Eagles Draft Preview

Tis the season – it’s Christmas time in the NFL and teams are anxious to see what gifts will be waiting for them under the draft tree come this weekend. When it comes to the Eagles, let’s start by taking a look at what should be on their wish list before looking at specific players that they could choose.

I know most Eagles fans are looking for skill players to be added and before the Birds acquired LT Jason Peters, I was prepared to take issue with that position as I thought the left tackle position was too important to ignore. However, now that the Eagles addressed that need by trading for Peters, I can now agree with the majority of Eagles fans who are looking for a skilled player.

Specifically, there are two skill players that the Eagles lost in free agency that need to be replaced. First is Correll Buckhalter, who has been an underrated player for the Eagles over the last three years. As Brian Westbrook’s back-up, he has been a huge contributor for the Eagles. From 2006-08, Buckhalter averaged well over 4.5 yards per carry for a total of 342 yards per season. Buckhalter proved not only a capable back-up, but he was also a very effective weapon when he would be lined up with Westbrook and the Eagles would use Westbrook as a decoy. However, in looking for a replacement for Buckhalter, the Eagles should also think about the long term. They need more than just a back-up. Westbrook will be turning 30 before the beginning of the season and history tells us that as starting running backs get north of 30, their production goes way down. That is due to the amount of abuse their body takes week in and week out. This means that the Eagles should not only look at a running back as a replacement for Buckhalter, but also for Westbrook as well. In other words, they need a future starter.

The other skill player the Eagles really need to replace is LJ Smith. I know most Eagles fans’ reaction will be, “Why do you have to replace a player who never showed up?” But the simple fact is that he was the starting tight end and while Brent Celek has shown to be capable as a receiving tight end, he leaves something to be desired as a blocker. At any rate, the Eagles clearly need another tight end.

The other big need the Eagles have, in my opinion, is defensive end. Since the days of Hugh Douglas, the Eagles have not had a defensive end who has gotten consistent pressure such that he requires a regular double team. I know the Eagles have a full complement of defensive ends, and guys like Trent Cole and Juqua Parker are good players but none of them are the type of player that is going to keep an offensive coordinator up at night trying to figure out how to stop them. One of the things the Eagles really were missing on defense last year was the ability to generate a pass rush without blitzing. I know that Jim Johnson likes to blitz, but sometimes it’s nice just to be able to get to the quarterback with just your four lineman. Generally, the Eagles can’t do that. I agree that this is not their top need, but if one of the top defensive ends drops to them, I think the Eagles should consider taking him.

So who could be available to the Eagles at these positions? I looked at seventeen mock drafts and charted several players at these positions. For the Eagles fans who are looking for a wide receiver, I also charted them as well. For the purpose of the skill positions, I only looked at players who I thought the Eagles had a reasonable chance of getting at the 21st pick, which is where they will pick in the first round. This means, I did not even consider a player like wide receiver Michael Crabtree. These are the players I charted with the school they attended and the average position at which the mock drafts had them going:

RUNNING BACK
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia 19
Chris “Beanie” Wells, Ohio State 21
Donald Brown, Connecticut 31

TIGHT END
Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State 24

WIDE RECEIVER
Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland 22
Percy Harvin, Florida 29
Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina 31

DEFENSIVE END
Aaron Maybin, Penn State 16
Everette Brown, Florida State 17

Of the seventeen mock drafts, the most common pick for the Eagles was RB Knowshon Moreno who was the Eagles pick in 6 of those drafts. The second most common was TE Brandon Pettigrew who was the pick in 4 of them.


So, what is my opinion? Who should the Eagles target? I am actually going to agree with a lot of the local pundits I have listened to this week and root for the Eagles to draft Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno. Moreno is preferable to Beanie Wells as he is a better fit in the Eagles offense. He has more experience catching the ball out of the back field and is much more experienced in picking up blitzes, something that is crucial in the Eagles offense. In fact, many reporters who have sources within the Eagles say that Moreno is the player that they are targeting.

What is the possibility that the Eagles will get him? As I showed above, the average of the mock drafts had him going #19. In 8 of the 17 mock drafts, he was available at the 21st pick. (As I said above, in 6 of those, he was the Eagles pick). In the other 9, he was drafted before the Eagles with the most common spot being #16 to the Chargers. In fact, just as many mock drafts (6) had him going to the Chargers at #16 as had him going to the Eagles at #21. This means that the Eagles may need to trade up to spot #15 where the Texans draft in order to get him. With the extra draft picks that the Eagles have in later rounds, I would not be surprised to see them making that move and I, for one, think they should be willing to do so.

What about a back up plan? Many of the pundits have suggested that if the Eagles cannot get Moreno, they will still pick a running back – Donald Brown out of Connecticut. While this would be a pick that would fill a big need, I think I would prefer them to pick TE Brandon Pettigrew who I think is a better value at the 21st pick. The only caveat to a selection of Pettigrew would be if one of the defensive ends falls to #21. Then, if Moreno is not available, I think the Eagles should jump at the opportunity to draft either Aaron Maybin or Everette Brown. In the unlikely event that Moreno, Maybin, Everette Brown and Pettigrew are all unavailable, then I think that picking Donald Brown would not be a bad pick, but I’d love to see the Eagles slide down a few spots to get him.

One final wild card: I would not be surprised to see the Eagles select a corner back if Moreno is unavailable. With the recent squabble they have had with Sheldon Brown, the Eagles may look to add to a position that they place a premium on. I don’t think they should invest a first round pick on a corner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it.

Well, if you’re a draft nerd like me, you’ll be glued to your TV tomorrow starting at 4 PM (it’s on ESPN in case you didn’t know). As you watch, spot #16 is the key place to watch to determine whether the Eagles will have a chance at landing Knowshon Moreno. Depending on my mood (and how the Flyers fare in Game #6), I may do some updates as the day progresses. If not, you can be sure that I’ll give my thoughts at the beginning of next week.