Mocks

[PhillyPhreak54]

Chad Jackson will be a bust.

As for Gabe Watson at 14? No thanks.

I wouldn't mind Gabe at all, but not at 14. If Bunkley and Ngata are gone then trade back to the mid-20's and take Watson.

[The BIGSTUD]

I don't think Jackson will be a bust. He's got skills. He accelerates very fast. He's explosive, jumps high and is quick. He's better than any receiver out there except for Holmes, but Holmes' size scares me so I'd prefer Jackson.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5470428#lb

Go there for a highlight reel of Jackson. I know that doesn't show everything he's done, and only shows the good plays, but still. From watching him play in games, and videos, I can tell he's going to be a good player. He's got that explosiveness.

[PhillyPhreak54]

I keep going back to that he was not a 1st round graded WR prior to the combine. Then he blows the doors off of people when he ran his 40. Now he's being talked about as being a top 20 pick.

No sir, I don't like it.

The WR class as a whole this year is junk. And Chad Jackson is being helped by that situation. In an average to good WR draft class he'd be a late 2nd-3rd round guy.

Quite a few Eagles fans see 4.32 + no other good high draft picks at WR + a need at WR on the team and they think Jackson should be drafted at 14.

LIke I said, I would prefer to see them draft Jeff Webb, Brandon Marshall or Greg Jennings later on. I would still want one of those guys in the 4th-5th-6th even if they take Stovall at 45.

[The BIGSTUD]

I agree that him not being a first rounder prior to the combine scares me too, but other than Holmes, and Moss there aren't any receivers out there who have that explosiveness. They are all pretty much possession receivers, without any YAC ability. Players like Stovall, Marshall all fit that bill. Plus, guys who study tape like Kiper have him as the best or 2nd best receiver in the draft. So it's not all combine.

I like a receiver who can take a pass 80 yards to the house. I don't want another possession type of receiver on this team. We have that in Gaffney now. We need another scoring threat to play opposite Brown.

Jackson gives you that. Plus, most mocks had him early 2nd before the combine, so it's not like he's risen that far. He's not Matt Jones.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

I agree that him not being a first rounder prior to the combine scares me too, but other than Holmes, and Moss there aren't any receivers out there who have that explosiveness. They are all pretty much possession receivers, without any YAC ability. Players like Stovall, Marshall all fit that bill. Plus, guys who study tape like Kiper have him as the best or 2nd best receiver in the draft. So it's not all combine.

I like a receiver who can take a pass 80 yards to the house. I don't want another possession type of receiver on this team. We have that in Gaffney now. We need another scoring threat to play opposite Brown.

Jackson gives you that. Plus, most mocks had him early 2nd before the combine, so it's not like he's risen that far. He's not Matt Jones.

Dude your argument makes zero sense. The guy is not a number one based on anything anyone has seen so far. "Guys who study tape like Kiper" have said repeatedly there is no clear cut number one receiver in this draft. You spend a fourteenth pick on a WR who has all the makings of a number one - not because he is the best of an at best average receiving class. You know what Gaffney ran in the combine? 4.4. Most "experts" had him pegged as one of the best WRs in '02. Where is he now? Taking Chad Jackson or Santonio Holmes at 14 because they are at the top of a zesty class is asinine. Arguing the contrary is asinine. The team would be much better suited drafting just about anything else at 14 other than receiver. There is no value at 14 in terms of WRs.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

There are a lot of "lesser 1st round" players I'd rather have at #14.  Bobby Carpenter immediately comes to mind.

[The BIGSTUD]

I agree that him not being a first rounder prior to the combine scares me too, but other than Holmes, and Moss there aren't any receivers out there who have that explosiveness. They are all pretty much possession receivers, without any YAC ability. Players like Stovall, Marshall all fit that bill. Plus, guys who study tape like Kiper have him as the best or 2nd best receiver in the draft. So it's not all combine.

I like a receiver who can take a pass 80 yards to the house. I don't want another possession type of receiver on this team. We have that in Gaffney now. We need another scoring threat to play opposite Brown.

Jackson gives you that. Plus, most mocks had him early 2nd before the combine, so it's not like he's risen that far. He's not Matt Jones.

Dude your argument makes zero sense. The guy is not a number one based on anything anyone has seen so far. "Guys who study tape like Kiper" have said repeatedly there is no clear cut number one receiver in this draft. You spend a fourteenth pick on a WR who has all the makings of a number one - not because he is the best of an at best average receiving class. You know what Gaffney ran in the combine? 4.4. Most "experts" had him pegged as one of the best WRs in '02. Where is he now? Taking Chad Jackson or Santonio Holmes at 14 because they are at the top of a zesty class is asinine. Arguing the contrary is asinine. The team would be much better suited drafting just about anything else at 14 other than receiver. There is no value at 14 in terms of WRs.

Chad Jackson is the either the best or 2nd best receiver in this draft. It's not about value. It's about getting the best player at a position of need in the draft. So why would you wait until the 2nd or 3rd round to get a player like Stovall who isn't as good?

