Now that the major free agent signings have been finalized, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be looking at the top three needs for each team heading into the 2015 NFL Draft. Today, the Philadelphia Eagles are the focus. The Eagles have the 20th pick in the first round and they are looking to return to the playoffs after a disappointing finish eliminated them in the regular season last year.
Philadelphia Eagles 2015 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Secondary
The Eagles need one starter at cornerback and one starter at safety, so I decided to combine the needs into one category. Byron Maxwell was given a lucrative contract in free agency to start at cornerback and Malcolm Jenkins will start at safety in Philadelphia for his second season. However, the other two starting positions in the secondary are wide open. Fortunately for the Eagles, safety Nate Allen, cornerback Bradley Fletcher, and cornerback Cary Williams left in free agency. While the Eagles signed cornerbacks Walter Thurmond and E.J. Biggers for depth in free agency, neither are worthy of starting on the outside.
The Eagles have a few intriguing options to fix this hole in the first round. At safety, Landon Collins is the only first-round option, but he would make an excellent duo with Malcolm Jenkins. However, he probably won’t be on the board by the time the Eagles are on the clock unless they trade up. At cornerback, Trae Waynes, Kevin Johnson, and Marcus Peters are the top options. Kevin Johnson seems like the most realistic option, as Waynes will most likely be off the board and Peters has off-field troubles that might drop him out of the first round.
Wide Receiver
Leading receiver Jeremy Maclin went to the Chiefs in free agency, leaving a huge void at receiver that must be filled. Jordan Matthews had a good rookie season, but the Eagles need another good receiver. Riley Cooper was exposed last season and Josh Huff only had eight catches in his rookie season. Miles Austin was signed in free agency, but he is injury-prone and nothing more than an average slot receiver at this point in his career.
The wide receiver class is very solid this year so the Eagles should be able to pick up a decent receiver at some point in the draft. I would be shocked if they landed a receiver in the first round, but anything after that is possible. Nelson Agholor, Devin Smith, and Sammie Coates are a few intriguing second-round options, but that would require a slight fall on draft day for one of them.
Quarterback
Now that Nick Foles is gone, the quarterback situation in Philadelphia is even more puzzling. Chip Kelly must have something up his sleeve, as I can’t see Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez leading this team to the playoffs. Bradford suffered severe knee injuries in two consecutive seasons while Sanchez was a major reason the Eagles blew a playoff spot during the second half of 2014.
Many fans in Philadelphia are praying that the Eagles will execute a miraculous trade to land Marcus Mariota on draft day. While the scheme fit is tantalizing, the Eagles would need to dish out a ton of assets in order to jump past 15 or more teams. To put this into perspective, the Redskins traded three first-round picks and a second-round pick to move up only four selections in 2012 to draft Robert Griffin III. Add in the fact that the Eagles already traded LeSean McCoy, who could have been a valuable asset in a trade for Mariota, and the trade seems even more unlikely. If the Eagles can’t get Mariota, they might trade up in the second round to draft Brett Hundley, a mobile quarterback who would also fit into Kelly’s offensive scheme.
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