The 2020 Eagles season, one of the more painful ones in franchise history, is finally over.
There will be plenty of questions to be answered this offseason, but there is no question about one thing — it is now #MockDraftSzn.
Armed with the No. 6 pick in the draft and seven picks overall, the Eagles will enter the 2021 NFL Draft is a long, long list of needs. They need help at receiver, defensive end, offensive line, cornerback and safety. They also might need a quarterback.
The bottom line is that with so many needs they should be able to go with the best-player available in almost any round while also checking off a need.
So with the 2020 season now over, let’s take a first swing with Mock Draft Version 1.0:
*** Note: The 2020 Draft is still months away, so yes, it is very possible some of these players end up getting drafted way higher than I have them here, or way lower. This is more a rough look at, as of now, who is projected to be there in each round that would make sense for the Eagles.
Round 1, Pick 6: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 208 pounds
College Stats: 107 catches, 2,093 yards, 23 touchdowns
Analysis: What the Eagles do with the No. 6 overall pick is going to be fascinating. Trading up is a possibility if they want to go after a quarterback. Trading down is possible if another team wants to move up for a quarterback. What feels most likely, however, is the team stays put and takes the best player on the board — and there is a good chance that is Chase.
Chase would have likely been the top receiver taken in the 2020 NFL Draft if he was allowed to enter it, as the six-foot, speed receiver outplayed Justin Jefferson during the 2019 college season. He can play outside, he can play inside, he can be a deep threat and he can be a possession receiver if needed. Like Jefferson, he also has that confidence you look for in a No. 1 receiver.
A year off could potentially hurt his stock, and with only one year of elite-level production, it is possible the Eagles could move down a few spots and still get him. After missing out on Jefferson last season, however, the pressure will be on for the Eagles to land an elite receiver in the draft.
Eagles can finally get their No. 1, play-making wide receiver by doing the easy thing, not over thinking it and just taking Chase at No. 6.
Round 2, Pick 37: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
College Stats: 101 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions in 30 games
Analysis: It was painfully obvious this season that the Eagles need to find a cornerback to play opposite Darius Slay. As good as Slay was, he can’t be as effective if the opposing offense can just throw the ball at the Eagles’ other cornerback all game with ease. Cornerback is a real possibility at No. 6, but if they do go with a receiver, Horn would be an excellent pick at the top of the second round.
Round 3, Pick 70: Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 325 pounds
College Stats: 24 starts at Alabama (20 at center)
Analysis: Anything is possible, but it sure felt like watching Jason Kelce stand on the sideline at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night an hour after the game that his time in the NFL is coming to an end. If it is, that is a major blow to the Eagles, and a hole they will need to fill immediately. Dickerson is considered by some to be the best center in college football, and is viewed as one of the most athletic centers in the draft as well. Starting a rookie right away is risky, but he could be the long-term answer the Eagles need at center.
Round 5, Pick 134: Bubba Bolden, S, Miami
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds
College Stats: 93 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 4 pass deflections in 21 games
Analysis: The Eagles have questions all over the secondary, but especially at both safety spots, as Jalen Mills is a free agent and Rodney McLeod will be coming off of a torn ACL. It is possible the team signs a (cheap) veteran safety while also deciding to make K’Von Wallace a starter. Bolden is a versatile safety that can play be the single-high safety while also playing in the box or in the slot if needed. He might not be ready to play Week 1, but he has the potential to develop into a starter at either safety spot.
Round 5, Pick 139: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 269 pounds
College Stats: 84 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 7 pass deflections in 22 games
Analysis: The Eagles going this late into the draft without taking a pass rusher would be surprising, considering how many questions they have at the position moving forward. If they do wait this late, Hutchinson could be a good low-risk, high-reward option. Hutchinson missed most of the 2020 season due to a fractured leg that ended his season, but he likely would have gone higher if not for the missed time as he has ideal size and athleticism for the position. He will need coached up, as his pass-rushing moves are limited, but he would make a ton of sense as a fifth-round pick.
Round 6, Pick 165: Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 257 pounds
College Stats: 106 catches, 1,425 yards, 17 touchdowns in 31 games
Analysis: It is very possible that tight end Zach Ertz has played his last game with the Eagles. He won’t be able to be replaced by a sixth-round rookie, but the Eagles need to draft a young player to develop behind Dallas Goedert. Kolar has a ton of potential as a receiving tight end, as he has great size, long arms and was very productive during his time at Iowa State. Kolar should be able to fill the role Goedert played, as Goedert takes Ertz’s snaps, fairly quickly.
Round 7, Pick 198: Charles Snowden, LB, Virginia
Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 240 pounds
College Stats: 191 tackles, 30.5 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks, 2 interceptions, 15 pass deflections in 44 games
Analysis: The Eagles need help at linebacker, but until they start to invest real draft capital into the position, I’m not projecting them to take one in the top-two rounds. Snowden has potential as a late-round steal, showing his ability to make all-types of plays at Virginia as both a pass rusher and in pass coverage. Unlike Davion Taylor, who came to the Eagles as an extremely raw prospect, Snowden should be able to get on the field much sooner.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
