In this edition of “Mosher’s Mailbag,” I answer a question about which position the Eagles are likeliest to target.
Q. Is their 1st round pick more likely to be used on a DB or a WR/OL? — Jason Bergbauer (@JasonBergbauer)
A. Before we isolate which position and players the Eagles are likeliest to address in the first round (assuming, of course, it’s not Marcus Mariota), let’s first discuss their biggest area of need, for now and the future.
Some would say wide receiver. Some would say safety or corner. I’d say offensive line.
Chip Kelly wants to run the ball. He flipped LeSean McCoy to Buffalo and surprisingly signed two Pro Bowl halfbacks to fill the void, splurging on reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray and also adding Ryan Mathews.
If Kelly wants to pound the ball, he’ll need an offensive line capable of dominating the trenches the way Dallas’ front five did last year, plowing the way for Murray to gain 1,845 ground yards. He already cut veteran right guard Todd Herremans, and the future for Pro Bowl left guard Evan Mathis is murky. There’s no guarantee Mathis, who’s on the trading block, will return next season.
Allen Barbre has played well when healthy but I’m not sure he’s the answer as Herremans’ replacement if the Eagles want a dominant offensive line next year. If Mathis is gone, I’d be alarmed by a front five with Barbre and Matt Tobin as the starting guards.
NFL
Kelly really needs a young, athletic, dynamic interior offensive lineman to help anchor the line. The best ones are Iowa’s Brandon Scherff and LSU’s La’el Collins, both of whom played tackle in college but project to elite guards the same way Zach Martin did last season.
Problem is, both are likely to be off the board before the Eagles pick at No. 20. Two guys I’d keep an eye on are Texas A&M’s Cedric Ogbuehi and Pitt’s T.J. Clemmings. Both are natural tackles, but if Kelly believes they can adequately transition to guard at first, either would be a nice fit.
Ogbuehi, who’s coming off an ACL tear, is very intriguing. He played guard at A&M before moving to tackle. One scout told me he thinks Ogbuehi is the second-best tackle in the draft and would go higher if not for the injury.
Clemmings, a late bloomer who converted from defensive end, projects more to right tackle, but Lane Johnson will probably move to left tackle down the road anyway to replace Jason Peters.
If they don’t go offensive line, look for Kelly to bolster the secondary. I think the logical picks at 20 are either safety Landon Collins or cornerback Kevin Johnson.
Kelly will no doubt draft a wide receiver at some point, but probably not in the first round unless Louisville’s Devante Parker falls to 20 or he reaches for USC’s Nelson Agholor. I’m not buying Breshad Perriman or Jaelen Strong as first-round fits for the Eagles.
The draft is deep in receivers and Kelly can probably get a good one in the second or third round to complement with Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff, Miles Austin and spread tight end Zach Ertz.
The Eagles aren’t as talent-deprived at wideout as they are on the interior offensive line and at safety. Based on who’s probably going to be available when they picked at No. 20, I think offensive line or defensive back is the most logical target.