The Philadelphia Eagles will hold the 20th pick in the NFL Draft in an offseason filled with the unexpected. LeSean McCoy has essentially been swapped for Demarco Murrray, Nick Foles was traded for Sam Bradford, and Jeremy Maclin has signed with Kansas City. It has been a crazy offseason to say the least for head man Chip Kelly. The question surrounding the Eagle organization is will Philly have enough ammo to trade up for Oregon Quarterback Marcus Mariota?
If the Eagles were to pull off a blockbuster deal for Mariota it will likely require three first picks at the least. Based off the trade value chart you can see how much it cost Philadelphia to move up in the first round.
You can see the 20th spot is worth about half of the value of the 6th overall pick. Philly will likely need to move ahead of Washington at 5 to feel safe about getting their guy. Mariota’s best fit would be to reunite with his former college coach. The question is will he give up the farm to land his favorite signal caller?
If the Eagles decide to go in a different direction there are a number of ways the team could go. With holes at receiver, offensive line, defensive line, and in the secondary the Eagles will need to strike gold if they hope to return to the playoffs. In my mock draft I selected Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead. It’s no secret that Chip Kelly loves Oregon players. Armstead connection alone may lead him to Philadelphia if he projects as the top player available.
The Eagles will also look to add a wide out at some point in the draft. Jordan Mathews had a nice rookie campaign but he can’t do it alone. Phillip Dorsett from Miami could become a nice fit for Chip Kelly’s offense. Dorsett is the son of hall of fame legend Tony Dorsett and is one of the draft’s fastest players. Speed kills in Chip’s offense; what better way to add speed than to target Dorsett. Auburn’s Sammy Coats could be another option as a speedy target.
Finally look for the Eagles to add defensive back help in this draft. Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher often times looked like a burnt piece of toast. The Byron Maxwell signing could help but there is still work to be done. There are a number of corners in the deep draft. Don’t be surprised if Chip Kelly targets another Oregon player Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Ifo was considered a first round pick but tore his ACL last season. If he were to slip to Philly don’t be surprised he winds up an Eagle.
Below is the list of players the Eagles have met with as well as every 2015 selection.
Prospects associated with the Eagles:
» Nelson Agholor, WR, USC: Agholor says he has visit scheduled with Eagles
» T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh: Eagles OL coach checks out Pitt pro day
» Mike Coccia, C, New Hampshire: Eagles OL coach works out Coccia
» Chris Conley, WR, Georgia: Combine standout has visit scheduled with Eagles
» Kyle Emanuel, OLB, North Dakota State: Eagles LB coach checks out NDSU’s pro day
» Christian Green, WR, Florida State: WR with just 48 career receptions to work out for Eagles
» Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia: Davis: Eagles would be fortunate to land Gurley at No. 20
» Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA: Hundley would welcome opportunity to play in Eagles’ offense
» Danielle Hunter, OLB/DE, LSU: Rising DL prospect set to visit five teams
» Duke Johnson, RB, Miami (Fla.): Brooks: Johnson ‘the best fit’ to replace McCoy
» Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest: Eagles DB coach watches Johnson’s pro day
» Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut: Big Eagles contingent on hand for pro day
» Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: Davis: Don’t rule out Mariota-to-Eagles scenario
» Lorenzo Mauldin, OLB, Louisville: Mauldin spotted with Eagles at Senior Bowl
» Bobby McCain, CB, Memphis: Eagles assistant attends pro day
» Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA: Odighizuwa visits Eagles
» Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF: Perriman meeting with Eagles
» Terry Poole, OT, San Diego State: Versatile OT to visit with Eagles
» Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State: Free safety visited with Eagles
» Edmond Robinson, OLB, Newberry: Eagles LB coach at Newberry’s pro day
» Eric Rowe, CB, Utah: Kelly gets good look at promising Utah corner
» Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington: Eagles have interest in versatile LB
First round: 20th overall selection
Second round: 52d overall selection
Third round: 84th overall selection
Fourth round: 113th overall selection
Fifth round: 145th overall selection
Fifth round: 156th overall selection
Sixth round: 195th overall selection
Seventh round: 237th overall selection
