The Eagles need difference makers. Forget depth. Forget filling up needs. They need players that in the week leading up to the game have opposing coaches up at night wondering how in the world their team will contain that player.
Yes, they need those players at receiver. Yes, they need them on defense. The reality is this team needs them wherever they can get them.
Armed with three-first round picks the Eagles have a real chance to find those players in the 2022 NFL Draft. That is the question the Eagles need to ask themselves before they call in their pick at No. 15, 16 and 19 — does this player have a chance to be special?
With that in mind, here is the best possible outcome for the Eagles first-round:
No. 15: Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, FSU
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 260 pounds
College Stats: 28 games, 18 sacks, 24.5 tackles for a loss, 106 total tackles
Analysis: The Eagles need to fix the defensive line. They took a step towards doing that by signing Haason Reddick, but there is still work to be done. Johnson has all the qualities to be the player the Eagles need along the edge. Johnson, unlike Reddick, has the prototypical body that teams are looking for in edge rushers. He has an explosive first step off the line. He has a track record of success, turning in a dominating 2021 season at Florida State after transferring from Georgia. The Eagles got plenty of exposure to Johnson this offseason as he had an outstanding Senior Bowl, an event the Eagles love to draft players from. A trio of Reddick, Johnson and Josh Sweat along the edges is a very good trio of rushers to continue the rebuild of their defensive line.
No. 16: Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
College Stats: 25 games, 6 interceptions, 20 pass deflections
Analysis: An advantage of having three first-round picks is that the Eagles can take chances that other teams can't to find special players. That is exactly what they should do. If Stingely didn't suffer a season-ending foot injury in 2021 he might be a top three pick in the draft. The initial timeline for the Lisfranc injury he suffered in September had a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 months. He is expected to be a full participant on April 6th when LSU has their Pro Day. Even if he isn't, Stingley will be just under a full year since the injury when the 2022 NFL season kicks off, giving him roughly twice as long as the initial timeline to recover. The Eagles saw the benefit of having a legit No. 1 cornerback in Darius Slay last season. Stingley has the potential to be just as good and eventually takeover for Slay as the team's top corner. Until then, the duo of Stingley and Slay will give the Eagles the best set of cornerbacks they have had in a very long time.
No. 19: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 189 pounds
College Stats: 25 games, 94 catches, 1,572 yards, 19.9 YPC, 18 touchdowns
Analysis: The Eagles need weapons on offense. Specially that need is at receiver. Williams checks both of those boxes in a big way. Williams is arguably the most dangerous receiver in this year's draft, averaging 19.9 yards-per-catch last season while scoring 15 touchdowns. He has elite speed to get behind a defense, is a great route runner and does an excellent job tracking the ball in the air. Like Stingley, he is only going to be available in the middle of the first round because of an injury. Williams suffered a torn ACL in January, meaning he might not be ready for the start of the regular season (although it shouldn't be ruled out either). The Eagles can't let that timeline make them pass on Williams. The combination of Williams and DeVonta Smith could give the Eagles an elite set of receivers on offense for years to come — and considering the explosion of money at the receiver position, having both on rookie deals would be huge for the Eagles .
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com
