EAGLES: Summing up the Eagles draft

Nate Allen aka the "Donovan McNabb pick"...can he fill in for Sheldon Brown?

At the end of the day, there’s not too much to critique about the Eagles draft. They did what they needed to do. They addressed their main problems from last season by taking nine defensemen in their 13 picks (their first five and six of their first eight). Andy Reid and Howie Roseman practically revamped their defensive line (three DE’s and one DT) and added a few key players to their secondary (two safeties and one cornerback) and linebacker core (three).

Even though I was a bit skeptical at first, articles about safety Nate Allen (South Florida) swayed me with the pick. Apparently former Eagle J.R. Reed has worked with Allen first-hand and gave the Eagles insight into his talent and ability to fill Brian Dawkins’ old role at safety. Allen’s numbers were best during his senior season (4 interceptions and 55 tackles) despite only playing seven games for the Bulls. In order to fill that void, Allen will have to beat out Macho Harris, Quintin Demps and Marlin Jackson.

I also like the decision to go with Daniel Te’o-Nesheim. He was a force for Washington during his collegiate career, notching 11 sacks on the season and 30 ½ during his four years (school record). He is a bit undersized, but he had a great outing during his combine: second-fastest in the 3-cone drill and third-best 20-yard shuttle at his position.

Sapp could be a big steal for the Eagles if he stays healthy

Although once considered a first round draft pick in 2009, Kentucky’s Trevard Lindley missed most of his senior season with a high ankle sprain. He played in 48 games, totaling 10 interceptions, 189 tackles, 44 pass break-ups and three fumble recoveries while earning first-team All-SEC honors as a junior in 2008. If his health is not a major concern, this might have been a good steal for the Eagles at the cornerback position.

One of the best defensive picks in my opinion was Ricky Sapp. The former Clemson Tiger is reckless and compiled 16 sacks and 160 tackles during his four years. He could be a big help to pass protection because one of his biggest strengths is getting to the quarterback. The only big concern is his history of an ACL tear during his junior season in college.

Kafka is a good third string option at quarterback

On the offensive side of the ball, the front office selected Mike Kafka (QB: Northwestern), Clay Harbor (TE: Missouri State), Riley Cooper (WR: Florida), and Charles Scott (RB: LSU). Kafka will be a solid third string option behind Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. He had a great senior year for the Wildcats and led them to a 8-4 record with 16 touchdown passes.

Wide receiver Riley Cooper had a standout senior season for the Gators. Despite only racking in 535 yards and nine touchdowns in his first three seasons, Cooper became Tim Tebow’s favorite target last season and finished with 961 yards and nine touchdowns. He has good height at 6-3, which will help him standout during training camp as he competes for the four and five spots on the depth chart.

For a look at scouting reports for the other draft picks, click here.

The only main issue I had with the Eagles draft was the lack of attention toward the offensive line. Even though scouts say offensive linemen are the hardest to draft, I still think the Eagles should have focused on bulking up their line after a treacherous 2009 season. Considering Kevin Kolb has yet to prove himself as a quarterback that can throw the ball 40 times a game, shouldn’t the Eagles focus on giving him and the running game a little protection? I’m sure the Eagles will sign a number of undrafted offensive linemen in the next few weeks before mini camps begin, but will that solve the problems? I’m not saying I disliked the defensive mentality in the draft, but I do think the Eagles are forgetting how little their offense was able to do at some points during last season.

Now we wait and see if any of these draft picks become DeSean Jackson’s or Trent Cole’s.

EAGLES: A Successful First Day of the Draft

For the eighth straight season, the Philadelphia Eagles traded their first round pick. Similar to last year, the Eagles were able to get the guy they were going after all along. They traded their 24^th pick and two third round picks to move to the 13^th spot. With that the Eagles selected defensive end Brandon Graham from the University of Michigan.

Will Graham be the defensive threat the Eagles are looking for?

There is not much arguing with this selection. Although I was a bit surprised the Eagles didn’t go after safety Earl Thomas, it was a safe and smart move to pick up Graham. He is a bit undersized, but that is how the Eagles tend to like their defensive ends. He is a hair under 6-2 and weighs in at 268 pounds. Graham describes himself as “a great pass- rusher, a disruptive run-stopper, a high-motor guy, a humble guy.”

Scouts are calling Graham the twin brother to Trent Cole. They are practically identical in stature and will most likely play opposite of each other next season. This could be the person the Eagles have been desperately searching for to take pressure off of Cole. Darren Howard was unable to fill the void last season, Juqua Parker is getting older, and Victor Abiamiri has yet to perform to his fullest potential.

During his tenure at Michigan, Graham recorded 29 ½ sacks and 56 tackles for losses. He is a great pass rusher, which is something the Eagles have been searching for. Just take the two games against Dallas as examples of that problem.

While acquiring Graham was a great decision, arguably the best part of the move was that the Eagles didn’t have to give up either of their second round draft picks. They held on to their 37^th pick (from Washington in the McNabb trade) and 55^th pick. Now the Eagles can focus on strengthening their secondary and potentially offensive line depending on who’s left in the draft. Going after a cornerback or safety is definitely their primary concern and the main notable names left on the board are safeties Taylor Mays (USC) and Nate Allen (South Florida) and corners Jerome Murphy (South Florida), Chris Cook (Virginia) and Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest).

Let’s see how it all unfolds on day two of the NFL draft.

EAGLES: Draft Picks

I was reading up on Philly.com and saw an article that listed the Eagles picks for the upcoming draft. Isn’t it scary to think that the draft is almost upon us? For those of you who are unsure of the Eagles draft picks, here it is on paper:

Here are the Eagles’ 2010 draft picks:

First round: 24th overall (Own pick).

Second round: 37th overall (Acquired from Washington for QB Donovan McNabb).

Second round: 55th overall (Own pick).

Third round: 70th overall (Acquired from Seattle in 2009 draft-day trade).

Third round: 87th overall (Own pick).

Fourth round: 105th overall (Acquired from Cleveland with LB Alex Hall for CB Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong).

Fourth round: 121st overall (Own pick).

Fifth round: 137th overall (Acquired from Cleveland with LB Alex Hall for Brown and Gocong).

Sixth round: 200th overall (Acquired from Indianapolis in 2009 draft-day trade).

Seventh round: 243d overall (Compensatory pick).

Seventh round: 244th overall (Compensatory pick).

An analysis and predictions on picks soon to come. Enjoy the NHL playoffs and the Roy Halladay show.