Samuel-type weapon (1,216 yards and 12 TDs by way of 80 touches from scrimmage last season) would be a boon to any team while beautifully complementing 2021 first-rounder DeVonta Smith.”

16. Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

What they said: "With a 4.44 40 time, elite cover skills and smarts, he's pretty much made to order for a secondary that doesn't have a whole lot going for it aside from CB Darius Slay.”

19. George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue

What they said: "In two full seasons (2019, 2021) for the Boilermakers, he compiled 13 sacks, 32 QB hits and 64 hurries. And with DE Derek Barnett on the open market, and Brandon Graham, who’s about to turn 34, trying to come back from a blown Achilles, Philadelphia clearly needs reinforcements off the edge.”

My take on the haul: We talked about Burks and Karlaftis already but we’ve seen McDuffie land with the Eagles a few times. The big knock on McDuffie is his lack of length. He’s just 5-11 and his arms are shorter than 30 inches. Some teams might not care about that but some teams would be scared to use the No. 16 pick on him because of it. But some team will overlook that and draft a very talented cornerback in a pretty good crop.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/2022-nfl-mock-draft-roundup-90-devonte-wyatt-eagles