There is a lot of talk on what the Philadelphia Eagles will be doing with the 20th pick of this year’s NFL Draft. Much of the discussion is on whether or not they will be trading up to go after Oregon’s Marcus Mariota who has ties with Chip Kelly. This approach to the draft is very risky and would cost the Eagles too much. While the idea to Chip is most likely fun to think about, it just is not logical. When you think about the risk/reward here it just does not make sense.
There are other areas that need improvement which have higher priority than wasting current and future picks on one guy. The secondary is a key issue that needs to be addressed and if they are not during free agency, we expect to see them addressed in the draft. We all know as fans that we have a definite issue with our two starting cornerbacks, so expect this to be a top priority. The Eagles will also be looking to upgrade their secondary with a higher caliber safety to play with Malcolm Jenkins.
Round 1 Scenarios for Eagles
Here are six names that we feel should be on the Eagles radar for round one in the upcoming NFL Draft:
Trae Waynes – cornerback, Michigan State
Jalen Collins – cornerback, LSU
Landon Collins – safety, Alabama
Shaq Thompson – safety/linebacker, Washington
Marcus Peters – cornerback Washington
What we have been seeing from most mocks and hearing from multiple analysts is that the Eagles should be drafting Marcus Peters with the 20th pick. One big time draft expert has some other thoughts. Mike Mayock, an NFL draft analyst, says with the 20th pick in the 2015 draft the Eagles should select Jalen Collins. Mayock explains that Collins fits the Philadelphia defensive scheme to a ‘T’. He’s 6 foot 2, plays press coverage, and can get right in the action and tackle. This is everything that Billy Davis needs at cornerback.
Collins, an underclassmen from LSU, had a quiet 2014 season with 33 tackles, one interception, and nine pass breakups. Not a bad season but it doesn’t show that he does have some raw talent. Unlike Peters, Collins does not have off-field issues which is a plus for the Eagles and more in line with Chip Kelly’s philosophy. Another interesting player that comes up in the Eagles draft day discussion is Trae Waynes. Waynes has a lot of upside but in all honesty may not be available at the 20th pick. Waynes played well during his time at Michigan State and was a major force on their defense.
Another need for the Eagles is safety. This year’s draft class does not have too many candidates at the safety position, which means Philadelphia may have to spend the 20th pick on this position. Most analysts have the Eagles grabbing one of two safeties, Landon Collins out of Alabama or Shaq Thompson from Washington. Collins might be the safest option at safety due to his productivity but as we all know Chip loves versatility and that’s what Thompson can bring. He’s a mutli-purpose player who can double up as a linebacker and safety. He recently is getting compared to certain legion of boom member, Kam Chancellor.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter –@LWOS_PScofield. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo:
