What They’re Saying About the Eagles

Here is what the national media are saying about the Eagles’ selections in the 2015 NFL draft.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay identifies Eric Rowe as his favorite pick the Eagles made over the weekend:

The same thing I said about the Giants applies to the Eagles: I really liked their first three picks. All three are intelligent and versatile players who fit the culture Chip Kelly is trying to create in Philadelphia. First-round WR Nelson Agholor has great separation skills and can beat you from the slot or the outside. ILB Jordan Hicks went higher than I expected but I don’t mind it because he’s a really good player who filled a need. Rowe is my pick here, as he has the length to either serve as a press cornerback or possibly as a free safety. He’s a good find in the middle of the second round.

Andy Benoit of The MMQB also likes the idea of Rowe in Billy Davis’ defensive scheme:

I think Eric Rowe, the safety-corner hybrid from Utah, is, conceptually, a great fit for an Eagles defense that’s very versatile and diverse, including in its coverage exchange concepts.

Peter King of The MMQB really likes the selection of Agholor:

Love the pick, love the player. The Eagles traded Jeremy Maclin (contract value: $11 million per year in Kansas City; he turns 27 this month) for Agholor (projected contract value: $2.2 million per year; he turns 22 this month). Agholor also adds returns value, which Maclin didn’t have.

Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com takes a look at the current state of the Eagles quarterbacks:

What genius would assemble a quarterback group as uninspiring as the Philadelphia Eagles’?

For all of the adulation Kelly has received as a forward-thinking offensive mind, much of it deserved, it’s difficult to find an upside here. The Eagles are one of a handful of teams — a list that includes the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans — that don’t have either an established/reliable starter or an obvious developmental prospect.

It’s fair to ask what Kelly could have done during the past three days other than make a franchise-crippling trade up to get [Marcus] Mariota. There was a massive drop-off from Mariota to the next quarterback, Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson, who was drafted at No. 75 overall.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is worried about Sam Bradford’s longterm health:

Chip Kelly better hope Sam Bradford finds some pixie dust to rub on his knees and shoulders and elbows. History says the Eagles will be paying the quarterback $13 million to rehab again this year at some point, and if that’s the case this team will be stuck in neutral. Kelly was quick to opine how he could have got a first-rounder for Bradford right after acquiring him (from Cleveland). He probably should have taken it and had more ammo for a Marcus Mariota trade sooner. Bradford gets hurt and the clock is ticking until the talk of Kelly going back to college gets louder.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com has a 2016 mock draft out. He has the Eagles taking Virgina Tech CB Kendall Fuller in the first round at No. 20:

The youngest of the Fuller brothers, Kendall might be the best of the bunch and will try to be the highest drafted of the family (Kyle Fuller was 14th overall in 2014).

Chris B. Brown of Grantland offers his scouting report on Agholor:

In college, Agholor tended to win in the slot on quick routes and with shifty runs after the catch, doing both as well as any receiver in the draft. That’s why he projects as an instant-impact slot receiver, but I have him this high because I think he can also develop as an outside receiver. Agholor’s body control is top-notch, which isn’t always noted in the traditional prospect measurements, and at USC he delivered a number of big plays on the outside, where he played more often before 2014.

Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com gives the Eagles a thumbs up:

This will always be the draft that did not bring Marcus Mariota to Philadelphia. That’s just how things work in this city. Unless, of course, the defensive makeover becomes part of the story of how Chip Kelly built a Super Bowl contender here. Mariota would have been transformative, but this draft was fine on its own merits.

Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report graded the Eagles’ first-round selection of Agholor:

Agholor, like Lee and the others, is a sports coupe: mid-sized, smooth, efficient, useful in a lot of ways. The USC receivers can typically provide a few 65-catch seasons as second or third options in the passing game. They are like Nissan Altimas for your depth chart. Agholor should follow the Lee-Woods template: decent production, no headaches, minimal big-play sizzle.

Grade: B for Boring. Kelly did something boring. But for once he doesn’t earn a simultaneous A/F.

Gil Brandt correctly predicted the Eagles’ pick over a month ago:

Not bad. https://t.co/W4mRetQ8RB

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) May 1, 2015

Former West Virginia QB Clint Trickett thinks the Eagles were lucky to get JaCorey Shepard in the sixth round:

My non biased steal of the draft? JaCorey Shepherd CB @ Kansas. 2 years of film on him and not once did anyone complete a deep ball on him. — Clint Trickett (@CJTrickett9) May 2, 2015