The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2020 NFL Draft with a few needs at crucial positions, including safety. While the team already addressed the secondary by acquiring Darius Slay, they could still use another body or two. The upcoming NFL Draft should have plenty of safety talent, and the Eagles could find multiple contributors at any point in the draft.
One Philadelphia Eagles Safety in Each Round of the 2020 NFL Draft
First Round: Xavier McKinney [NFL Draft Profile]
The Eagles probably won’t go with a safety in the first round, but if they do, Alabama’s Xavier McKinney is the perfect guy for the job. McKinney boasts the versatility teams crave, as he has the ability to play free safety, strong safety, and slot cornerback. More importantly, he can do all three at a high level. He’s the perfect defensive weapon for the modern NFL and should be able to contribute right out of the gate.
Honorable Mention: Grant Delpit
Second Round: Ashtyn Davis
Ashtyn Davis is one of the biggest sleepers in the upcoming NFL Draft. He’s not quite as good as McKinney or Delpit, but he’s not far behind them. A freak athlete, Davis has the speed to cover the deep part of the field and he has the range to get just about everywhere. Like McKinney, he can move into the box and slot, although he’s clearly at his best in the deep part of the field. He’s probably the last instant-impact starter the Eagles could realistically hope to get at this point in the draft.
Honorable Mention: Antoine Winfield Jr.
Third Round: Terrell Burgess [NFL Draft Profile]
Terrell Burgess is basically a poor man’s version of McKinney. Like McKinney, Burgess boasts tremendous coverage skills and can break early on passes thanks to his above-average football IQ. He can drop into the slot when necessary and has impressive burst. However, unlike McKinney, there is a notable drop off when he drops to cornerback, and he struggles to cover bigger wide receivers. Additionally, he only started one year and has his share of good and bad games.
Honorable Mention: K’Von Wallace
Fourth Round: Brandon Jones [NFL Draft Profile]
While the first three players on this list are best suited for free safety, Brandon Jones is at his best near the line of scrimmage. He’s great in zone coverage, although he probably doesn’t have the range to be the lone guy over the top in Cover 1 situations. He’s a physical hitter that doesn’t miss many tackles and has the potential to be a solid coverage option against tight ends and slot receivers.
Honorable Mention: Kenny Robinson
Fifth Round: Geno Stone [NFL Draft Profile]
Geno Stone can be good in a very specific role. The Iowa product is at his best playing in the deep part of the field, reading the quarterback, and making breaks in zone. He had a terrible performance at the NFL Combine, but his tape suggests he’s more athletic than the numbers show. He’s not great against the run, and he hardly ever played man coverage. It’s hard to see him becoming anything more than an average starter, but that’s still a good value in the fifth.
Honorable Mention: Julian Blackmon
Sixth Round: Antoine Brooks [NFL Draft Profile]
Antoine Brooks isn’t going to do much against the pass, but he’s a great presence to have as an early-down run stuffer. He’s hard-hitting, physical and seemed to have fixed his tackling issues in 2019. While that skill set isn’t too valuable in today’s day and age, it’s certainly worth a sixth-round pick.
Honorable Mention: Tanner Muse
Seventh Round: Shyheim Carter
Shyheim Carter was a cornerback in college, but he doesn’t have the speed to play the position at the NFL level. He’ll need to move to safety, where his above-average instincts and ability to diagnose routes can better mask his speed. Again, he’s not a true Cover 1 guy, but he can be a nice depth option for clear passing downs.
Honorable Mention: David Dowell
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