The NFL Draft has finally come to an end, and it’s just as wild as we all expected it to be. As our resident Howie Roseman defender, I can confidently take a bow and say “I told you so” – because this draft has the makings of an all-timer for the birds. Now, as a final send-off to the second best part of the NFL calendar, I’ll be going over each pick and move the eagles made and breaking them down.
Pick 1: Trade up to 13 for DT Jordan Davis
The Eagles’ draft started off with a bang, as they leapfrogged the Ravens to select defensive tackle Jordan Davis. As a prospect, Davis is rightfully known as an absolute monster – the 6’6, 360lb gap-eater has athleticism the likes of which we’ve never seen. That isn’t hyperbole either, as he literally scored 1 out of 1378 DT prospects since 1987 in terms of relative athletic score.
We know Davis will be an elite first and second down run stopper day 1 – he essentially requires a double team to handle, and his impact in eating up blocks will make it a nightmare for run blockers matching up against him. You also can’t understate his impact on the rest of the line, as the attention he gets will open up consistent one on one opportunities for our edge rushers and linebackers. Some will question whether Davis can be an effective 3 down player, as he was never really asked to rush the passer at Georgia – but if he can be developed anywhere, it’s behind Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave. This is a perfect fit for both prospect and team, and I can’t give it anything less than an A.
Grade: A
“Pick” 2: TRADE pick 18 for WR AJ Brown
WOW. This is not something I expected from the Eagles on draft night, but holy cow am I ecstatic. AJ Brown is a tier 1 wideout in this league, and a perfect complement to Devonta Smith as a boundary wide receiver 1. Only giving up pick 18 and a third was a steal for the birds value wise, especially when considering Marquise Brown was traded in the same draft for comparable value. While I understand that needing to pay AJ 100 million dollars is a part of the opportunity cost, I can confidently say that with the way the wideout market is trending that deal is going to look like a steal after Metcalf and Samuel get their money. Health concerns aside, this is a slam dunk for Roseman, and the Eagles offense is now one of the most exciting in the entire NFL.
Grade: A
Pick 3: 51, Cam Jurgens
This pick was by far the most controversial out of the bunch, but I actually like both the thought process and the selection itself. Jurgens is another athletic freak, coming in with a 9.94 RAS, which ranks 4 out of 532 centers since 1987.
It’s true that Jurgens is raw and probably shouldn’t start year 1, but that was an assumption made with the pick. With Kelce set to retire soon, the birds needed someone to sit behind him and develop in order to execute a seamless transition – and with Kelce himself helping with the scouting process and calling Jurgens “his favorite player in the draft” – I’m increasingly confident he’ll be able to develop Jurgens in to yet another franchise lineman for the Birds.
My main gripes here are that we neglected to fill the holes at safety, corner, and linebacker – but I really can’t trash the selection too much at all.
Grade: B+
Pick 4: 83, LB Nakobe Dean
This is truly one of the best picks of the entire draft. Much of the Eagles fan base was in disarray when they passed on Dean at 51 – but clearly, that was the correct move. While Dean may have been rich for me at 15 or 18, getting a borderline first-round talent in the third round is truly absurd. It’s been reported that Dean’s fall has been due to multiple health concerns, it seems as if the Eagles plan to have him as a full-go as soon as rookie minicamps start. A staple of the Georgia defense and a hyper-instinctive athlete, the Eagles can play to Dean’s strengths as a strong coverage player and a heat-seeking missile in run defense. Even if he has to redshirt his rookie year, this is still incredible value for the Eagles, and the future of this linebacker core is as bright as ever.
Grade: A+
Pick 5: 181, LB Kyron Johnson
I understand that Eagles fans are desperate for defensive back help, but the truth is, we aren’t getting a starting corner on day 3. The move to trade back was questionable in my opinion, but I can’t complain about drafting high-upside athletes like Johnson late in the draft like this. I would have rather taken a shot at Zyon McCollum – but here, it’s a crapshoot.
Grade: B-
Pick 6: 198, TE Grant Calcaterra
Another shot in the dark pick at a position that’s not a need, I probably still would have preferred a DB. Calcaterra is a great athlete, though, which is all you can really asks from picks this late.
Grade: B
Conclusion
This draft was a fantastic one for the Eagles, and possibly one of the final steps in our rebuilding process. I can’t really complain about any pick, and the top 3 were all slam dunks – and that’s without mentioning the trade for AJ Brown. While we didn’t address DB, this draft was more than I could have asked for from Howie.
Overall Grade: A-
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Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
