The NFL season is almost over, so the NFL Draft will be slowly approaching and the prospects are the top stories. The Philadelphia Eagles own the No. 6 draft pick in this year’s draft, so there are plenty of names to consider.
Howie Roseman has not displayed strong drafting ability as of the last several years, but he can redeem himself. There are numerous holes in the Philadelphia roster that the draft could help to address, especially with the first round. Philadelphia has the chance to get a day-one gamechanger in the draft at No. 6, but they can screw up just as easily. Certain positions are in much higher demand for Philadelphia while others should not warrant a first-round selection. Although the available players are all intriguing, only a handful should be strongly considered for their high draft pick.
Ja’Marr Chase (Wide Receiver/Louisiana State University)
The highly coveted LSU star will be a tough name to get and hope he drops to No. 6, but if he’s available, he is hard to pass up. Ja’Marr Chase opted out of the 2020 NCAA season to focus on training for the NFL Combine and Draft, so he was not able to follow-up on his impressive 2019 season. Despite his opt-out, he has remained a top wide receiver prospect, behind only Devonta Smith of Alabama. Selecting Smith in the draft would be momentous, but he is a luxury who will likely be gone within the first three picks. As far as wide receivers go, Chase is Philadelphia’s best chance to gain an elite pass-catcher. Chase has remained a top prospect because of his fantastic 2019 season which featured 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. Being able to achieve that amount of production with Justin Jefferson playing alongside him was impressive, to say the least. Philadelphia has been in need of a reliable and overall solid receiver for a while and this is their chance to get one, for either Carson Wentz or Jalen Hurts.
Drafting Status: Likely Top Choice
Patrick Surtain II (Cornerback/University of Alabama)
Patrick Surtain II was Alabama’s clear-cut No. 1 defensive back and Nick Saban’s most trusted option to have in the secondary for the National Champions. Surtain is very trustworthy in the secondary, he plays smart and hardly ever slips up, which is no surprise for an Alabama player. His numbers are not anything outstanding or immaculate, but that is because the coverage he puts on receivers causes the ball to not be thrown his way very often. He compiled 25 passes defended, four interceptions and around 100 tackles in three seasons. In Surtain’s case, relatively smaller numbers play into his favor because it speaks to his impressive ability to cover. His three years at Alabama were all equally as solid and impressive as one another. Surtain was able to uphold his elite reputation against SEC talent, as well as the other top teams in the nation. Surtain’s ability to maintain his fantastic play has boosted him up the draft boards. Surtain will likely be there at No. 6 and he would be a huge help to a Philadelphia secondary that needs to improve.
Drafting Status: Most Reliable Option
Micah Parsons (Linebacker/Penn State University)
James Franklin‘s top linebacker opted-out of the 2020 NCAA season which may have played a role in Penn State’s unfortunate season. Micah Parsons is a special player who can compete everywhere on the defense; his athletic ability and dominance is nothing to ignore. Parsons is an impressive player and he showed that in 2019, racking up 109 total tackles, five sacks and four forced fumbles. While he is a great linebacker who commands a defense, drafting Parsons with the No. 6 pick is not the best move for Philadelphia. The Eagles linebacker core is not very impressive at all, as the leading tackler, this season was the ex-CFL and undrafted linebacker Alex Singleton. Yes, bringing in Parsons could potentially boost the defense thoroughly, but drafting a linebacker at No. 6 should not be the plan for Philadelphia. The Eagles have much more dire needs than they do at linebacker, like wide receiver or defensive back. Despite the difference that he could make for the Eagles defense, using the No. 6 pick on a linebacker is not the best move.
Drafting Status: Risky and Unnecessary
Yet, it is quite impossible to know who Roseman and his staff will decide to take. Their last couple of drafts have not been the brightest moments for the franchise. Philadelphia has only drafted one Pro Bowl player since 2014, that player being Carson Wentz. The track record of the Eagles in NFL Drafts lately is quite embarrassing, so perhaps they will change that this year. Philadelphia is certainly a team to simply wait and see what happens because anything can happen with them.
Featured image courtesy of SB Nation/Bleeding Green Nation
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