This year’s NFL draft was one of the wildest we have ever seen! Whether it be players falling, teams reaching, or the superstars moved, it seemed as though nobody could figure this one out. From the perspective of Eagles’ fans, this was one of the better drafts we have seen in a while. Despite the birds only making 5 selections, they became a much better football team this weekend. Howie Roseman has proved he is still among the top tier of NFL GMs and has properly atoned for his sins. This article will break down each PICK Philly made, so the trade for WR AJ Brown will not be factored (although it would get an A+ and a half).
Round One, Pick 13: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
It was very clear from the get go that the Eagles were going to draft athletic freaks. Jordan Davis stands at 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 341 pounds. Despite this size, he ran a 40 yard dash in 4.78 seconds with a 10 yard split faster than JJ Watt. He also jumped 10 feet and 3 inches in the broad jump-absolutely unheard of numbers by someone who weighs as much as Shaquille O’Neal. Davis was an incredible run defender on the nation’s best defense. Teams had to triple-team him and he still would not be moved. He was a dominant force but did have some trouble with movement until he dropped about 20 pounds before the national championship game.
But why the Eagles? Many detractors will question Howie for trading up two spots to take a DT with pass-rushing questions when our DT room is filled with stars like Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave and future stars like Milton Williams. Those concerns are simply not an issue. By nature of the talent at Georgia, Davis was never needed to rush the passer. They would rather save his energy for run-stuffing downs where he dominated.
Guess what? The Eagles will do the EXACT same thing his rookie year because of how loaded the talent at defensive tackle is. Davis will take a year to develop a pass rush and shore up this Eagles run defense that allowed the 8th most rushing TDs in 2021. When Fletcher Cox inevitably moves on from the Eagles after 2022, Philadelphia will have a younger, more athletic tackle to fill his shoes immediately. This selection along with the AJ Brown trade made Eagles fans everywhere have an amazing night of sleep, and it is almost too good to be true.
Grade: A
Round Two, Pick 51: Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska
This was not a sexy pick by any means, but still very solid. Not many people in the world can get the Jason Kelce stamp of approval, yet Cam “Beef Jurgey” Jurgens did, and for good reason. One look at Jurgens’ measurables and Kelce should come to mind. At 6’3″ and 303 lbs, Jurgens is 20 pounds heavier than the longtime Philadelphia center, but only ran the 40 yard dash .03 slower. Once a former tight end and linebacker, Jurgens has incredible movement skills as well. He is a menace once he gets to the second level in the run game and when flared out on screens.
At 34 years old, it is no secret that this will be Jason Kelce’s final year before retiring. Last year, the Eagles drafted Landon Dickerson to fill Kelce’s shoes, but after Brandon Brooks went down with a torn pec in week 2, Dickerson stepped up and looked quite impressive. Now that Brooks has retired, the front office and coaching staff seem to want Dickerson to fill in at guard long term and instead want Jurgens to be the Kelce replacement.
This makes sense. The Eagles can continue to run their brand of offense behind Jurgens, Dickerson and potentially Isaac Seumalo for years to come. Jurgens most likely will not play in year one barring unforeseen circumstances, which of course does diminish the grade, but this pick is a solid retooling on a very young team.
Grade: B+
Round Three, Pick 83: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
How in the world did Nakobe Dean fall to the third round? The 21-year-old linebacker was projected to be a first round talent before medical concerns dropped him down draft boards. But the talent does not disappear. Nakobe Dean is a sideline to sideline backer who is a menace when coming down on blitzes. Dean has elite short area quickness, is nimble, and has proven to be an elite man-to-man coverage guy.
On top of all that, Dean is a leader. The Butkus award winner who graduated in 3 years was a captain for the best defense in the nation and arguably the best linebacker corps. At only 6’0″ and 230 lbs, he no doubt is undersized, but in recent years that has not really been an issue for the NFL. Dudes like Devin Bush, Roquan Smith, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah are just a few of the undersized LBs that have contributed to their teams.
If this pick is any indication, the Eagles will be blitzing a whole lot more. Jonathan Gannon’s defense blitzed the second least amount of times in the NFL in 2021. Acquisitions like Hasson Reddick and Dean, both of whom thrive while blitzing, make it obvious that Gannon wishes to be more aggressive on defense. This may be just what the Eagles needed who would allow QBs to have clean pockets and high completion percentages. Additionally, after years of having a bone-thin LB room with no true standouts, Nakobe Dean will instantly be a leader of men in a now healthy rotation of young off-ball talent in TJ Edwards, Kyzir White, and Davion Taylor.
Grade: A+
Round Six, Pick 181: Kyron Johnson, LB/EDGE, Kansas
An athlete. Standing at 6’0″, 235 lbs he like Dean does not possess elite size but boy can he move. His 4.36 40-yard dash is faster than WRs like Jahan Dotson, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalen Tolbert who all were drafted by division rivals. A former off-ball linebacker, Johnson was moved to play edge for the Jayhawks and was quite successful. 6.5 sacks in his last year. At the senior bowl, Johnson was seen doing this to 1st round tackle Trevor Penning:
This is a pretty lateral move for the birds. Many analysts did not know what kind of role Johnson could play in the NFL, because he is too small to play a 4-3 end, but not quite skilled enough in coverage and play diagnosis to play the inside. Good thing the Eagles have a role for him. It seems that Philly wishes to get more athletic at the SAM LB position, as demonstrated by Hasson Reddick replacing Genard Avery. Now it seems that Kyron Johnson will replace Patrick Johnson (no relation) as the backup for that role. Realistically, Johnson will see most of his playing time on punt coverage, as he sure can fly. Of all the 6th round picks ever, this sure is one of them.
Grade: C
Round Six, Pick 198: Grant Calcaterra, TE, SMU
If this name sounds familiar, it should. The former 4-star Sooner tight end reunites with his Oklahoma teammate in QB Jalen Hurts (if only for three games before retiring due to concussions). At 6’4″ and 240 lbs, Calcaterra has demonstrated his speed and hands throughout his long college career. His 4.62 40-yard dash was third best among tight ends at the combine. Calcaterra returned to football in 2021 after being retired for two years, and had his best season yet at SMU.
The knock on Calcaterra is his lack of physicality. He would get bullied by aggressive coverage. He probably will struggle to find his footing in a crowded tight end room. Converted QB Tyree Jackson impressed in the athletic unicorn TE role last year. But because Jackson is coming off a torn ACL, it will probably be a battle in camp between converted WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Grant Calcaterra for that TE3 role. Calcaterra may be one of those preseason stars who makes the team, but that really is his only shot to make the squad at this rate.
Grade: D
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Jish Sokolsky is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Jish, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
