The Eagles are looking for special players in a draft that might not have many of them.
That is the tough task the Eagles front office and coaching staff will take on this week in the 2022 NFL Draft, a draft they enter with plenty of needs and 10 picks, including two in the first round.
There are not many sure-things in this year’s draft class, which is why I think the Eagles will prioritize high ceilings over high floors, swinging for the fences and trying to find special qualities instead of going for the safe options.
With all that being said, here is my final Eagles 7-Round Mock Draft for the 2022 NFL Draft:
Round 1, Pick 15: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia: I went back-and-forth between Davis and Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton for the Eagles first pick. I do believe Hamilton will fall outside of the top 10, and if he does, I think the Eagles will try to make a move up the board to get him. They know they need a difference-making safety for Jonathan Gannon’s defense, they have close to nothing at the position right now and tried to give big money to a safety this offseason.
So why Davis?
Because when trying to decide what the Eagles will do the safe bet is to always lean towards the lines. Davis plays a position the Eagles really value and is viewed as a generational athlete at the position. Hamilton is a special prospect but Davis has physical qualities you aren’t going to find in the draft every year. Davis is also likely to make it to No. 15, with the only road block being Baltimore at No. 14.
The Eagles might have to move up to get him, but when you add in the position, the likelihood he will be available and the special physical qualities, Davis seem like the player most likely to end up on the Eagles at the end of the first round.
Round 1, Pick 18: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: Williams wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the torn ACL he suffered in January. He still might not make it to No. 18. But when projecting who the Eagles will end up with at the end of the first round, Williams is on the short list. It is possible they might have to move up to get him a few spots from No. 18 (or No. 15), but I think Williams is a player the Eagles are willing to maneuver for.
In a draft class that doesn’t have very many special players, Williams checks the box as a prospect that would be viewed as a top prospect in any draft class, not just this one. Williams has elite speed on the outside, something the Eagles have spent years looking for. The team can say they believe in Quez Watkins but they tried to trade for Calvin Ridley and they tried to sign Allen Robinson. Williams checks the same important box that Davis does — he is a special physical talent.
Round 2, Pick 51: Christian Harris, LB, Alabama: Harris could be the answer the Eagles have been looking for at linebacker, a need I do expect them to address early on this year. Harris is just 21-years old and won’t turn 22 until after next season. He is lighting quick, has good size (6-foot-1, 226 pounds) for his position and has been starting at Alabama since he was a true freshman. He is quick enough to cover most running backs and tight ends, while also strong enough to be an impact player in the run game. Harris offers a rare combination of plenty of experience at the top level of college football while also being young enough that he still has plenty of potential. Harris should be able to come in and play right away for the Eagles, something they need at linebacker.
Round 3, Pick 83: Perrion Winfrey, DL, Oklahoma: The Eagles brought Winfrey in for a visit and it is easy to see why. Winfrey is 6-foot-4, 290 pounds with enough speed to move around on the defensive line. He is an impact defender against the run due to his size, but has flashed enough potential as a pass rusher that the Eagles could view him as an ideal third-down, short yardage defensive tackle. The Eagles are going to prioritize the defensive line in this draft and Winfrey in the third-round is good value.
Round 3, Pick 101: Jesse Luketa, LB/EDGE, Penn State: Luketa is a versatile defender that spent time at both linebacker and edge rusher during his career at Penn State. He should be an excellent defender against the run right away, but will need time developing as a pass rusher, since he only moved to more of a full-time edge rusher last year. The Eagles like to use multiple defensive fronts under Gannon and Luketa has the versatility to move from linebacker to defensive line, something the Eagles will value. Luketa came in for an official visit to Philadelphia.
Round 4, Pick 124: Marcus Jones, CB/KR/PR, Houston: The Eagle need an impact player in the return game. Taking Jones specifically for his skills as a punt/kick returner in the fourth round might be a bit of a reach, but if the Eagles are looking for players with special qualities, Jones certainly checks that box as a returner. Jones is the most dynamic special teams player in the draft, and for a team that hasn’t had any kind of real threat in the the return game for years, adding Jones could solve that problem for the next few years. Getting consistently better field position for an offense that is going to struggle to move the ball is worth a fourth-round pick.
Round 5, Pick 154: Mario Goodrich, CB, Clemson: It wouldn’t be surprising if the Eagles tried to move up in the first round if one of the special cornerbacks (Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley) start to drop. If they miss out on both, the drop-off at cornerback is steep, and they will likely wait until the later rounds to take a flyer on an outside cornerback. Goodrich has the size (6-foot) needed to play on the outside and should give the Eagles another young cornerback to compete for the starting job opposite Darius Slay.
Round 5, Pick 162: Charles Kolar, TE, Iowa State: Like other prospects in the mock draft Kolar has special physical qualities that other players at his position do not. Kolar is 6-foot-6, 252 pounds with long arms, great hands and great speed, running a 4.67 40 at his pro day. Kolar is a bad blocker (who cares) which is why he is falling down draft boards. The Eagles need to find a backup tight end for Dallas Goedert and Kolar could be an impact tight end in the passing game.
Round 5, Pick 166: Jason Poe, OG, Mercer: Waiting until this late in the draft to take an offensive linemen is unlike the Eagles, but they have great depth at the position already and have a track record of turning late-round picks into Pro Bowl players. Poe is one of the quickest interior linemen in this draft, running a 4.89 40 at 6-foot-1, 300 pounds. Poe has some work to do to be ready to get on the field in NFL, but the combination of his athletic ability and Jeff Stoutland’s coaching could turn him into another late-round steal for the Eagles.
Round 7, Pick 237: Matt Waletzko, OT, North Dakota State: Waletzko is a logical Eagles pick for the same reason Poe is — he is an ultra athletic offensive linemen that will drop because he needs plenty of coaching to become an NFL-caliber player. The Eagles got a good look at Waletzko at the Senior Bowl, the annual pre-draft event the front office loves to draft from. The Eagles need at offensive tackle isn’t an immediate one but using a seventh-round pick on an super athletic tackle has worked out for them before.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com