Conor Myles' 3-Round Eagles Mock Draft: Two for Offense, Two for Defense
PHILADELPHIA — Mock draft week 1.0 continues at SI.com's Eagle Maven, this time with my projection of what the Philadelphia Eagles will do with their four picks in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Here is my first Eagles-centric mock:
FIRST ROUND (No. 6 overall)
JA’MARR CHASE, WR LSU
The Philadelphia Eagles need to start taking advantage of the passing era of football that the NFL has become.
Yes, taking Jalen Reagor last year in the first round may ultimately prohibit Philadelphia from re-investing in the position this early, but Chase fits the profile of the real No.1 received the team has lacked for years.
Chase and Reagor’s skillsets would complement each other exceptionally well, and drafting Chase gives the Eagles a potential young tandem reminiscent of the days when Philadelphia had DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.
The Eagles need a homerun talent with the sixth pick considering the team is on the verge of rehauling the roster. Taking Chase would give them the caliber of player the team needs.
SECOND ROUND (No. 37)
TYSON CAMPBELL, CB GEORGIA
The Eagles have a clear need at CB2, but a more considerable need addressing the long-term future of the position with Darius Slay, who is 30 and has a potential out of his contract in 2022.
If Xavier Rhodes is the prototype Jonathan Gannon looks for in his cornerbacks, Tyson Campbell (6-2, 185 lbs.) makes a ton of sense here.
The Eagles hired a defensive coordinator with defensive back background, which suggests they’re prioritizing fixing a significant flaw the team has had for years — the inability to yield two quality starting cornerbacks. Drafting Campbell would be the first step in the right direction.
THIRD ROUND (No. 70)
CREED HUMPHREY, C OKLAHOMA
Just because the Eagles fired Doug Pederson doesn’t mean their organizational philosophy of valuing the trenches left the building, too. Bringing Jeff Stoutland back further indicates Philadelphia’s commitment to solidifying their offensive line and pushing for improvement in 2021.
The uncertainty of Jason Kelce’s NFL future should be weighing on the Eagles’ minds, especially after he mentioned the word was on his mind when appearing on Chris Long’s Green Light Pod. Replacing the Philadelphia legend will not be an easy task, and instead of asking Isaac Seumalo, who has settled in at left guard, to transition to center, the team should draft one instead.
Who better than Jalen Hurts’ center at Oklahoma Creed Humphrey?
Humphrey and Kelce are opposites when it comes to size and athleticism. Still, after watching the imposing Ryan Kelly dominate in Indianapolis, Nick Sirianni may want a similar player in Humphrey.
(No. 84 FROM INDIANAPOLIS)
AR’DARIUS WASHINGTON, S TCU
The Eagles desperately need to inject their safety group with some youth that has potential.
Rodney McLeod will be 31 in June and is on the last year of his contract, all while coming off a late-season torn ACL. With Jalen Mills slated for free agency and K’Von Wallace better suited to play strong safety, the Eagles will need to bring in an upgrade over Marcus Epps.
Washington would be precisely what they may be looking for in a single-high safety and can take 2021 as a learning season behind McLeod’s teachings. Don’t let Washington’s frame (5-8, 180 lbs.) fool you; this guy is a power tackler. Ask Jalen Hurts if he remembers when Washington upended him in open space when Oklahoma played TCU in 2019.
With safeties like Tyrann Mathieu and Budda Baker paving the way for smaller safeties with incredible versatility, there’s a place in the league for Washington. Washington and Wallace would give Philadelphia two intriguing young prospects for the future of the team’s safety position.
Conor Myles is a contributor for Sports Illustrated’s Eagle Maven. Listen to Conor and Ed on Eagles Brawl available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and RADIO.com. Reach Conor at ConorMylesSI@gmail.com or Twitter: @ConorMylesNFL
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
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