Getty SMU QB Shane Buechele is the son of a major-league baseball player and could be a late-round steal for the Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles are likely out of the running for a first-round quarterback but don’t think for a second they aren’t eyeing up a few Day 2 options. The 2021 draft class is deep at the position.
The most obvious choice is Florida’s Kyle Trask, a Heisman Trophy finalist who played under Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson in college. The 6-foot-5, 236-pounder threw for 4,283 yards and 43 touchdowns (eight interceptions) last year for the Gators while completing 68.9% of his passes.
He’s not a threat to move the pocket with his legs — 5.12 in the 40-yard dash — but he does pose at least a physical resemblance to Peyton Manning. He should be on the board in the third or fourth round.
“He’s very good at finding his throwing platform and can deliver deep throws with outstanding touch,” NFL.com scout Lance Zierlein said. “He needs to improve his eye work to create more opportunities by moving safeties around.”
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Top Mid-to-Late Round QB Targets
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M: The MVP of the Senior Bowl has been rising up draft boards and might go in the second round. ESPN draft expert Todd McShay called him the sixth-best quarterback in the draft and pointed to the Chicago Bears and Washington Football Team as best fits. The Minnesota Vikings have also been mentioned. He might be slightly out of reach for the Eagles unless he’s sitting there in the third or fourth round. Mond threw for 9,661 yards and 71 touchdowns in four years at Texas A&M. He’s been compared to everyone from Tim Tebow to Johnny Manziel to Josh Allen and even to a poor man’s Patrick Mahomes.
.@AggieFootball‘s Kellen Mond has WHEELS
Shane Buechele, SMU: Like pedigree? Look no further than Buechele who is the son of a former major league baseball player. The 6-foot-1, 207-pounder certainly has his detractors — severely undersized, no arm strength, poor athleticism — but he was one of the most accurate passers in college football. He threw for 7,024 yards and 57 touchdowns in two years at SMU (after transferring from Texas) while completing 64% of his passes. Buechele is considered a developmental player: an NFL backup with the ability to turn into more with the right coaching. Enter Nick Sirianni. He’ll be there in the fifth or sixth round.
Shane Buechele, the human pinball.
Jamie Newman, Wake Forest: Another developmental quarterback who may be too much like Jalen Hurts to fit the Philly scheme. He transferred to Georgia last year from Wake Forest but then opted out due to COVID-19 concerns. Newman gained national recognition in 2019 when he threw for 2,868 yards and rushed for 574 yards while totaling 32 touchdowns. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he’s a load to bring down and used that bulky frame all the time in Wake Forest’s spread offense. Newman is coming off a strong showing in the Senior Bowl (118 yards on 10-of-14 passing) and finished second in the ACC in yards-per-game (286.8) during his only year as the full-time starter. He’s likely to go in the fourth round.
Jamie. Newman. GONE. 💨
Ian Book, Notre Dame: The 6-foot, 206-pounder has already been mentioned in this space, more for the way he was lobbying to wear a midnight green jersey. Book has been getting no love from the scouts. They see him as a dink-and-dunk passer, not a threat to drive the ball down the field or make those highlight-reel back shoulder throws. However, Book is a pro’s pro who left Notre Dame as the school’s winningest quarterback (30 victories) after throwing for 8,948 yards and 72 touchdowns in four seasons. Every scout, coach, teammate referenced his intangibles and leadership qualities. It’s hard to put a price tag on those things, especially if he’s available in the sixth round.
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NFL Draft Rumors: Eagles Targeting Gifted QB in Later Rounds