People get WAY WAY overboard with this value crap. Value is 100% based on mock drafts. We all say taking Jackson at 14 is too high because a bunch of mock drafts have him going 20. How do you know Denver won't take him at 15? We don't know what the hell is going to happen. If you want a player you take him at 14. It's that simple. You don't trade down to 20 thinking he'll be there simply because a bunch of mock drafts have him going there.

You may think you have an idea as to where he is going to go, so then you trade down and risk not getting the guy at all. What is more important? Getting the guy you want or getting value for him? The #1 thing is to get the guy. Getting value for the guy is only a bonus, because if you trade down you risk not getting him period. That is why I always hate trading down.

[Drunkmasterflex]

I keep going back to that he was not a 1st round graded WR prior to the combine. Then he blows the doors off of people when he ran his 40. Now he's being talked about as being a top 20 pick.

No sir, I don't like it.

The WR class as a whole this year is junk. And Chad Jackson is being helped by that situation. In an average to good WR draft class he'd be a late 2nd-3rd round guy.

Quite a few Eagles fans see 4.32 + no other good high draft picks at WR + a need at WR on the team and they think Jackson should be drafted at 14.

LIke I said, I would prefer to see them draft Jeff Webb, Brandon Marshall or Greg Jennings later on. I would still want one of those guys in the 4th-5th-6th even if they take Stovall at 45.

Neither did Lawson, Wimbley, and your boy Bunkley.  So I don't put much stock into what they were graded before the combine.  I did think the birds were going to take him at 14, but I am not so sure now, I think they could get better value in the 2nd or 3rd round. 

[The BIGSTUD]

I really like Holmes, but I don't think he's right for this team. I like Chad Jackson a lot for this team. He's got size and speed, and big hands. He also jumps high and can go up and get the ball. If we can't get Walker, give me Jackson at 14. I don't want any part of the bigger possession receivers in the later rounds. They'd be nice if we had a #1 play along with Reggie Brown already, but not as the guys to go opposite Reggie.

We can still address DT later in the draft with good value, because if we get Walker, then we won't have the ammunition to move up in the draft to get Bunkley or Ngata anyway, so we might as well take WR in round 1 and take a DT in round 2. Because Watson and Wroten are both late round 1 early round 2 DTs.

But still, and I was thinking of this earlier. Say Denver offers their second rounder for Walker, and say the Eagles' plan is if they don't get Walker then to take Jackson at 14. Well if they are going to take a receiver at 14 anyway, then why not just deal your first for Walker? Something I was thinking about.

[PhillyandBCEagles]

The reason I don't want Jackson is because the Eagles are good enough to contend for a Super Bowl this season and I don't think that there are many rookie WRs that will help us all that much.  Yes, Reggie Brown was a major contributor during his rookie year, but in the Eagles' system he's the exception rather than the rule.  I think Jackson is a very promising young wideout but he's not a Randy Moss, Anquan Boldin, or even Michael Clayton type stud that's going to go for 1200 yards in his rookie year, especially in the Eagles' offense.  Jackson is probably going to be a better player than Stovall down the road but in all honesty I think they'd contribute about an equal amount as rookies in the Eagles' offense, so I'd much rather use the 1st rounder on a RB, DT, OL, or LB and use the 3rd to get Stovall or, better yet, trade for Javon Walker.

[The BIGSTUD]

The reason I don't want Jackson is because the Eagles are good enough to contend for a Super Bowl this season and I don't think that there are many rookie WRs that will help us all that much.  Yes, Reggie Brown was a major contributor during his rookie year, but in the Eagles' system he's the exception rather than the rule.  I think Jackson is a very promising young wideout but he's not a Randy Moss, Anquan Boldin, or even Michael Clayton type stud that's going to go for 1200 yards in his rookie year, especially in the Eagles' offense.  Jackson is probably going to be a better player than Stovall down the road but in all honesty I think they'd contribute about an equal amount as rookies in the Eagles' offense, so I'd much rather use the 1st rounder on a RB, DT, OL, or LB and use the 3rd to get Stovall or, better yet, trade for Javon Walker.

I highly disagree. As this team currently stands, I think it's a 7-9 team.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I highly disagree. As this team currently stands, I think it's a 7-9 team.

If they're a 7-9 team without Chad Jackson, they're a 7-9 team with Chad Jackson too.

[PhillyandBCEagles]

I highly disagree. As this team currently stands, I think it's a 7-9 team.

If they're a 7-9 team without Chad Jackson, they're a 7-9 team with Chad Jackson too.

Exactly

[Drunkmasterflex]

I was listening to the NFL Radio this afternoon and they were convinced the Eagles were not going to take a receiver in the first, they seem to think the Eagles will take a LB in round 1.  If they take one I want it to be in this order Carpenter, Ryans, and Greenway.  It would be preferable that they trade down and take one of those guys but if they took one of them at 14 I wouldn't be too upset. 

[Feva]

An interesting article on the Eagles and their draft trends.

Will Eagles follow trend?

