The 2020 NFL Draft is less than a month away, which means that The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for every team. Each NFL team will be looked at heading into this year’s draft including what their needs are and who they could be targeting. The Philadelphia Eagles will be the 16th team evaluated.
Summary
In 2019 the Eagles managed to claw their way to the top of the NFC East, resulting in a home playoff game despite their 9-7 record. They would go on to lose that game to the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 17-9.
Injuries were the story of Philadelphia’s 2019-2020 season. Their receiving core was constantly decimated, which all started with the season-long loss of DeSean Jackson. The defense did not fair much better, as they landed in the bottom half of the NFL in most defensive stats. Quarterback Carson Wentz even went down (again), in the Wild Card Round due to a concussion. Veteran journeyman QB Josh McCown played in his first-ever playoff game after Wentz’s exit, but could not bring home the victory.
The Eagles had a very productive free agency, shoring up some needs. Defensive signings included Javon Hargrave, Will Parks and Nickell Robey-Coleman. Their biggest and most important signing was cornerback Darius Slay. The former Lion is a star pass-defender and will have an immediate impact.
Philly still has a long way to go to get back to their Super Bowl-ready roster. Here is a look at what they can do in the draft to return to the big game.
2020 NFL Draft Picks
The Eagles have eight picks in the 2020 NFL Draft
First Round (one pick) – No. 21
Second Round (one pick) – No. 53
Third Round (one pick) – No. 103
Fourth Round (three picks) – No. 127, No. 145, No. 146
Fifth Round (one pick) – No. 168
Sixth Round (one pick) – No. 190
Team Needs
Wide Receiver – As stated above, the Eagles had a deluge of injuries at the wide receiver position. Their top-flight talents were not effective while they were healthy, and their backups were even worse. They have a lot of work to do at this position.
Quarterback – If Philadelphia is going to keep rolling with the injury-prone Wentz, they need a ready and able backup.
Linebacker – The team has basically no starting-caliber linebackers. It is beyond time to completely shake up this area of the roster.
2020 NFL Draft Targets
First Round:
Pick No. 21: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
In his three years at LSU, Queen racked up 131 combined tackles, with 59 of them coming solo. He only had four sacks in his career, but keep in mind he played in the still-tough SEC.
2019 was his breakout year, as he collected three sacks, 85 combined tackles, two defended passes and even an interception. He also managed to recover a fumble on the season as well. His biggest game came against the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff. He was a standout as the LSU Tigers defeated Clemson 42-25.
A rangey linebacker that comes from a winning culture is exactly what Philadelphia needs. At pick 21, he will be the best linebacker available, and the Eagles need to waste no time on overhauling the position. Queen is an excellent start.
Second Round:
Pick No. 53: Laviska Shenault, Jr., WR, Colorado
2018 was actually Shenault’s most productive year at Colorado. He scored 11 total touchdowns (six receiving, five rushing), and hauled in 86 passes for 1,011 yards. That makes for a massive 11.8 yards per catch. He rushed the ball 17 times for 115 yards, which is good for 6.8 yards per carry.
Last year, he totaled only six touchdowns (four receiving, two rushing) and caught only 56 passes for 764 yards. These numbers are not bad, but they are a marked step back from his wonderful sophomore campaign. Regardless, it is clear he can be a huge threat in the right offense.
Shenault is clearly a playmaker who can have an impact on the game in a multitude of ways. With the way the NFL is going, using more trickery and handing the ball off to receivers, he could be a boon to a new-look offense.
Featured Image courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles
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