The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the better track records over the last decade when it comes to the NFL Draft. However, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. The NFL Draft is an inexact science, and misses are inevitable. There weren’t that many to choose from, but here are the worst Philadelphia Eagles draft picks of the past decade.
Note that this list only includes players drafted from 2010 to 2017, as it’s too early to make any declarations about the players drafted in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, this list only factors in player contributions from their time with the Eagles. For example, Eric Rowe made a decent career for himself, but he makes this list since he didn’t help the Philadelphia Eagles.
Worst Philadelphia Eagles NFL Draft Picks of the Past Decade
5. Eric Rowe, 47th Overall
Cornerback Eric Rowe wasn’t a bad pick as much as he was a victim of circumstance. Selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Rowe actually had a decent season for the 2015 Eagles. However, that season was an absolute disaster, and head coach Chip Kelly lost his job at the end of the campaign. Rowe simply didn’t fit with Doug Pederson and the new coaching staff, so the team traded him away to the New England Patriots for a 2018 fourth-round pick. The Eagles made the most of said selection, dealing it to the Miami Dolphins for Jay Ajayi’s services.
Rowe, of course, went on to have a decent career in New England and Miami. The former second-round pick helped New England win two separate Super Bowls before finding a new home with Brian Flores and the Miami Dolphins. However, his success away from Philadelphia does nothing to help the Eagles, which qualifies him for this list.
4. Jaiquawn Jarrett, 54th Overall
It’s hard to know exactly what the Eagles saw in safety Jaiquawn Jarrett. Phildelphia took the Temple product in the back half of the 2011 NFL Draft expecting him to be the safety of the future. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. Jarrett appeared in 12 games for the “Dream Team”, making two starts. He recorded just 17 tackles during his time on the field and couldn’t make a difference in a bad secondary. Jarrett made the roster in 2012 but was released after just one game. After spending the rest of 2012 out of football, Jarrett spent three seasons with the New York Jets. He hasn’t appeared in a game since 2015 and definitely wasn’t worth the second-round selection.
3. Sidney Jones, 43rd Overall
Sidney Jones still has time to turn it around, but the first three years have not been kind to him. Selected with the 43rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Jones has struggled to lock down a secondary that has been inconsistent at best over his three years in the league. In 2019, he struggled to fend off Rasul Douglas and Ronald Darby and was a healthy scratch on a few occasions. Hopefully he can take a leap in 2020, but his first three years have left a lot to be desired.
2. Marcus Smith, 26th Overall
Nobody expected Marcus Smith to be a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but Chip Kelly believed there was something special in the edge defender out of Louisville. As it turns out, Kelly was wrong. Smith struggled to get on the field during his time in Philadelphia, and didn’t make an impact when given a chance. As a rookie, Smith somehow managed to appear in eight games without recording a single sack or tackle. He didn’t improve with time, as he recorded just four sacks and 23 tackles without making a start during his three years with the Eagles. Seattle and Washington kicked the tires on Smith, but couldn’t get anything out of the former first-round pick.
1. Danny Watkins, 23rd Overall
What can be said about the Danny Watkins selection that has not already been said? If you’re going to draft a 26-year old guard in the first round, you should at least make sure he’s able to play at an NFL level first. A 12-game starter for the aforementioned Dream Team, Watkins was the weak link for the offensive line in each of his two seasons with the Eagles. Philadelphia eventually moved on, with Howie Roseman saying that Watkins lacked the “innate toughness” to last in the NFL. After a brief cameo with the Miami Dolphins, Watkins retired to be a firefighter.
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