10 possible targets after Eagles trade back to No. 12
Here are 10 possible targets for the Eagles after trading back to the No. 12 pick. By Dave Zangaro
Eagles fans spent the last few weeks arguing Kyle Pitts vs. Ja’Marr Chase.
And now the Eagles traded out of range for both of them.
The Eagles on Friday moved down from the No. 6 pick in the draft to No. 12 in a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Eagles got: No. 12, No. 123 and 2022 first-rounder
Dolphins got: No. 6, No. 156
Now, could Pitts or Chase possibly fall into the Eagles’ range at No. 12? Sure … anything is possible. But that seems unlikely. With that in mind, here are 10 possible prospects for the Eagles with their new first-rounder:
There’s a chance the Heisman Trophy winner could already be off the board by 12 but that’s not a guarantee. While it might sound silly, there is probably some legitimate concern about his weight (170) despite all the success he had at Alabama. And he had a ton of success. In 2020, he caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 12 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman.
While Smith got the Heisman, don’t overlook his Alabama teammate, who is also a no-doubt first-rounder. Waddle played in just six games in 2020 because of an ankle injury but still managed to catch 28 passes for 591 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’s another former teammate of Jalen Hurts. Waddle is versatile too; he’s played outside and in the slot.
The son of former NFL receiver Joe Horn has been a fast-riser on draft boards, especially after his dynamic performance at the SC pro day. With Eagles DBs coach Dennard Wilson in attendance, Horn dazzled with a 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash, a vertical jump of 41.5 inches and a broad jump of 11-1.
Farley is coming off back surgery and he didn’t participate in the 2020 COVID-19 season, so it’s been a while since we’ve seen him in action. But assuming he didn’t lose his skills, Farley is an excellent corner. He’s 6-1, 207, so he’s long, fast and strong. He could become a long-term CB1 in the NFL.
Yeah, another Alabama guy and the son of a former NFL Pro Bowl corner. At 6-2, 208, Surtain is an excellent press-man corner, who can become a long-term starter on the outside.
The Eagles might be set at OT in 2021 with Lane Johnson and either Jordan Mailata or Andre Dillard, but they’re always looking to build along the lines and Slater might end up being the BPA at No. 12. Slater (6-4, 304) has played on the left and right sides of the line at Northwestern and has really shown up against some of CFB’s best pass rushers.
Darrisaw (6-4, 314) had a tremendous career at left tackle for the Hokies and will be a first-round pick in a month. He could be the guy to anchor the left tackle spot for a decade.
The Eagles are never shy to take defensive linemen in the first round and Rousseau is considered to be one of the best. At 6-7, 265, Rousseau is an absolute freak who can play outside and possibly slide inside at times in the Eagles’ 4-3 scheme. He opted out of the 2020 season and has just one real season of experience but it was a good one. In 2019, Rousseau had 15 1/2 sacks and 19 1/2 tackles for loss.
Paye (6-4, 272) played in just four games in 2020, but had a 12 1/2 sack season in 2019 and is an athletic freak. The Eagles hit on their first-rounder from Michigan 11 years ago (eventually), so maybe it’s time to go back.
The Eagles don’t value linebackers. I know. But it’s fair to wonder if their organizational philosophy will be changed by the new coaching staff and the potential to nab a guy who might be the best defensive player in this entire draft class. Remember, in Jonathan Gannon’s last two stops (Minnesota, Indianapolis) they’ve valued linebackers.