By REUBEN FRANK
Bucks County Courier Times

Andy Reid has been at this for quite a while now. Next weekend's NFL draft will be his eighth as head coach of the Eagles, his fifth working with Tom Heckert. So it's now possible to step back and look at his draft-weekend body of work and figure out some interesting trends.

Some trends that may shed some light on his plans for next weekend.

The Eagles, coming off their first losing season since 1999, own 10 picks in the upcoming draft, including three of the first 76 choices and six of the first 127.

Last year's draft produced five promising players: First-round pick Mike Patterson started most of the year at defensive tackle; second-round pick Reggie Brown broke the franchise rookie receiver records with 43 catches; third-round pick Ryan Moats averaged 5.1 yards per carry and scored three TDs in late-season action; fourth-round pick Todd Herremans played well in four mid-season starts at left tackle; and fifth-round pick Trent Cole finished second on the team with 5.0 sacks.

With the draft six days away, let's examine some trends and patterns from Reid's first seven drafts:


Reid loves drafting OL

It shouldn't be surprising that nearly a quarter of Reid's draft picks have been offensive linemen. Reid played offensive line in college and coached offensive linemen most of his career.

Many have been late-round picks — five in the sixth or seventh round — but Reid has also misfired on several offensive linemen with premium picks. Bobbie Williams was a two, Doug Brzezinski was a three, Scott Peters a four.

Reid has drafted 58 players and 13 have been offensive linemen. That's 22 percent. Significantly, none of those 13 has made a Pro Bowl and only one — Shawn Andrews — projects as a 2006 starter, although Herremans will certainly get a chance to compete at left guard.

DTs go very early or very late

Many believe the Eagles will again take a defensive tackle in the first round. If they don't, they might not take one at all.

In Reid's seven drafts, he has never drafted a defensive tackle anywhere other than the first or last round. Corey Simon and Patterson were both ones and other than a couple seventh-round picks (Pernell Davis in 1999, Keyonta Marshall last year) those are the only defensive tackles he's drafted.

That's left the Eagles with Ray Rhodes holdovers (Hollis Thomas), other teams' castoffs (Darwin Walker), aging veterans (Paul Grasmanis) and undrafted free agents (Sam Rayburn).

Don't draft LBs in second round

Linebacker is one of only two positions that Reid has used three picks in the first two rounds to draft (wide receiver the other). But none of those linebackers — Barry Gardner, Quintin Caver and Matt McCoy — has become a productive player.

The jury is still out on McCoy, who spent most of his rookie season last fall in street clothes, but considering that Gardner, Caver and McCoy were picked 35th, 55th and 63rd overall, you expect at least one of them to become an impact player.

No gems in late rounds

The Eagles have found a couple good players in the later rounds — fifth-round pick A.J. Feeley won some games at the end of the 2002 season and 2004 seventh-round choices Bruce Perry and Adrien Clarke are strong prospects — but those late-round finds have been few and far between.

Of the 25 players Reid has drafted in the fifth through seventh rounds, only two became full-time NFL starters. One was Cecil Martin, who was an adequate starting fullback for a few years; the other was defensive end Raheem Brock, who the Eagles were unable to sign and is now a starter with the Colts.

Eagles in receivership

Reid has drafted eight wide receivers — more than any position other than offensive line. But although Brown showed great potential last year, none of those eight has ever had a 1,000-yard season and those eight have combined for just three career 100-yard games (all by Todd Pinkston).

Only one of the eight (Brown) was an NFL starter last year and only three are still in the league.

Offense over defense

Reid has dramatically favored offense on draft weekend. Of the 58 players he's drafted, 34 have been offensive and just 24 defensive.

But only two of those 34 offensive players have reached a Pro Bowl as an Eagle (Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook), compared to three of 24 defensive players (Simon, Michael Lewis, Lito Sheppard).

End over end

The Eagles under Reid have drafted more ends than any other defensive position (six). But those six ends have combined for just 161/2 career sacks while playing in an Eagles uniform.

In 2003, Reid drafted ends in the first and fourth round, but Jerome McDougle has managed just two sacks in three injury-plagued seasons and Jamaal Green is out of football after recording just one career sack.

The only two ends who've had sustained success have had it elsewhere — Derrick Burgess led the NFL with 16 sacks with the Raiders last year and Brock had 61/2 sacks last season with the Colts.

Mid-round picks for backs

Reid has never taken a running back in the first two rounds, but he has drafted five in the third round or later (seven including fullbacks). It's been 12 years since the Eagles took a running back in the first or second round (Charlie Garner in 1994) and 20 years since they drafted one in the first round (Keith Byars in 1986).

Despite waiting until the middle rounds, Reid has found good value and capable backs in the draft. Correll Buckhalter, a fourth-round pick in 2001, has averaged 4.4 yards per carry in his two healthy seasons; Westbrook has piled up 3,972 total yards and 27 touchdowns in four years; and Ryan Moats showed promised late last year as a rookie with three TDs and a 5.1 average.

Reuben Frank can be reached at eagleswriter@yahoo.com.