As the NFL Draft quickly approaches, we will be taking a look at some players at each position that could interest the Eagles.
Today, the cornerbacks.
CJ Henderson, CB, Florida (1st): Most years a player of Henderson’s ability wouldn’t be available at No. 21, but with so much talent at receiver, offensive tackle and quarterback at the top of the draft, he could fall to the Eagles. If he does, the Eagles might have a hard time passing him up. Henderson, 6-foot, 202 pounds, is an excellent man-coverage cornerback that also has experience in zone. Although he lined up primarily on the outside for Florida, he saw about 25% of his snaps come at nickel as well, giving him the ability to move around in the Eagles’ defense. Pairing Henderson with Darius Slay would give the Eagles potentially one of the best sets of corners in the division.
Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama (1st/2nd): One of the best athletes in the draft at cornerback, Diggs started his college career playing on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball before switching to cornerback after his freshman season. Diggs got plenty of experience early on as a slot cornerback, playing 42% of his snaps in 2018 as the nickel corner. It wasn’t until last season he moved to a full-time starting outside corner, playing 85% of his snaps on the outside. Diggs has good size for the position at 6-foot-1, 2017 pounds, and his background as a receiver in high school makes him excellent at playing the ball when it does come his way. Diggs could be either the Eagles’ 1st pick at No. 21 if the board doesn’t break their way at receiver, or a potential trade-back option.
Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU (1st/2nd): When the Eagles signed nickel cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, one of the things general manager Howie Roseman said they liked about him was his ability to mirror the opposing receiver. With that in mind it is likely the Eagles are a big fan of Fulton’s, as he was an excellent shut-down cornerback at LSU, sticking with his man despite routinely being tasked with covering the other team’s best option on the outside. Fulton is at his best being physical at the line of scrimmage, and has the attitude the Eagles look for in their secondary players. Fulton could be a trade back option for the Eagles.
Jaylon Johnson, Utah (2nd): The Eagles went into this offseason looking for a No. 1, shutdown cornerback, and found one in Slay. They are going to be looking for another to develop in the draft and Johnson fits the bill as a player worth taking, potentially sitting for a year and then turning loose as a starter in 2021. Johnson, standing just under 6-foot, routinely followed the other team’s best receiver in college. Despite always being tasked with the toughest matchup he came away with more interceptions over the last two seasons (six) than touchdowns allowed (three). Johnson should be a prime target for the Eagles with the No. 53 overall pick.
Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech (3rd): If the Eagles feel Avonte Maddox (5-foot-9) is big enough to be a stater on the outside, than they likely won’t have any concern about Robertson (5-foot-9 as well) being slightly undersized. If they are comfortable with his size, then it is easy to see the Eagles taking Robertson. Robertson is a quick corner that knows how to make plays on the ball when it comes his way, coming down with a whopping 14 interceptions over the last three seasons. Robertson spent most of his time on the outside at Louisiana Tech, but has the skillset to potentially move inside to nickel if needed. Robertson could be a long-term fit at either outside corner if Maddox/Sidney Jones don’t step up this year, or in the nickel if Robey-Coleman isn’t back in 2021.
Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame (3rd/4th): Pride projects as a starter on the outside, although he did get some time at nickel in college. Just under 6-foot, Pride can play both man coverage at the line of scrimmage or drop back into zone. Tackling is a bit of a concern for Pride, as he struggled with missed tackles in college and is not viewed as a strong player against the run. Still, his versatility could be intriguing to the Eagles if he drops to them in the third round, or is still available with either of their fourth-round picks.
Dane Jackson, CB, Pittsburgh (4th/5th): A four-year starter at Pittsburgh, Jackson has plenty of experience playing in both man-and-zone coverage as well as lining up both in the slot and on the outside. He is a bit undersize at 5-foot-11, but size doesn’t seem to be a concern for the Eagles. Jackson has shown the ability to make plays on the ball, knocking away 46 passes in four years. Ideally the Eagles won’t need to play Jackson right away and can develop him to starter in 2021.
AJ Green, CB, Oklahoma State (5th/6th): Although his 4.62 40-time at the NFL Combine wasn’t great, Green didn’t have an issue in college with quicker receivers, and has good speed for a player standing 6-foot-1, 202 pounds. One appealing part of Green’s game is his ability to line up against tight ends if needed, as he has both the size and speed to deal with the athletic, pass-catching tight ends almost all teams have now on offense. Green had a rough 2018, which hurt his draft stock, but bounced back in 2019 to have a solid season, making him a player that could be a steal in the midrounds.
Javelin Gundy, CB, Utah (6th/7th): A main focus of the Eagles offseason so far on defense has been to get faster. They won’t be able to do much better than Gundy when it comes to quick cornerbacks in the draft. Gundy, 5-foot-9, 191 pounds, ran the quickest 40 at the NFL Combine, turning in a blazing 4.29. Gundy isn’t just quick, as he has a thick build and has shown he can be physical as well. Gundy’s combination of speed and physical play makes him a perfect prospect at nickel, a position he spent almost all of his time at in college. Gundy could be a good long-term replacement for either Robey-Coleman or CreVon LeBlanc.
OTHER POSITIONS:
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!