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DRAFT Eagles News Opinion

Full Eagles Mock Draft

13 March 2018 DRAFT Eagles News Opinion

The Philadelphia Eagles have six draft picks (as of right now) for the 2018 NFL Draft. With the team and the success the Eagles had last season, there are no “needs”, all you do now is add depth, which is critical for any professional football team. The Eagles are low on cap space, so some of these picks could very well be traded, but the birds have to make the most of the six draft picks they have. Here is the way I think it could play out…

1ST ROUND, NO. 32: DJ Chark, WR, LSU

The birds just recently traded two wideouts from last season, Torrey Smith and Marcus Johnson, which makes that position group a whole lot thinner. Smith, who started last season, will probably be replaced with Mack Hollins. However, behind the starting three of Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Hollins, the position group does not have much production. The wide receiver position for the Eagles lacks more depth than any other position on the team.

Chark is a wide receiver out of LSU, and he just might be the guy to replace Mack Hollins place from last season, providing valuable minutes off the bench. Chark is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, and he possesses 4.3 speed, as he ran a 4.34 in his 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Along with that, he managed to pump out 16 reps on the bench press, and a very impressive 40′ vertical.

At LSU, Chark improved every season. His final season, he managed to haul in 40 catches for 874 yards and found the end zone three times. Those numbers are not jaw-dropping, but you have to look deeper into it. The quarterback and offensive line position were very inconsistent over his tenure at LSU. A lot of missed throws and a lot of times where he couldn’t fully get through his route without the quarterback getting pressured. Chark’s numbers do not give the most accurate representation of the player he is.

PRO COMPARISON: Jordan Matthews

Chark reminds me a lot of former Eagle, Jordan Matthews. However, they are a little different. I believe Chark is a lot faster and quicker in and out of his routes. Chark’s weakness comes against a press-man coverage, but he plays very well against zone coverage and a base man coverage.  With a Jordan Matthews build, but faster, quicker route running, Chark has a lot of potential in this league.

4TH ROUND, NO. 131: Jamarco Jones, OT, Ohio State

The biggest question on this one is if Jamarco Jones will be available at this pick. If so, it’s almost a no-brainer. The Eagles depth at tackle was shown last season when the bodyguard, Jason Peters, went down. Halapoulivaati Vaitai played well at times, but at other times, inconsistency was shown. Jones is projected to land anywhere from rounds two to four.

Jones has a lot of strengths; His athleticism is great for his size, he is quick laterally and off the snap. His strength is NFL-caliber, and it helps win him a lot of battles with his quick punch off the snap. On the other hand, Jones does not have great body control and fails to get lower than his opposition at times. Jones also gets tricked easily in certain blitzes and he struggles with speedy edge rushers.

PRO COMPARISON: Donald Penn

Donald Penn has been a great tackle in the league for awhile now, and Jones reminds me a lot of him. They both are downplayed for their size but are both more athletic than your average tackle. Also, both have great upper body strength that can help them when they fail to get leverage. With all of that said, Jones has the potential to have a lengthy NFL career as a starter. If the Eagles have the chance to draft him, he will improve greatly.

4TH ROUND, NO. 132: Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford

With the expected departures of Trey Burton and Brent Celek, the Eagles must have their mind on someone to fill those voids. That guy is Dalton Schultz. Schultz is the best all-around tight end in this draft. But again, the biggest question mark is his availability in this round. With the first round pick, Schultz would be a bit of a reach, but if they could land him here, it would be perfect.

Schultz is a blocker first and a receiver second, which is what the Eagles need to go alongside Zach Ertz. Speaking of Schultz and Ertz, the connection is there with the same alma mater, as they have reportedly been working out together over the offseason, which makes even more sense of this pick.

With his blocking ability, he can fill the void of Celek, and he is a big target, which can fill the void of Burton inside of the red zone. Schultz also put up some pretty impressive numbers in the combine. The 6-foot-6, 242-pound tight end ran a 4.75 40-yard dash, pumped out 15 reps on the bench press, and had a 32′ vertical. If Burton and Celek depart, this pick makes the most sense of any player the Eagles could draft this season.

PRO COMPARISON: Jack Doyle

Like Doyle, Schultz is an outstanding blocker, as well as a great threat inside the red zone. Schultz would start on some NFL teams, and he has the potential to make an immediate impact in midnight green.

ROUND 5, NO. 162: Micah Kiser, ILB, Virginia

Last season, when Jordan Hicks went down, the inconsistency at the middle linebacker position was a gigantic concern. The inside linebacker position needs youth, and it just makes sense for the birds to try and get a mid-round linebacker. Micah Kiser will be the guy to get. Kiser has the potential to be a great middle linebacker in this league.

At 6-foot-2, 240-pounds, Kiser displays great athleticism at the middle linebacker position. Kiser ran a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, along with a 35.5′ vertical. Kiser takes incredible angles on the ball, his pursuit abilities are something that can’t be taught. He is one of those guys in college that is labeled a “tackle machine”. Outside of his freshman season, Kiser managed to destroy the stat sheet, tallying up 393 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and 1 interception. Say what you want about him, but Kiser is a playmaker.

PRO COMPARISON: Danny Trevathan

I get really excited talking about Kiser because he reminds me a whole lot of Danny Trevathan, who was an “undersized” tackle machine at Kentucky before going to the league and proving his game could translate. Kiser is not a spitting image of Trevathan, as Trevathan is much quicker laterally from sideline to sideline, and much better in coverage. However, Kiser’s ability to sniff out the ball is very much alike. They both have a nose for the football and take unbelievable angles in pursuit of the football. Kiser would be a great fit in midnight green.

ROUND 6, NO. 206: TRADE FOR CASH

It is no secret, the birds are getting low on the cap space, which is why one of these picks will be traded to help that. I assume it will either be this pick in round six or the previous pick in the fifth round. Regardless, the Eagles are in need of some money.

ROUND 7, NO. 226, 248, or 250: Skai Moore, OLB, South Carolina

I had the pleasure of following Skai Moore for the previous three seasons as the Gamecocks were rivals with the Kentucky Wildcats. Moore may go undrafted, but he will be available here. If they don’t draft him, the Eagles could possibly trade this pick to help the cap space, and sign Moore as an undrafted free agent. Either way, I believe Moore is absurdly underrated and can make an impact in this league.

Moore is just one of those guys that you call a “football player”. His combine stats didn’t open any eyes or drop any jaws, but the film definitely will. Over four seasons at South Carolina, Moore racked up 351 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. The most impressive statistic over his collegiate career was his 14 interceptions. Moore is unbelievable in coverage as a linebacker, and his play recognition is up there as well.

PRO COMPARISON: Ryan Shazier

A lot like Shazier, Moore does not have an optimal size to be a linebacker in the NFL. However, he has a very uncommon similar skill to Shazier to sniff out plays. The one area I believe Moore is better at and I can not express enough is his coverage skills, which was a big-time struggle for the Eagles for a majority of last season. Moore is an extremely underrated prospect that can make an immediate impact in this league and better yet in this Eagles defensive system.

CONCLUSION

I believe the Eagles will have a chance to get all of the players I listed. After you win a Super Bowl and have that type of season, you have no needs, you just add depth and youth. All of these players would fit the schemes and add youth and depth to the Eagles this season. If they can get all of this done, I would give them an A+ on their draft report card.

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