It's Draft Time

Well hello, hello to all you sports enthusiasts out there. It feels great to be here, and what an honor it is, to work with my good buddy Benjamin Crook. I have just recently joined the BCE staff and will be contributing my thoughts on a variety of topics. As previously stated by Mr. Crook, I am a freshman currently attending the University of Texas at Austin, and sports is what I do, all day, every day. I am looking forward to sharing my views, and hearing yours, on all aspects of professional, collegiate, and all other types of athletic competition.

My first topic of the year takes us to the NFL, and yes, I am aware that it is April, but the NFL is a league that never sleeps. For those of you out there who do not know me very well, I live and die for all things Philadelphia sports. So, I figured i would start by breaking down the upcoming draft for my “hometown” team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, the Eagles have been extremely busy this offseason. You all know about the McNabb trade (and I am still not over the fact that we will be facing him twice a year...), but Andy Reid and Howie Roseman have also added a few DB’s, a solid running back, plus a few free agent offensive lineman. That being said, the team still has some work to do to fill the holes. Let’s break it down by offensive and defensive needs.

PICKS:
First Rd: Pick 24 (24)
Second Rd: Pick 5 (37); Pick 23 (55)
Third Rd: Pick 6 (70) [Sea]; Pick 23 (87)
Fourth Rd: Pick 7 (105) [Cle]; Pick 23 (121)
Fifth Rd: None
Sixth Rd: Pick 31 (200) [Ind]
Seventh Rd: Pick 36 (243); Pick 37 (244)

TEAM NEEDS:
-Defense: S, CB, DE, LB. The Eagles lost all-pro safety, and the emotional leader of the defense, Brian Dawkins last year to Denver, and then traded their number 2 corner, Sheldon Brown to Cleveland this off season. The secondary is in need of a huge boost. Apart from Asante Samuel, the Eagles’ DB’s are far from where they need to be. New addition Marlin Jackson is a solid addition from the Colts secondary, but he is recovering from an ACL tear. It is uncertain how ready he will be coming training camp. That leaves Quintin Demps, Quintin Mikell, and Macho Harris. They are all solid defenders, but lack the big play ability needed for the Jim Johnson defense. The defense could also use a supplement pass rusher to Trent Cole. The Eagles led the league in percentage of plays blitzing (41% in 2009). A solid DE would go a long way to help this blitzing defense become even more tough to play against.

-Offense: C, OG, RB. The Eagles are loaded with skill players on the offensive side of the ball. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin lead a big play receiving corp, and the addition of Mike Bell was a great pick up to help LeSean McCoy with the running back duties. That leaves the O-Line. The depth chart at Center and OT is looking a bit slim. Jamaal Jackson can be a quality starter, but his ACL tear in December raises questions on when he is going to be ready to compete. After that, the job is Nick Cole’s. He filled in last year against the Dallas Cowboys and was less than impressive. Now the Eagles did sign undrafted free-agent A.Q. Shipley out of Penn State. Although he was taught by the greatest coach of all time, Joe Paterno (Ok, so maybe I am a tad biased), I don’t think the Eagles would feel to confident throwing him in there with six “3-4” based defensive teams on the schedule. Hopefully Stacy Andrews will show up and play this year, but if he doesn’t, the Eagles need to beef up at the other O-Line positions as well.

WHAT THEY SHOULD DO: Secondary. That needs to be the top priority this draft for Reid and Co. There is tons of talent in the defensive backfield pool this year. Namely, at safety, Eric Berry out of Tennessee and Earl Thomas out of Texas. However, both of these guys come with a big price tag and will most likely not be around when the Eagles’ first pick comes at 24. The advantage that the Eagles have is the number of picks they have to play with (two in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounds). Reid and GM Howie Roseman need to trade up and nab one of these potential superstars early. But, if they are not willing to make that sacrifice, they need to make sure they get a DB early in the draft. Look for Kareem Jackson of Alabama, Kyle Wilson from Boise State, or Taylor Mays out of USC. One of these players is bound to be available, and need to be snatched up quickly.

WHAT THEY WILL DO: Under Andy Reid, the Eagles have selected only one DB with their top pick. That was in 2002, and the man was Lito Sheppard. They have never drafted a safety. It is tough to say they will change their ways this year, but after trading Sheldon Brown, one would think that they don’t have much choice. I do believe that Reid will trade up to try to draft either Berry or Thomas. However, it would not surprise me if they went with a lineman. If they go offensive, look for the Eagles to maybe pick up center Maurkice Pouncy, who played his college ball at Florida. But, Roseman hinted that they might try to draft a guard and convert him to tackle or center. If that is the case, they could go after Mike Iupati, a guard from Idaho. On the defensive line, names like Brandon Graham of Michigan, and Jerry Hughes of TCU have been thrown in the pot. Most likely, the Eagles will have to trade up if they want to get the defensive talent they need.

As Donavon McNabb put it, “I guess 33 [years old] is not young enough.” That is the best way to describe this team. Young. If Andy Reid can utilize all his young, explosive offensive players, scoring should not be a problem. With a smart draft, the Eagles D should be better than last year. This team might just do some damage.