One thing is clear — the Eagles' past issues with injuries have not scared them off.
The Eagles selected Alabama center Landon Dickerson on Friday night with the No. 37 overall pick, a player that has the talent to be a first-round pick, but fell into the second due to a history of not being able to stay healthy.
Dickerson, 6-foot-6, 333 pounds, played in 38 games during his Alabama career, but suffered four season-ending injuries. In 2016 his season ended when he tore his right ACL. In 2017 and 2018 ankle injuries ended his season, and in 2020 his season ended when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. He was able to take a few snaps in the title game once the game was essentially over, but was not able to actually play.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday night, Dickerson did not offer much of an update on how his rehab from his latest torn ACL was going.
"Timetable for me, I'm just taking it day by day right now," Dickerson said. "Looking to get back as soon as I can and work on competing and doing whatever I can to make this team better."
When asked about his durability concerns, Dickerson had this to say:
"My answer is: I'm going to give everything I got to the city of Philly," Dickerson said, "and my team and I'm going to work every day. That is my goal."
Dickerson not offering up much a timeline on his rehab is not surprising.
What is surprising is the Eagles using the 37th pick on him.
To be clear, when healthy, Dickerson is a great player. He was dominant during his time at Alabama, allowing only 14 quarterback pressures in 25 games, and not a single sack. While he projects as a center, he has played all five positions, and can definitely move to guard if needed.
The question is whether he will be able to stay healthy. Dickerson might be a great player, but coming into the NFL with an extensive injury (including a previously torn ACL in both knees) is not ideal. The Eagles have tried their luck on an injured player in the second round before, taking cornerback Sidney Jones, who was coming off of a torn Achilles. Jones did recover but never became an impact starter for the team despite being projected to be a top 10 pick prior to the injury.
Jones is a different player who was dealing with a different injury, so the fact he didn't work out in Philadelphia doesn't mean Dickerson won't.
Still, no matter what the Eagles' timeline is for winning, there is no denying taking Dickerson is a major risk with such a valuable pick.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
