Draft Week - My Top 25 for the Eagles

[Rey]

No QB's or TE's in my Top 25. as I doubt the Birds look at either position in Rd 1.

#1 Jalen Carter DL
** To me he's just one of two Blue Chippers (Bijan Robinson the other). When he's on his game he can be a beast as a 3 Tech and next to Jordan Davis would make for a great starting duo for years to come.

#2 Will Anderson DL
** I don't have Anderson as a Blue Chipper as I think a lot of his production has to do with great scheming where he ended up either unblocked or seldom double teamed. It won't be that easy at the pro level, but he's still good enough overall be a staple for you on the edge. Excellent against the run despite his 245-250 lb playing weight and is a lock for at least 7-8 sacks per year.

#3 Tyree Wilson DL
** His upside as a pass rusher is higher than Anderson and I think he can rush from the inside as well with his size, strength and arm length. The only reason I don't have him over Anderson is his get off; the dude is always the last one off the ball. If he can ever fix that he has the traits to be a dominant Lineman.

#4 Bijan Robinson RB
** I get that the position is devalued as RB's have a short shelf life, but what a fun 5 years on Offense if we add this kid. Offense would be top 3 in the league.

#5 Paris Johnson OT
** Protecting Jalen moving forward is a must and he would immediately upgrade both LT and RT backup positions while also battling Jurgens for the starting RG spot.

#6 Devon Witherspoon CB
** Immediately the #1 backup for all CB spots including the slot. Both starting Corners will be 30 or over to start the year and you can never have enough Corners in today's pass happy league.

#7 Christian Gonzalez CB
** Not as pro ready as Witherspoon, but he's almost 2 years younger and has insane traits if you're thinking more long term upside. Maybe you can even cross train Gonzalez in a hybrid Safety role.

#8 Broderick Jones OL
** He's pretty much a rawer' (is that a word?) Paris Johnson. I think he would actually be better if you are looking at using him as Guard than Paris would be. He is great at pulling and finding targets to hit at the 2nd level. He has all the traits to play outside, but he's not as pro ready as Paris technically.

#9 Nolan Smith Edge/LB
** If Smith played at Bama and was used in the Will Anderson role he may have been a 15 Sack per year guy. At Georgia he was used to set the Edge as his primary role or used for his quickness to fill running lanes. His lack of Sacks isn't lack of pass rushing ability, it's due to scheme. I project him to be a menace at the pro level if used in a Hassaan Reddick type role. Scheme-wise you can use him anywhere due to his athletic ability and strength for his weight.

#10 Jaxson Smith-Njigba WR
** Much like Bijan's impact to the Offense, if you plug JSN into our starting slot position, this team's passing game becomes pretty much un-guardable. Forget JSN's 2022 season as he was hurt and didn't want to do any further damage to the hammy before hitting the pros, but he's an elite option as a slot receiver. Before anyone talks about his 4.5 speed, remember Cooper Kupp ran a 4.62. JSN's 3-Cone and Short Shuttle times were elite times and that's what you want in the slot.

#11 Brian Branch Slot/S
** Instincts, leadership, intelligence, quickness to the ball and tackle ability are top notch. Long speed is the only problem with Branch and the reason he's not slated to go higher. I think he would be a great replacement for CGJ and an immediate starter for us at Safety.

#12 Brian Bresee DT
** This kid's just has a string of bad luck between injuries and family issues, but when you look deeper, he has a ton of upside as an interior pass rusher. He would be an excellent match next to Jordan Davis if we can't get our hands on Jalen Carter.

#13 Will McDonald Edge
** I'm a sucker for Edge rushers with great get off and bend around the edge. Plus, he has counter moves and can chase down. Is he an every down player off the jump? probably not, but we don't need an every down player in 2023, he has the frame to add some pounds within his first couple of years. I'm higher on McDonald than the consensus.

#14 Myles Murphy DE
** Size and athletic #'s is exactly what you want to see, but when you look at production it's very average for some reason. His go-to move it just trying to beat Tackles around the corner and if that doesn't work there's not enough plan B going on. There's enough there to use a top 20 pick on him and hope with better coaching he can further develop.

#15 Deonte Banks CB
** This kid should be getting more hype as a top 20 pick. Scheme diverse with excellent tools. Again, our Corners are not young, and Banks would make for an excellent apprentice / top backup.

#16 Peter Skoronski OG
** I do not see Skoronski as a Tackle; I see him as a Guard only, but a really good one as he's excellent at sealing defenders and his IQ is very high at reading what defenses are going to throw at him. He's an immediate starter at RG for us, but without the ability to eventually move outside, his value is limited to us. It's not just the short arms, but he has a problem anchoring against players who are good with speed to power.

#17 Calijah Kancy DT
** Size and level of competition keep Kancy from being to high on the list, but this kid is an impressive pass rusher any way you slice it and has plenty of power despite his size. He will be very difficult to block for less athletic Guards and should be pretty productive as long as used correctly. He could be the Hassaan Reddick of DT's, but there's also a chance he can't overcome the size disadvantage so easily once the level of comp gets raised. I'm betting he sticks around, and it wouldn't shock me to see him rack up a 10+ Sack season at some point.

#18 Lukas Van Ness DL
** Great traits and size, but he's a project aside from a bull rush. Really smart kid and a great interview. Has upside at both End and Tackle once he develops some moves and countermoves. Very little college tread on the tires.

#19 Zay Flowers WR
** He's 5'10" and under 180 lbs, but I love his route running, feistiness, quickness and deep play ability. Immediately would be your top option at slot receiver but can also line up outside. Just another weapon we can add if still there at pick 30. I have him as my #2 WR behind JSN.

#20 Matthew Bergeron OL
** Here's a dude I really like. Nasty run blocker at OT with size and decent athleticism to block at all levels. Needs footwork help to play outside against speed, but he has the traits to eventually play out there. I think he's an option at RG from day one and I really like his upside to play anywhere once Stoutland tutors him.

#21 Jack Campbell LB
** I love Captain Jack! Old school, big LB who can move, stuff the run, but also drop well in coverage with a great feel for the game. Ran a 4.65 at 6'5" 250 lbs with a great 3 cone and impressive vertical and broad. I would love to see the Birds break tradition and snag him at 30 if still there.

#22 Steve Avila OG
** I think Avila is a legit target for us at 30. The best pure Guard in the draft from what I've seen and would be a plug and play at RG.

#23 Jahmyr Gibbs RB
** Simply an explosive option at RB with excellent receiving skills to boot. If not Bijan early, Gibbs becomes a real possibility later in Rd 1. Not an every down option like Bijan would be, however, he may be a better option for a role in the committee system.

#24 Kelee Ringo DB
** Ringo may end up being a pro Safety/CB hybrid. Excellent size/speed combo to play different roles under the right toot ledge.

#25 Darnell Wright OL
** Overall, he doesn't have the athletic traits Paris or Jones do, but as a pure pass protecting RT he's probably the best of the bunch. Run blocking wise, he's just average. If he were better in run blocking I'd have him higher as he would possibly be in the mix at RG, but after watching him I'd say his future is "only" at RT unless Stoutland thinks that he can make him a Guard early. His pass protection as a RG would be pretty special, but he needs to fix that run blocking.

 

[MidMoFo]

That’s a nice list… I have the same top 5. 
 

If those 5 are off the board, I’d start looking to trade down…

[Rey]

I think a trade down remains really likely ... we don't have enough picks this year for Howie to make a move up. We can always trade future picks, but do you really want to use future capital on a relatively weak draft?  I think this may be the year to just wait at 10, hope someone you want drops ... and if not then just trade back.