Last Thursday through Saturday was the 2019 NFL Draft. There were a lot of stories going into the draft, like who are the Arizona Cardinals picking? What’s going to happen with Josh Rosen? The only story I cared about was what were my Philadelphia Eagles going to do with their seven draft picks. By the end of the draft, I was pleased with all of the picks. I don’t think there was a bad one or reached for one. So I’m going to break down each pick and what it might mean for the team.
1st round (draft pick 22): Andre Dillard, Tackle, Washington State
Originally, the Eagles were suppose to pick at 25, but traded with the Baltimore Ravens to move up to 22. With only giving up a 4th and a 6th round pick, they possibly drafted Jason Peters‘ replacement. In my preview for the draft last week, I stated that we should look for Peters’ replacement. He could start right away if need be and if the past two seasons of Peters’ career tells anything, then the rookie will play. This could also mean the end to Big V being on the Eagles. Now, I just hope Philly grooms Dillard at left tackle to be Peters replacement and keep Lane Johnson on the right side.
2nd Round pick ( draft pick 53): Miles Sanders, running back, Penn State
I like this pick as well. I’m glad we didn’t pick a running back in the 1st round because it seems like the Eagles do better drafting running backs after day one of the draft. Miles Sanders was backing up Saquan Barkley until last year. Once getting the full time gig at Penn State, he showed he’s a good pass catcher out of the backfield and posted 1300 yards rushing out of the backfield. His one weakness is his pass protection ability, but can get better at it as he rotates in and out with the rest of the running backs. A lot of the draft experts had him going in late first round as well. So to get a 1st round talent 3/4 through the second round isn’t bad either.
2nd Round (pick 57): JJ Arcega-Whiteside, wide receiver, Stanford
Just a few picks after Sanders got picked, we were up again. D.K. Metcalf was sitting there. And to be honest, I was hoping we didn’t take him. Yes, he’s a big body for the red zone, but the fact he only had 67 career collegiate catches scared me. That possibly scared the Philadelphia Eagles away as well, which they elected to draft JJ Arcega-Whiteside. This pick I like because right off the bat, it gives us another big body for the red zone. Maybe take some attention away from Zach Ertz or Alshon Jeffery. At 6-2 225lbs, he can box out very well to pull in the jump ball touchdowns. This pick, depending on how well he plays early in the season, may have made Nelson Agholor expendable as a trade candidate.
4th Round (draft pick 138): Shareef Miller, Defensive End, Penn State
I also said in my article last week that we should try and get a defensive end in this draft. Brandon Graham is getting old. So we needed to look for another end to pair with Derek Barnett once Graham decides to move on. After not having a 3rd round pick, we chose Shareef Miller with the 138th pick. He’s a very strong kid and shows a lot of effort. Now hopefully he can upgrade his weaknesses behind Graham, who’s one of the top pass rushers in the league, to become a good pass rusher as well on the team.
5th round (pick 167): Clayton Thorson, quarterback, Northwestern
This pick was a good one for a couple reasons. I don’t mind drafting a quarterback late in the draft because its a low risk high reward. I won’t go into the story, but just look what happened with the quarterback in New England. Also you have Doug Pederson, a former quarterback himself, as head coach who he can help strengthen his weaknesses. If Nate Sudfeld doesn’t pan out as a number two quarterback, then you have a backup plan for that spot. Also, if for some reason Thorson turns out to be something special, then your back to having two high quality quarterbacks.
So, again, overall I really liked the draft the Philadelphia Eagles had. I wont say I’d give the Eagles an “A”, but definitely a “B+”. We got some help for Carson Wentz now, as well some pieces to groom for the future.
Until next week, its your good friend Jimbo signing out.
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