NFL Mock Draft 2017 Roundup: Early Look At Eagles Options

Who will the Eagles draft in the first round?

Corey Davis. (USA TODAY Sports)

Corey Davis. (USA TODAY Sports)

The 2017 NFL Draft is 111 days away, but it’s never too early (OK, it totally is) to look at some mock drafts to get an idea of who the Philadelphia Eagles might pick. The Eagles will own the No. 14 or No. 15 pick in the first round of the draft depending on the results of a coin flip at the NFL Combine. Let’s take a look at what the experts are saying.

Bleeding Green Nation (Ben Natan) – Corey Davis, Wide Receiver, WMU

“The biggest no brainer pick for the Eagles if the draft plays out this way… Corey Davis is a big bodied stud pass catcher with speed, strong hands and years of production. The leading wide receiver in NCAA history is exactly the player the Eagles need to pair with Carson Wentz in order to propel the offense forward.”

SB Nation (Dan Kadar) – Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

“The Eagles have gone years without drafting a highly rated cornerback, and the lack of secondary talent really shows. They could get their pick of cover men, and Humphrey is arguably the best.”

[Bonus: This mock also has the Eagles drafting USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second.]

ESPN (Todd McShay) – Teez Tabor, CB, Florida

“Tabor has terrific ball skills, with four interceptions, five pass breakups and a defensive TD in 11 games this season — and that comes on the heels of a 2015 season in which he had four interceptions and 14 pass breakups. Tabor’s natural anticipation skills would fill a big need for the Eagles.”

PhillyVoice (Jimmy Kempski) – Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

“Barnett is a shorter, thick, strong defensive end who reminds me a little of Brandon Graham. Barnett is equally effective against the run as he is as a pass rusher, and has been an impact player since his freshman year. In just three seasons at Tennessee, Barnett broke the all-time career school sack record that was previously held by some guy named Reggie White. No big deal.”

The MMQB (Emily Kaplan) – Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

“From the wideout factory that has produced DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant, this might be the Tigers’ most polished wide receiver yet. The Eagles won’t have any hesitations snatching up a star player to fill their biggest need. Carson Wentz, meet your new best friend—who will rarely drop your passes.”

Sports Illustrated (Chris Burke) – Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State

“Cornerback? Sure. Wide receiver? Of course. Offensive tackle? Maybe. The Eagles have ample pressing needs, as of Jan. 3. But running back should be on that list, too. And here, they get what may be the best skill-position player in this class. Cook’s Orange Bowl provided a perfect Cliff’s Notes on his game: He’ll take a few negative plays, but he can explode through the smallest of holes for game-changing gains, be it via run or pass.”

DraftTek – Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State

“The Eagles wrapped up their 2016 campaign with a mostly-irrelevant win against a Mark Sanchez-led (and Ezekiel Elliott-less) Dallas Cowboys. Carson Wentz’s game was a microcosm of his season: started strong, faltered in the middle, respectable at the end. Wentz needs help, and needs it this offseason. The Eagles’ two starting outside receivers combined for 757 yards this year…a total surpassed by 52 other individual players. In an ideal situation, the Eagles could use their 1st pick on a premier position like Cornerback, Offensive Tackle, or Defensive End, and then use the RD2 and RD3 picks (as well as Free Agency) to bolster the Receiver and Running Back positions. In this CMD Dalvin Cook represents the best player available, and surely would fit right into Pederson’s offense as a dual-threat back. While other RBs sat out of their bowl games to nurse injuries (or guard their draft status), Cook manned up, went out there for his team, and ran wild over a very strong Wolverine defense.”

CBS Sports (Dane Brugler) – Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

“The Eagles are desperate for help at cornerback and there should be several options for the franchise in the mid-first round. Humphrey has given up several big plays this season, but NFL coaches will be salivating at his size and skill-set.”

CBS Sports (Rob Rang) – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan

“Despite plenty of draft picks invested in the position, the Eagles lack a go-to target in the passing game to aid the development of Carson Wentz. Starring in the MAC rather than a Power 5 conference, Davis does not earn the attention he deserves but he’s a polished route-runner with an ideal combination of size (6-3, 213) with 4.4 speed.”

Draft Breakdown (Emanuele Addondi) – John Ross, WR, Washington

“Nelson Agholor is a big disappointment and Wentz needs someone who can stretch the field — Ross is that guy.”

Newsday (Nick Klopsis) – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan

“The Eagles have their quarterback. Now they need to get him better targets — Jordan Matthews has been inconsistent, and Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham have been disappointing. Corey Davis probably is the most complete wide receiver in the entire draft. The Western Michigan star has the size at 6-3 and 213 pounds, which he uses to his advantage in 50-50 situations. He’s a very crisp route-runner for someone of his size and can make defenders miss in the open field. Davis has lined up outside and in the slot, giving him extra versatility. He’s a legitimate No. 1 option for an Eagles team desperately in need of one.”

Yahoo! Sports (Eric Edholm) – John Ross, WR, Washington

“Fire up your DeSean Jackson comps. Ross is the best blazer in this draft, and he could add a shot of badly needed playmaking to the offense that held Carson Wentz lacked. Drops also were a huge problem for the Eagles, and Ross has better hands than Will Fuller, who was drafted in this range a year ago. Size is a concern, but Ross could add a lot.”

Matt Miller (Bleacher Report) – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan

“The best route-runner in the class happens to be built like Terrell Owens. That’s a combination the Philadelphia Eagles need after watching Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor struggle to get open or consistently pull in passes for Carson Wentz. Davis is a freak. Don’t let his level of competition fool you. His ability to break off routes and dice up defenses with his feet is among the most impressive things you’ll see in college football this season. But he combines that fancy footwork with a powerful physique and the playmaker mentality needed to spark the Eagles offense. There will be time to draft cornerbacks and get help at running back. Passing on Davis is something Howie Roseman can’t do.”

DraftWire (Luke Easterling) – Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State

“Philly needs to surround Carson Wentz with as many weapons as possible, and a three-down terror like Cook would be a huge difference maker.”

Sporting News (Eric Galko) – Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State

“Receiver and cornerback are two glaring needs for the Eagles, and they could go either way in the first round of the draft. Receiver seems to need a veteran presence, while they could find a young upside cornerback like Conley to develop.”

Here’s a summary of the picks:

WR Corey Davis (4)
RB Dalvin Cook (3)
WR John Ross (2)
CB Marlon Humphrey (2)
WR Mike Williams (1)
CB Gareon Conley (1)
CB Teez Tabor (1)
DE Derek Barnett (1)

WR – 7
CB – 4
RB – 3
DE – 1

Offense – 10
Defense – 5

Thoughts:

With the draft so far away, it’s not surprising to see mock drafters largely cater to the Eagles’ biggest needs: wide receiver, cornerback, and running back. There’s no question the Eagles need to give Carson Wentz more weapons to work with.