The Eagles’ 2021 NFL Draft Class is already getting rave reviews.
Howie Roseman’s nine-player draft class was named the No. 1 group from the weekend by The Athletic’s Dan Brugler, finishing considerably higher than Washington (15th), Giants (18th) and Cowboys (24th).
Ironically, the Eagles’ most controversial pick, Alabama center Landon Dickerson, seems to be the reason they landed the top spot.
Favorite pick: Landon Dickerson, OG/C, Alabama
The Eagles had no shortage of candidates here, which is the main reason they are No. 1 on my list. But Dickerson gets my vote because of his combination of high-end talent at any of the interior line positions and his impact in the locker room. His injury history is troublesome, but well worth the risk.
There is no doubt Dickerson is skilled, and if he didn’t have a long injury history, very well might have been a top-20 pick. Four season-ending injuries in five seasons, however, is certainly concerning.
Outside of Dickerson, Brugler listed Texas Tech cornerback Zech McPhearson as a Day 3 player who could surprise. McPhearson should get the chance to play early if he impresses, considering he is the only cornerback the Eagles drafted, and the roster is incredibly thin right now at the position.
The fact that the Eagles landed the top spot without even a mention of DeVonta Smith, their first-round pick, is a sign of how deep Brugler seems to believe this Eagles’ draft class is.
Of course, we won’t know for at least a year which team truly ended up with the best draft class. We will have to see which players that were drafted this weekend can actually play in the NFL, and which team did the best job finding those players. Roseman’s history of struggling in the draft should certainly raise some skepticism that he will actually end up with the best draft class.
As of now, however, it seems most analysts agree with Brugler — Roseman seems to have done a great job in the 2021 NFL Draft.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!