While Joey Bosa seemingly gets all of the attention, there are some who think Oregon's DeForest Buckner is actually the best defensive lineman in the 2016 NFL draft. Might the Eagles be of the same opinion, and would they be lucky enough to have a shot to land Buckner with the eighth selection?
NFL.com's prospect grades rank Buckner as the third-highest prospect in the draft, well ahead of Bosa, while ESPN's Scouts Inc. marked the 2015 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year just one point lower. Many mock drafts have begun to see things that way as well, with Buckner going as high as third overall.
So then why are we talking about Buckner for the Eagles at all? Well, other mocks see Buckner slipping toward the bottom of the top 10, and with pass-rushers always at a premium in the NFL, he would have to be a consideration, wouldn't he?
Whether Buckner is better than Bosa is beside the point, as they're also different types of player. The real question is whether Buckner is the top-five talent that many in the scouting community have come to believe, and perhaps most importantly, would he be a good fit for the Eagles at number eight?
Production
2015: 83 TKL, 17.0 TFL, 10.5 SK, 5 PD in 13 games
2014: 81 TKL, 13.0 TFL, 4.0 SK, 4 PD, 1 FF in 15 games
2013: 39 TKL, 3.5 TFL, 2.5 SK, 1 PD, 1 FF in 12 games
2012: 29 TKL, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 SK in 13 games
Much like Bosa, Buckner only has one great statistical season to hang his hat out, at least in terms of rushing the passer. Of course, unlike Bosa, Buckner was lining up at end in Oregon's 3-4 alignment, a position where insane sack totals aren't necessarily common.
NFL
Looking at his two 80-tackle seasons, it's pretty clear Buckner was dominant at the point of attack. His 17 tackles for a loss were good for fourth in the Pac-12 last season, his 10.5 sacks tops in the conference. Overall, the numbers indicate a very disruptive, active lineman who is even engaged enough to get his hands in the air and bat down the pass when he's unable to get to the quarterback.
Measureables
Height: 6-7
Weight: 291
40 time: 5.05s
3-cone drill: 7.51s
Vertical: 12"
Broad jump: 116"
Obviously, Buckner is absolutely massive, which is an outstanding, unteachable quality to have up front. Offensive linemen will have trouble pushing him around, much less moving him in the trenches. At 6'7", shorter blockers will be able to get under his pads, which might reduce his effectiveness on the interior, but if he can hold his ground there, many quarterbacks will have trouble simply seeing over him.
Those speed and agility times, on the other hand, leave something to be desired, particularly from the Eagles' perspective. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is looking for linemen who can get up the field and attack, and while Buckner has demonstrated some ability to get after the passer, his apparent lack of quickness and burst may not be best suited for this kind of scheme.
Fit
Buckner is drawing comparisons to some impressive NFL players, most notably Arizona Cardinals All-Pro Calais Campbell, who for a long time was quite possibly the most underrated defensive lineman in the league. However, there's something else notable about Campbell, and that is he's played in 3-4 defenses throughout his entire career.
That's how Buckner was utilized at Oregon, and that's where he is projected to play at the next level as well.
It's unclear what position Buckner would call home in a 4-3, particularly with Schwartz's wide-nine technique. He doesn't appear to possess the requisite speed to rush off the edge, yet also might be too tall to be a consistent force at tackle, where the Eagles are even thinner. It's a question of versatility, and while Buckner might be big, strong and athletic enough to take on new roles, the transition would be long and painful at the very least.
The pick?
As a 3-4 end with pass-rushing ability, Buckner could go on to have a great NFL career, perhaps even become a future Defensive Player of the Year at the position in the mold of the retired Justin Smith. Unfortunately, that doesn't do anything for the Eagles now that they're back in a 4-3.
The best case scenario for the Eagles is teams view Buckner as favorably as analysts do and he's off the board before the eighth pick, because that would mean one more player they're actually interested in will be there instead. Even if Buckner is the best player available at that point, he would likely be out of place in the Eagles' defense, so it's difficult to envision the club going in this direction.