Eagles In a Good Spot with Pick #15
Okay. There are 14 spots that would be better. But there is more value found in the first round than one might think.
It’s easy to see when you witness the disparity between the experts’ draft boards and the accompanying mock drafts. Order and value don’t line up because the top ten teams are reeling from last season, trying to pinpoint the glaring need that can move them forward from last year’s disaster. Most of these teams are in the market for quarterbacks. Indianapolis, Washington, Cleveland, Jacksonville and Miami will all be looking to address the position, with only three names floating around in the top ten value range (Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill, ostensibly). Some of those teams could be mulling the move back to the middle of the round, where Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler and Kirk Cousins will be available with less pressure to turn into franchise players in their first year.
While I’m not advocating that the Eagles should move up, they’ve shown the willingness to do so as those first few picks round out their board. According to the conventional draft-value charts, the Eagles have the ammunition to move as high as the #4 pick overall. The question at this point becomes, “Where do the Eagles want to get better?” There have to be a number of positions to this point that the Eagles are reasonably comfortable with or they wouldn’t have set about re-signing so many of last year’s starters as free agency struck. So here are a few to consider:
1. Linebacker – The focus of the fan’s admiration to this point has been Boston College’s 
inside linebacker, Luke Kuechly. With DeMeco Ryans in the fold, that need might not be what the organization had in mind. If things fall right, the Eagles might be willing to trade their first and one second round picks to move up for Kuechly but it doesn’t seem realistic to look for two dedicated middle linebackers despite the Eagles inclination to move players around. A player to watch at #15 is OLB Courtney Upshaw, who disappointed some at the combine but was really stood out a month earlier at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The Eagles put a lot of stock in what happens at the Senior Bowl, as evidenced by recent first round selections Brandon Graham and Danny Watkins, two Senior Bowl stand-outs.
2. Defensive Tackle – The Eagles had a strong rotation at defensive tackle in 2011, with Mike Patterson, Cullen Jenkins, Derek Landri and Antonio Dixon working through the line-up. Dixon tore his triceps in week four and was placed on injured reserve and without him in the line-up, the Eagles were not anchored with the necessary mass to hold the run. Although I personally believe that the Eagles should make an effort to bring back Landri, a penetrating pass-rusher in the middle, they might need to make an effort to get bigger in 
the middle. At pick #8, Dontari Poe could be in play. He was a workout wonder at this year’s combine and has been compared to Baltimore’s Haloti Ngata, one of the league’s best. At #15, Penn State’s Devon Still is a viable option. A wildcard pick I’m mulling over is Quenton Coples. Yes, Coples is more suited to a defensive end position, but he has the versatility to move inside or outside and he represents the type of player the Eagles wanted Victor Abiamiri to become: long-armed, and powerful with top end closing speed and the ability to disrupt in the middle.
3. Wide Receiver – The Eagles have the ability to move up to pick #4 and perhaps net the most coveted receiver in this year’s class, Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon. Measuring in at 6’0″, 207 lbs., Blackmon doesn’t have the size to separate himself from defenders in the red zone and in that way, he’s not able to separate himself from the skill-sets of starters
Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson. Meanwhile, the Eagles have the ability to bring in an impressive physical specimen like Michael Floyd at pick #15 (or later) to give Mike Vick a target who can go up and get the ball over coverage. Floyd has a few question marks on and off the field, but his upside is evident. The Eagles need to round out their arsenal at receiver with a player who can use his size to box out defenders and Floyd might just be the answer there.
4. Quarterback – To some, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles selecting a quarterback. Yes, Michael Vick struggled at times last year but the real questions from the fans revolve around the ability to plan ahead. To some, this is a make-or-break year for Andy Reid and the time for projects and potential has passed us by. That’s not the way I see it. The Eagles need to have a viable back-up in place behind Vick, who has had a hard time staying 
healthy through 16 games his entire career. At pick #7, Ryan Tannehill could very well be in play. Tannehill has already made strides in his quarterback ability under Aggies coach Mike Sherman. Mike Sherman and Andy Reid are both products of Mike Holmgren’s coaching tree.
5. Safety – There’s only one name on the list, and it’s Mark Barron. It’s hard to imagine the Eagles trading up for him but if he makes it passed the Cowboys at #14, they’re going to have to give a long hard look at Jaiquawn Jarrett and Kurt Coleman. I really believe that
DeMeco Ryans is going to improve a lot of what is happening on the defensive side of the ball but there needs to be leadership and communication from the defensive secondary as well. It’s something that has been sorely lacking since the departure of Brian Dawkins in 2009. Barron has been a leader on Alabama’s defense since he stepped into the starting spot in 2009. He’s in the process of bouncing back from hernia surgery in January but his pro day will say a lot about where he is with his recovery. Expect the Eagles to be in attendance.
The Eagles are in a position to address a number of needs in the first two rounds of the draft and none of the needs I’ve listed are insurmountable, even if they’re just picking up role players with their mid-round picks. There is certainly the possibility they’ll be looking for the best player available with any of their picks and they’re in a good position with their current crop of starters to do just that. I’m not sure that they’ll ever adopt an approach of reaching solely on the basis of needs but they’ve never been afraid to stretch out for the right talent and they have the ability to move up or down. As talented players slide and other teams make their run on one position or another, the Eagles might be wise to stay put and let the right guy fall to them or even move back and cast a wide net with mid-round draft picks. They’ve had success there before.
