MOBILE, Ala. — The Eagles could certainly use an offensive guard. And Cody Whitehair might end up being the best guard in this year’s class.
Now, that alone doesn’t mean the Eagles will draft the Kansas State product, but it appears the Eagles at least have some interest in him this week at the Senior Bowl.
Whitehair said he met with Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland on Tuesday night and was scheduled to meet with head coach Doug Pederson on Wednesday night.
“Really enjoyed him,” Whitehair said of Stoutland. “I thought he was a great guy and he gave me some great information.”
It’s important to take reports of players meeting with teams with a grain of salt. At the Senior Bowl, many teams meet with many players. Whitehair said the Eagles were one of about 10 to 15 teams that had spoken to him.
The Eagles had a real weakness at the guard positions last season between Matt Tobin, Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardner. Whitehair has been talked about as a guy who could step right in to play at the NFL level.
There’s a good chance Whitehair could be the first guard taken this spring. (In fact, NBC Rotoworld’s Josh Norris had the Eagles taking him with the 13th pick.)
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Whitehair admitted that being the first guard selected would be a source of pride.
“Yeah, I haven’t paid too much attention to that,” he said. “I just finished college. I graduated, that was my main focus. And I’m just trying to get better each day. If I’m fortunate enough to do that and be the first guy picked, that’s just a blessing and an honor.”
While Whitehair has played some offensive tackle, he sees himself as a guard in the NFL and he’s OK with that. At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Whitehair acknowledged that he’s not as long as most tackles, which can give him problems on the outside.
Where he thrives is inside, using his leverage.
This week, Whitehair has been getting coached by the Jaguars’ staff and has several other very talented linemen on his team, including Vadal Alexander, John Theus and Le’Raven Clark.
But Whitehair has stood out. And he thinks his week is going well.
“I’m really pleased with the week,” he said. “Great bunch of guys, great coaching staff and it’s been a fun week so far.”