Top 50: First Round Eagles Cheat Sheet

THE WILD CARDS

Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State – He is another guy who wasn’t on Jeremiah’s top 50 list, but deserves to be mentioned. Both Peter King and Mike Mayock have the Eagles taking Randall at No. 20. I don’t see it. He’s a scheme fit and fills a position of need, but Randall did not have impressive film (full breakdown here). His measurables are adequate but not special. I’m interested to see where he ends up going.

D.J. Humphries, OL, Florida – He’s considered one of the better athletes among this year’s offensive linemen. Humphries (6-5/307) projects as a starting tackle and could be a sleeper for the Eagles if he slips to No. 20 in the first round.

Ereck Flowers, OL, Miami – Evaluators didn’t seem to love his tape, but at 6-6, 329 with 34 1/2-inch arms, Flowers looks the part. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com thinks he might end up playing guard. Flowers is considered a first-round talent.

Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky – In some ways, he’s a rich man’s Marcus Smith II. Dupree (6-4/269) is an athletic freak who can fill multiple roles as a 3-4 OLB. NFL.com compares him to New England’s Jamie Collins. I don’t think he gets to 20, but if he does, Dupree could be the best player available on the Eagles’ board.

Jalen Collins, CB, LSU – From a measurables standpoint (6-1/203/4.48), he matches up with the best corners in this class. But it’s concerning that Collins only started 10 games in his college career. Some will point to the fact that LSU often has talented defensive backs, but they’re not better than the guys he will have to beat out in the NFL. Meanwhile, Collins also failed multiple drug tests, per Albert Breer of NFL Network. Does Collins pass the #culture test? If he falls, maybe. But he seems like an unlikely target.

Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan – Big people beat up little people, and Funchess is 6-4, 232 with 33 1/2-inch arms. But he’s also slow (4.70). Marynowitz talked about having a prototype, and I’m just not sure the Eagles would be willing to take a wide receiver who runs that time. It’s possible, though, that Kelly sees him as a matchup problem who can make contested catches.

Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State – Erving played left tackle for two seasons before he was bumped inside to center in 2014. Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post thinks Erving could start at any one of the five offensive line positions. When compared to other guards/centers, he has elite athleticism. Analysts seem to think he’d be better served playing on the interior in the NFL. For that reason, I don’t think the Eagles will consider him at No. 20. But if Erving slips into the second round, he could be an option to start at guard and back up at center.

Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA – The good news? He was a highly productive college player with good athleticism, smarts and character. The bad news? He’s only 6-0, 232. The way the roster is currently constructed, Kendricks probably doesn’t make sense. But if the Eagles trade his brother, and he’s still there at No. 52, maybe.

Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA – Oregon reportedly heavily pursued the Portland native coming out of high school, but he opted for UCLA instead. He has the measurables (6-3/267 with 33 3/4-inch arms) to play in the Eagles’ scheme and is an explosive athlete. The question will be whether he can play in space or is better suited to be a 4-3 DE.

Cedric Ogbuehi, OL, Texas A&M – Analysts seem to be split on Ogbuehi. He has good size (6-5, 306) and very long arms (35 7/8 inches). Ogbuehi has experience playing left tackle, right tackle and right guard. Zierlein called him a “gifted athlete” who excels at getting to the second level. The concerns are his functional power and core strength. Ogbuehi is recovering from a torn ACL. He could be an option on Day 2 if he’s still on the board.

DON’T COUNT ON IT

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State – “Jameis is really good,” Kelly said in March. “Do I like Jameis more? I don’t know Jameis as well. Jameis is a really good quarterback, a really good quarterback. His name will go very quickly, I imagine.” Kelly might have very well been telling the truth. I can buy that he likes Winston’s game. But tough to see him taking a #culture risk in the first round, and acquiring Winston will require a trade-up, even in the unlikely event that he starts to slip.

Leonard Williams, DL, USC – He’s going to be a top-five pick, and defensive line is an area of strength for the Eagles.

Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida – He’ll probably be the first pass rusher to go off the board. Fowler (6-3, 261) would fit from a scheme perspective, but he’s going to get taken early.

Shane Ray, OLB, Missouri – He either visited the NovaCare Complex or had a private workout with the Eagles, per reports. Ray (6-3/245) is a bit undersized and was cited for marijuana possession this week. He also has been dealing with a foot injury. If he is available at No. 52 in the second round, who knows? But not in the first.

DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville – Others have him in the same category as White and Cooper. That seems like a stretch to me. Parker has good measurables (6-3/209/4.45) and was a productive player with 33 touchdowns in 43 games. But I don’t think he’s going to be there at 20, and he doesn’t make sense as a trade-up target.

La’el Collins, OL, LSU – I had him on the list of potential targets at No. 20 until Tuesday evening when news broke that police were questioning him about the shooting death of a pregnant woman (his ex-girlfriend) in Baton Rouge. Collins might have had nothing to do with it, but I don’t think the Eagles will want someone with question marks in the first.

Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska – He has the length the Eagles covet (6-5, 34-inch arms), but there are #culture concerns, and Gregory only weighs 235 pounds. Don’t see him as a likely option even if he slips.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia – Had the Eagles not signed every running back under the moon, I would have put Gurley in the “Wild Card” category, but spending a first-round pick on an RB makes little sense for a team that just signed DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews.

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin – Copy and paste the above above paragraph.

Malcom Brown, DT, Texas – At 6-2, 319 with 32 1/2-inch arms, he’d have to play nose tackle in the Eagles’ 3-4. Brown is not a scheme fit.

Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson – An interesting one. Beasley (6-3/246) bulked up for the combine, but played at a lighter weight last year. He has the athleticism and the production to be an OLB target, but will almost certainly be off the board by the time the Eagles pick.

Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa – Analysts seem to like him more at guard than tackle. It seems highly unlikely that Scherff (6-5, 319) makes it to No. 20, and I don’t think he makes sense as a trade-up target.

Landon Collins, S, Alabama – We’ve been over this one. I don’t see him as a scheme fit. And I’m on the record: If the Eagles pick him at No. 20, I’ll give up pizza for a month (HUGE deal in the Kapadia household).

Eddie Goldman, DL, Florida State – Has the size (6-4, 336) and length the Eagles like from their two-gapping defensive linemen. But I don’t see the sense in taking a two-down player in the first round when run defense is the strength of Billy Davis’ unit.

Grady Jarrett, NT, Clemson – At 6-1, 304 with 32 3/8-inch arms, he’s not a scheme fit in a two-gap 3-4.

Andrus Peat, OL, Stanford – If the Eagles are going to take an offensive lineman early, I think it will be a guy who has positional versatility. At 6-7, 313 with 34 3/8-inch arms, Peat looks like a tackle only.

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri – #culture. If the Eagles draft him, I’ll write every Wake-Up Call for a month (I know you’re rooting for this, McManus).

Marcus Peters, CB, Washington – If he had a higher #culture rating, Peters might be the top CB on the Eagles’ board. I just can’t see Kelly drafting a player who got kicked off his college team in the first round.

Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami – Undersized (5-11, 236) and tested poorly at the combine. Don’t see it.

P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State – Ran slow (4.57) at the combine and there could be some #culture concerns. Doesn’t seem like a fit.

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State – Don’t see them taking an RB early, and there are questions about his knee.

Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota – The Eagles need to find Brent Celek’s replacement at some point, but I don’t think Williams is that guy.

Danny Shelton, NT, Washington – Considering how well Bennie Logan played last year, drafting a two-down nose tackle in the first round makes little sense.