Resetting the Eagles Needs Four Weeks to the NFL Draft
The Philadelphia Eagles have been as quiet as a church mouse so far this offseason, adding safeties Anthony Harris and Andrew Adams, along with backup quarterback Joe Flacco to their locker room. Gone are defensive backs Jalen Mills and Rudy Ford, linebacker Duke Riley and of course quarterback Carson Wentz.
While the Eagles have 11 picks in this years draft they still have a ton of holes that still need to be filled before the start of the 2021 season.
So what priorities are left for general manager Howie Roseman with the NFL Draft less than a month away and free agency coming to an halt.
It seems every mock draft has Philadelphia selecting either a wide receiver or cornerback at No. 12.
Even if Darius Slay is still a good cornerback at age 30, there’s no clear-cut choice to play opposite him on the outside and depth is a major problem.The Eagles still have Avonte Maddox, Criag James and Cre'Von LeBlanc, but none are viewed as starters on the outside and are best suited in the slot.
The Eagles definitely need to consider a cornerback with at least two if not three of their 11 picks in this years draft. Players like Patrick Surtain II, Caleb Farley and Jaycee Horn are three players that could be available at No. 12.
Mike and Adam Caplan discuss the Eagles needs in the draft
The team brought back running back Boston Scott on a one-year, $920,000 contract to play behind Miles Sanders, but the team still needs to find a big back for short yardage situations. Undrafted free agent Elijah Holyfield is still an option, but the team hasn't given him a real look.
If the team moves on from tight end Zach Ertz, as expected, they will need to find another tight end, maybe two, behind Dallas Goedert.
While the team, is aging on the offensive line, they have other holes to fill before drafting a player to replace Lane Johnson and owe it to themselves to see if Jordan Mailata or Andre Dillard, a former first-round pick can handle the left tackle position. What they do need is more developmental depth, especially at center and guard.
The defensive line needs to add two defensive tackles, one or two defensive ends with just Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat on the roster. This is an area where the team should target in the middle and late rounds.
Linebacker has been a constant position of need, and this offseason is no different. If the team can land one with one of their third-round picks, or potentially at No. 37.
The team signed Harris and Adams to a one-year deals, added K'Von Wallace in the draft last season and like Msrcus Epps, but can still need to add another player in this years draft.
The team also needs to look into finding a developmental quarterback that can step into a backup role at some point behind Flacco.
Right now, the receiving room is filled with many unproven, young players, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, Travis Fulgham, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, John Hightower and Quez Watkins should lead the way in 2021.
None of those players seems like they are ready to fill the role of the X-receiver, so taking a wide receiver at No. 12 seems to be another strong possibility.
As you can see, there still a tn of needs, but with 11 picks they can start to chip away at some of them.
The NFL Draft is Thursday April 29, Friday April 30 and Saturday May 1 on 97.3 ESPN.
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