EAGLES COMBINE CONFIDENTIAL: Linebackers
INDIANAPOLIS – Could it happen? Will it happen?
Not likely, because it hasn’t happened in a very long time. Talking, of course, about the Eagles drafting a linebacker with their first pick in April’s draft.
“If there’s an opportunity to get a great player at a particular position that maybe in the past we have seemed to undervalue, that we wouldn’t look at that, because we would,” said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier in the week, “but we have to make sacrifices somewhere going forward and we’re going to have to continue to do that.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement for taking linebacker in the first round on April 23, though maybe it’s a Howie smokescreen.
if LSU’s Patrick Queen is still around when the Eagles are on the clock at No. 21 or even if they have the slightest interest in Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, maybe the Eagles grab one and address receiver in the second round.
Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons would be a pipe dream. With the position versatility he offers, coordinator Jim Schwartz would have a smile on his face all fall long. There is talk that Simmons could slip out of the top 10 if there is a heavy run on quarterbacks and offensive linemen. Doubt it happens, and even if he were still around at No. 11, it is highly unlikely that Roseman trades all the way up to pick him.
Chances are better that the Eagles will take a linebacker on Day Two of the draft, April 24, when the second and third rounds are held. If not, it’s a certainty they will add one on the final day, April 25, probably as early as the fourth round, where they are expected to have three picks.
With Nigel Bradham being released from the final year of his contract and Kamu Grugier-Hill heading for free agency, the Eagles need to restock with linebackers.
The linebackers will take to Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night for their on-field drills and 40-yard dashes. It would be wise to pay attention to them.
Here are some that could interest the Eagles:
TROY DYE
School: Oregon
Size: 6-3, 231
Notes: Had 13 sacks and five interceptions in four years with the Ducks … Extremely athletic who plays well in space and coverage, though can have difficulty getting off blocks … No questioning Dye’s toughness after playing in PAC-12 title game with broken thumb and meniscus tear but will not test at Combine due to rehab of knee … May offer position flexibility as a linebacker and in-the-box safety.
Quote: “Everybody's talking about linebacker stuff. We're just talking about football, X's and O's and things of that nature. And I've just really had good time, because I love talking about football. I love sitting down with guys and picking their brains and having them pick mine. It's a good game to exchange information. And I'm always looking forward to sitting down with folks and just having a good time talking about ball.”
ANFERNEE JENNINGS
School: Alabama
Size: 6-2, 256
Notes: Had 83 tackles, eight sacks, five passes defended, one interception and a forced fumble last year … Considered a dangerous blitzer and solid run defender in the middle of the field … Can play inside or outside.
Quote: “I’m a linebacker that can do a lot of different things. I can drop back into coverage. I can go forward, set the edge, rush the passer. I can move around and be a threat wherever they want to put me.”
MALIK HARRISON
School: Ohio State
Size: 6-2, 247
Notes: Very physical player who needs to work on coverage skills … Had 75 tackles with 4.5 sacks and four passes defended last year … Sold week at Senior Bowl.
Quote: “Coming out of high school, I didn’t have a set position, so I didn’t know what I would be playing. So, when I found out I was going to be a linebacker, Coach (Luke) Fickell got in my ear like, ‘Yo, you can compete with these guys,’ the guys that were highly recruited. And then I had my dad in my ear. My dad, no matter if I sucked or not, he’s going to tell me I’m the best player out there.
“So that really motivated me. And then my little brother. He really looks up to me. Every position I play, he plays. Every number I got, he’s got. So, my family are the ones that made me realize that I can come here and be one of the best linebackers.”
JOE BACHIE
School: Michigan State
Size: 6-1, 230
Notes: Three’s a red flag that comes with Bachie, as he was suspended in October for taking a banned supplement. He said at the Combine that it was an -over-the-counter supplement he had taken six days before he was tested and only took it once … Prior to the suspension, he was a tackling machine for the Spartans, collecting 72 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception … Coverage skills need work and limited athleticism … team captain.
Quote: “The immediate reaction (after testing positive) was, ‘There’s no way,’ you know? I knew what I was putting in my body, I thought. And that’s kind of the main thing I took away from it – understand everything that you’re doing with your body. The reputation that I built up for myself – a two-time captain, a guy who worked his tail off, was well-respected in the Big ten and in our program at Michigan State.
“It was heartbreaking for me. Telling my dad, it was tough to spit words out of my mouth. That last five games was tough to go through.”
OTHERS
Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
Evan Weaver, California
David Woodward, Utah State
Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State
