Getty Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman could be an intriguing option for the Eagles in the second round, if he is still available.
There might be a path to the Philadelphia Eagles getting one of the best defensive players and receivers in the first two rounds. It has long been thought it would have to be one or the other. Maybe not.
ESPN draft guru Todd McShay released his latest mock draft and the Eagles came out with an unbelievable heist. McShay selected Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons at pick No. 12, then gave them Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman at pick No. 37. Philly would steal two plug-and-play starters — and arguably the best overall defensive player in the draft — in the first two rounds. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni would have to thank the football gods if that happened.
“We’re always looking for tough players,” Sirianni told reporters on March 18. “We’re always looking for high football IQ players. We’re always looking for players that are competitive, right? We’re always looking for players that love ball.”
To be clear: McShay had the two top cornerbacks already off the board in his mock draft. Patrick Surtain II went ninth overall to the Denver Broncos and Jaycee Horn went 10th overall to the Dallas Cowboys. The three top-rated receivers — Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle — were also gone. He also had the New England Patriots trading up to No. 11 to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Interesting.
Penn State LB Micah Parsons ran a blazing 4.39 40 yard dash at his pro day. Sheesh.
McShay wrote the following about Parsons:
Let’s start with the bad news: As we thought might be the case, the Eagles miss out on the top four pass-catchers in the class after their trade out of No. 6 overall. That’s a problem. The WR room has Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward and Travis Fulgham as the top three options, not leaving QB Jalen Hurts in the best position to find success in an evaluation period. But here’s the good news: The Eagles hold 11 picks this year (the most in the NFL) in a draft with a deep receiver class, the 2022 first-rounder received in the trade will certainly prove valuable, and Philly can still land a guy like Parsons here. He can do a little bit of everything in the middle of this defense.
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Scouting Reports on Parsons, Bateman
The merits of Parsons have been hyped up in this space over and over again. He has all the makings of a generational talent as a three-down linebacker, with his ability to stop runners dead in the tracks, drop back in coverage, and rush the quarterback.
He ran a blistering 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash during his pro day while posting impressive numbers in both the vertical and broad jumps. He opted out last year at Penn State but recorded 109 total tackles (14 for loss), five sacks, four forced fumbles. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called Parsons a “freak show.”
LB1 Micah Parsons’ Penn State Pro Day 🤯
Meanwhile, Bateman solves their problem of missing out on a first-round talent at receiver. That is, if he even slips into the second round. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has been called the fourth-best receiver in the draft and there could be a receiver-hungry team (see: Jacksonville at No. 25, Baltimore at No. 27, Green Bay at No. 29) that takes him in the first round. Bateman ran a blazing fast 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash on Thursday during his pro day. He was a one-man circus act in college where one-handed catches were the norm, too.
🚨 ONE-HANDED CATCH ALERT 🚨
Rashod Bateman with the highlight play for @GopherFootball 🔥
Here is a scouting report from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter:
Intriguing outside target with combination of size and build-up speed. His flashes of eye-opening production were counterbalanced by inconsistency against stronger, more talented opponents. Has clever press release, but needs to eliminate some wasted motion and play quicker to make up for his average explosiveness off the line. Bateman plays with pro-ready hands and the upper-body agility needed to adjust in air and bring the ball in. He needs to play with grit in contested catch battles and do a better job of defending catch space. There are pro traits to mold but much more work is needed before he can be safely projected as a good NFL starter.
Eagles Sign Boston Scott to Tender
The Eagles officially signed Boston Scott to his exclusive-rights tender on Thursday. The diminutive running back joins Alex Singleton and Greg Ward Jr. as players who will return on those league-minimum one-year deals at a salary of $850,000. Remember, exclusive-rights free agents are only allowed to negotiate with the teams they played for the previous season. It’s either return or sit out the year.
Roster Move: RB Boston Scott has signed his exclusive-rights tender.
Scott, a sixth-round pick of the Saints in 2018, rushed for 374 yards on 80 carries and a touchdown last year for the Eagles. He also caught 25 balls for 212 yards and a score. He also served as the team’s lead kick returner while stepping in as a change-of-pace back. Doug Pederson loved using him in a Darren Sproles type of utility role.
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