Getty Clemson WR Tee Higgins makes a catch in the CFP Championship against Alabama.
The Eagles have seven picks to make in the NFL Draft over the next two days. With plenty of needs on both sides of the ball, the team has plenty of work to do.
Luckily, there are playmakers all over the board. The consensus remains that Carson Wentz needs more receivers on offense. Jalen Reagor was a nice start but the Eagles should continue to make a splash. One guy drawing considerable momentum has been Clemson standout Tee Higgins. The 6-foot-4, 206-pounder has all the makings of an elite pass-catcher at the next level: size, speed, athleticism.
Once a lock for the first round, Higgins headlines a loaded crop of impact players that the Eagles could target in the second or third round. ESPN’s Steve Muench praised Higgins’ outstanding catch radius in a scouting report:
Higgins is a big target with good body control and an outstanding catching radius. He averaged 18.1 yards per catch at Clemson and is a good vertical route runner with decent playing speed. He flashes some savviness but is not an explosive route runner. Higgins is more of a threat downfield than he is after the catch. He’s versatile enough to play both outside and inside
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Best Fits for Eagles at Pick No. 53 (2nd Round)
Antoine Winfield, S, Minnesota
The second-best safety on the board (after Alabama’s Xavier McKinney) is the son of an All-Pro cornerback who retired in 2013. This kid might be better than dad. Winfield led Minnesota in tackles (88) and interceptions (7) in 2019 while forcing two fumbles. He’s extremely disruptive and smart as a whip. Think of a 21-year-old Malcolm Jenkins.
Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
Fulton could be the perfect complement to Darius Slay in Philadelphia after leading LSU in pass breakups with 14. The interceptions are low (two career picks) but he really only played one full season at LSU after a two-year suspension for falsifying a urine sample. Fulton has allowed a 40-percent completion rate since 2018.
Kristian Fulton: The only draft-eligible CB who didn’t allow more first downs (20) than he had forced incompletions (20)
Michael Pittman, WR, USC
The Eagles already got the speedster they were longing for in the first round, so go get the most complete receiver in this draft. Pittman has the NFL pedigree (dad ran for 5,627 yards) and physicality (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) to cause fits for opposing cornerbacks. His 101 receptions last year was third-best in college football and his 1,275 receiving yards was ninth-best. He’s a plug-and-play starter in Week 1.
Matt Hennessy, C, Temple
Jason Kelce has mulled retirement in each of the last two offseasons. That has to be concerning for Philadelphia. Hennessy has reportedly been in contact with the Eagles and played his college ball in the team’s backyard at Temple. Hennessy thrives as a run blocker and could learn a lot sitting behind Kelce for a year.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
It would be a shock to see the Eagles take a running back this high but this is the guy if they did. Taylor checks all the boxes to balance their rushing attack, a new “thunder” to Miles Sanders’ lightning. The 226-pounder is a bruiser who racked up 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He also ran the 40 in 4.39 seconds. Taylor struggles as a pass-catcher but he won’t be asked to do that in Philly.
😤 @JayT23 was an absolute MONSTER for @BadgerFootball
Can’t wait to see what he’s going to bring to the NFL 🔥
Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
Mims (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) has been very high on the Eagles’ radar throughout the draft process. The Baylor receiver admitted that he had talked to the Philly front office about “four or five times” in the last week alone. He’d be an interesting second-round selection due to his rare combination of size, speed and athleticism. His 4.38 seconds in the 40 was the third-best among receivers and fifth-best overall.
Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
Will he be there at No. 53? Probably not. Diggs (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) is a former receiver and arguably possesses the best ball skills of all the corners in this draft. Remember, his brother Stefon Diggs is a pretty good wideout in the NFL. More importantly, the younger Diggs is one of those hybrid players that GM Howie Roseman is enamored with. He projects as a Day 1 starter at cornerback and could easily transition over to safety.
Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
Wilson has been linked to the Eagles in a couple mock drafts and fills an immediate need. The converted safety plays all three linebacker spots (SAM, MIKE, WILL) and possesses decent speed (4.63 seconds in the 40). A four-year starter at Wyoming, Wilson accumulated 409 career tackles while securing 10 interceptions and 14 pass breakups in coverage. Do the Eagles like drafting linebackers this early? No. Could Wilson step in and help? Yes.
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Best Fits for Eagles at Pick No. 103 (3rd Round)
Troy Pride, CB, Notre Dame
The Eagles came away from the East-West Shrine Bowl impressed with the smallish cornerback from Notre Dame. He was a star at practices and further raised his draft stock after clocking 4.40 seconds in the 40 at the Combine. Pride is a work in progress — gave up four TDs in 2019, plus a lack of interceptions — but he could learn a lot sitting behind Darius Slay.
KJ Hamler, WR, Penn State
There is a lot of back and forth over where exactly he’ll land, from late second round to early third round. Either way, Hamler is worth exploring if the Eagles want to keep adding speed to their arsenal. He caught 56 balls for 904 yards last season for Penn State. Plus, he’s best friends with Miles Sanders.
.@Kj_hamler is the definition of speed 💨💨💨
Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State
Dantler’s size is an enigma for scouts who think he is a “very long, stringy cornerback.” His speed was called into question last month after he posted 4.64 seconds in the 40. Too slow to keep up with NFL-caliber receivers, right? Then he miraculously clocked in at 4.38 seconds at his unofficial pro day. Another project player with a huge upside.
Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne
Called a “scheme-friendly” safety by some scouts, Dugger may struggle in coverage at times. That’s OK. He doesn’t have to be thrust into action right away with Rodney McLeod and Jalen Mills manning the secondary. He’s also a dangerous weapon on special teams as a speedy punt and kickoff returner.
Jonathan Greenard, DE, Florida
Despite playing outside linebacker at Florida, Greenard has been projected as a top edge rusher in the NFL. Listed at 6-foot-3, 263 pounds, Greenard finished his college career with 19.5 sacks and was the highest-rated pass-rusher in the SEC in 2019 with 22 quarterback pressures and 12 defensive stops.
Jonathan Greenard leads the way as the highest-graded edge defender in the SEC!
Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas
Duvernay was a breakout star during Senior Bowl practices, thanks to strong hands and sneaky quickness. He would be an ideal candidate to replace Nelson Agholor in the slot (unless the Eagles intend to give that job to Greg Ward). The Texas receiver hauled in 106 passes for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns in his senior season.
Bradlee Anae, DE, Utah
He’s an undersized player with a huge heart — and non-stop motor when it comes to rushing the quarterback. He has “underdog” written all over him and could excel off the edge in Jim Schwartz’s aggressive scheme. He recorded 29.5 sacks in four years at Utah, including 13 sacks in 2019.
Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty
How much do the Eagles like the possible Larry Fitzgerald clone? The third round may be too early to grab him. Then again, he could be gone by the time the draft comes back around to Philly in the fourth (127th overall). He recorded 150 receptions for 2,433 yards and 20 touchdowns in two years at Liberty.
Biggest reason why bigger WR struggle transitioning from college to the NFL is that they lack the body twitch to beat press-man and create separation at the top of routes. @LibertyFootball WR Antonio Gandy-Golden (6035v, 222 lbs) won’t have those issues!
#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE