By: Jacob Keppen

The draft landscape has changed a bit for the Philadelphia Eagles over the past month. Once thought to possibly have three top ten picks in their possession, the Eagles draft picks are slowly starting to move down the board and space out. With Miami starting to win games, Indianapolis being competitive, and the Eagles being a massive question mark week to week, the Eagles still have three top 15 selections. With 11 total picks, here is the Eagles mock draft heading into December.

8th Overall (Round 1): Kyle Hamilton, S Notre Dame

Safety might be the sneakiest need for Philadelphia moving forward. Anthony Harris is only here on a one year deal and is 30, while Rodney McLeod will be 32 next year and is coming off a major injury this year. There isn’t really a replacement plan in place at the position, and Kyle Hamilton is one of the best players in the draft regardless of position. A 6’4 athletic unicorn, Hamilton has the range and tackling of a potential All Pro safety in the NFL.

9th Overall (Round 1): Andrew Booth Jr, CB Clemson

The Eagles are not done at cornerback yet, not by a long shot. While Darius Slay is playing some of the best football of his career, he is 30. Hopefully the Eagles get a few more productive years out of their star corner, but eventually his replacement must be found. With Steve Nelson on a one year deal the bandaid over the 2nd corner position will almost surely be ripped off come next season. Andrew Booth is an extremely talented and athletic corner who can be the second in command across from Darius Slay, eventually taking over Slay’s role as the team’s lockdown corner. 

14th Overall (Round 1): Garrett Wilson, WR Ohio State

Yes, it disgusts me as well to select a receiver this high once again for Philadelphia. Since 2019 the Eagles have taken three receivers in the top two rounds, twice in the first round the past two years. The Eagles also took a receiving threat in Dallas Goedert early in the second in 2018. If last game against the Giants made anything clear, it’s that the Eagles weapons simply are not good enough. Bringing in one veteran receiver in the offseason won’t fix that either, teams needing multiple weapons to really get an edge in today’s NFL. Garrett Wilson can really do it all, his technique winning him most reps at the line of scrimmage and his ability with the ball in his hands making him a dynamic threat next to Devonta Smith.

42nd Overall (Round 2): Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE Penn State

This edge rusher class is really good, like really good. Even in the second round teams will have a bevy of fine pass rushers to choose from, and Arnold Ebiketie is one of the best. Since transferring to Penn State this year, Ebiketie has been on an absolute tear making the 2021 All Big Ten First Team Defense. Ebiketie has great bend and athleticism, combined with some very educated hands. With a big week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, he might not even be available at 42.

73rd Overall (Round 3): Brandon Smith, LB Penn State

Double dipping once again in the vast pool of defensive talent at Happy Valley, Brandon Smith could be the finishing piece to an Eagles linebacker corps that is starting to figure it out. Once the biggest hole on the team, the additions of T.J. Edwards and Davion Taylor to the starting lineup have been very solid this season. In Smith the eagles take another swing on an extremely athletic linebacker.

110th Overall (Round 4): Isaiah Likely, TE Coastal Carolina

That’s right, another receiving weapon. If the Eagles truly want to see if Jalen Hurts is the guy they can’t give him bargain bin weapons. No more excuses, get him help and see what happens. The backup tight end spot is one I think the Eagles should look at. While Tyree Jackson has shown a ton of potential, Isaiah Likely has been a force for Coastal Carolina the past two years. An athletic threat up the seam Likely can be a good complementary threat next to Dallas Goedert.

151st Overall (Round 5): Jalen Pitre, LB/S Baylor

Jalen Pitre is one of my favorite later-round guys in the draft, and he fits a mold of players that Philadelphia tends to like. It’s almost a running joke at this point how the Eagles don’t take linebackers, they just take safeties and put them at linebacker. Pitre plays that hybrid linebacker/safety role, utilized best blowing up plays around the line of scrimmage. Opposing teams rarely can barely get screens off cleanly when playing against Baylor.

160th Overall (Round 5): Max Mitchell, OT Louisiana

It is never a bad idea to take backup linemen with upside later in the draft. Philadelphia has been doing this routinely during Roseman’s reign as GM, and it usually has worked out. Multiple times we’ve seen later round linemen thrust into starting roles due to an injury in Philadelphia. For the Eagles Lane Johnson has been the man at right tackle for the past decade, but it’s time to start thinking about some reassurance behind him. He’s getting older and has dealt with some injuries. Max Mitchell is an aggressive lineman who flashes on film and could make for a good option behind Lane.

173rd Overall (Round 5): Tyler Allgeier, RB BYU

The Eagles running back situation is a very interesting one. It seems as though the team really isn’t sold on Miles Sanders being the guy, the former second-round pick never really receiving a heavy workload. Jordan Howard has at times been featured as the power back this year, and it’s worked pretty well. Of course, you do still have Kenny Gainwell, last year’s 5th round selection, who adds as a receiving threat. I don’t think Miles Sanders is going to be the guy in Philadelphia after his contracts up, and Tyler Allgeier’s an interesting option to add to the mix in Philly. Possibly the most underrated back in college football over the past two years, Allgeier is a speedy back who slashes through defenses.

193rd Overall (Round 6): Dylan Parham, IOL Memphis

It is never a bad idea to take backup linemen with upside later in the draft. Philadelphia has been doing this routinely during Roseman’s reign as GM, and it usually has worked out (Hey, where have I seen that intro before?) Dylan Parham has impressed this year at guard and there have been talks of trying him out at center at the Senior Bowl. A superb athlete for the position, Parham could be a sneaky good player if he bulks up a bit more.

206th Overall (Round 6): Brad Hawkins, S Michigan

Why not end the mock by sending a local player back home! Playing high school football at Camden High (You want the High, you got the High!) right across the bridge from Philadelphia, it would be a full circle for the Eagles to draft him. A fifth-year player with tons of Big 10 experience, Hawkins can fill a variety of roles as a backup including special teams.

The post Philadelphia Eagles 7 round mock draft in December appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jacob Keppen

The biggest fear of every Philadelphia Eagles fan is Howie Roseman making the wrong picks”¦ again. The Eagles general manager has been under much scrutiny over the past few years for failing to draft top level stars, or at times seemingly serviceable starters. The last Pro Bowler the Eagles drafted was Carson Wentz in 2016.

Well Eagles fans, your worst fear is no more. Howie Roseman is gone. I’m in charge now of the Eagles draft. Given large draft capital with 11 picks, the most in the draft here’s my mock draft for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Round 1:

12th Overall: Jaycee Horn, CB South Carolina

This is an extremely easy pick to make for Philadelphia if the junior from South Carolina is still on the board. As I said previously in my defense of the Eagles-Dolphins trade, the Eagles have a dire need at cornerback. With the rest of the division stockpiling weapons, you cannot go into the season with randomly generated Madden players starting opposite of Darius Slay.

Son of former New Orleans Saints Joe Horn, Jaycee is the best cornerback in the draft. He is a phenomenal athlete, and combines that freak athleticism with uber aggressiveness to eliminate his wide receiver matchup from the game. He will be a great #2 corner next to Slay, and can be the next lockdown Eagles corner reminiscent of Troy Vincent or Lito Sheppard.

Round 2:

37th Overall: Creed Humphrey, C Oklahoma

The Eagles are starting a long term rebuild. This draft isn’t about competing next year, rather it’s about building a team that can contend for multiple championships in the future. To do so, Philadelphia needs to find the successor to legendary center Jason Kelce. Kelce has been the backbone of so many great Eagles lines, but his time will be coming to an end soon. Already 33, Kelce has battled retirement over the past few years. 

Creed Humphrey is one of the few center prospects who could possibly take over for Jason Kelce without a large dropoff. A three year starter, Humphrey is a greatly experienced prospect. His tape is phenomenal, with great intelligence as well as power. He tested otherworldly at his pro day and would be a great replacement for the great Jason Kelce.

Round 3:

70th Overall: Nico Collins, WR Michigan

This draft is extremely deep at wide receiver. This allows us to grab a great cornerback prospect in Horn in the first, and then take a very promising wide receiver in Michigan’s Nico Collins in the 3rd. The Eagles have speed at wide receiver. Jalen Reagor might’ve disappointed statistically last season, but the speed was on display when you watch his film. What the Eagles need is a big body traditional X wide receiver, and this can be Nico Collins. Collins is a rare blend of size and athleticism. At 6’4, he plays like a big receiver that almost always wins 50-50 balls, but he also has legit 4.4 speed. He can be a true #1 guy in the future, and help unlock Jalen Reagor.

84th Overall: Payton Turner, EDGE Houston

The Eagles have a sneaky need at edge rusher. Brandon Graham is still good, but he is going to be 34. Derek Barnett is entering the last year of his contract and it’s still unknown whether he is in the future plans of Philadelphia. Josh Sweat showed a lot of good things last year and might make Barnett even more expendable. 

Payton Turner checks off all the boxes of a freaky 4-3 defensive end, and his best football looks to be ahead of him. Turner is massive at 6’4 270 but is still very explosive coming out of his stance. He has good power and length. His potential is sky high and not enough people are talking about him.

4th Round

123rd Overall: Marvin Wilson, DT Florida State

Is a defensive tackle the biggest need on the Eagles, no, but just like at edge rusher it’s more pressing than you’d think. Malik Jackson didn’t really work out in Philly and is gone. This just really leaves Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave and Hasaan Ridgeway at defensive tackle. At 123rd overall, former 5 star recruit Marvin Wilson is simply too good to pass up here. His 2020 tape was a step back, but go back and watch him in 2019. He has extremely strong hands and has good natural athleticism and power. The upside is great enough to use a 4th on.

5th Round

150th Overall: Tyree Gillespie, S Missouri

Besides Horn at 12, this was the easiest pick to make in the entire draft. Rodney McLeod has been the most underrated Eagle on defense over the past year, but coming off an ACL tear at 30, and with his contract set to expire next year, McLeod is probably in his last year as an Eagle. Tyree Gillespie would be the perfect replacement. I see a ton of McLeod in Gillespie. He’s a tad bit undersized but plays with a ton of physicality. He’s even a better athlete than McLeod was entering the league. Gillespie and new signing Anthony Harris splitting safety duties would look really good moving forward.

6th Round

189th Overall: Cade Johnson, WR South Dakota State

The Eagles took their future X receiver earlier in the draft in Nico Collins, here they take their future slot receiver. Greg Ward Jr has done fine in the role but Cade Johnson has serious potential at slot. He’s a really good route runner and catches the ball better than most in the class. He reminds me a lot of current Buffalo receiver Cole Beasley, who has been quite possibly the most underrated pass catcher in the NFL over the past five years.

224th Overall: Tay Gowan, CB UCF

Just adding one potentially elite player does not fix the Eagles cornerback woes. The team silk needs good depth and potential starters for the future. Tay Gowan opted out of last season, not wanting to put his daughter at risk. His 2019 tape was really promising though. Gowan has good athleticism and hip fluidity and could be a contributor in the future for Philadelphia if he continues to develop.

225th Overall: Elijah Mitchell, RB Louisiana

The Eagles need a good powerful backup option to Miles Sanders, and Louisiana’s underrated running back Elijah Mitchell fits the bill well. Mitchell was a productive back for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and absolutely destroyed his pro day. Mitchell could be a good reliable backup for the Eagles, with the athleticism to make him a potential day three steal.

7th Round

234th Overall: Luke Farrell, TE Ohio State

It looks increasingly likely that Zach Ertz, one of the greatest tight ends in Philadelphia history, will be applying his craft elsewhere this upcoming season. This gives 2018 2nd round pick Dallas Goedert the perfect opportunity to breakout. Over the past two seasons, it’s felt like Goedert can be one of the more dynamic receiving threats at tight end. Ohio State’s Luke Farrell is one of the best run blocking tight ends in the class and can be a good complement to Goedert.

240th Overall: Buddy Johnson, LB Texas A&M

Buddy Johnson is everything you could want in a 7th round pick. He is an old school style run defender of a linebacker who has modern NFL speed. He might not be a starter, but he can be a good situational contributor. Johnson has extensive experience on special teams.

The post Philadelphia Eagles 7 Round Mock Draft appeared first on Pro Football Mania.