Four Injured Players Who Could Interest the Eagles in the NFL Draft
The Eagles have shown they are not averse to drafting a player with an injury history, especially one who suffered an injury late in their final college season.
As long as the medicals check out OK, they will do it.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
They took cornerback Sidney Jones in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft after he had torn his Achilles’ just a couple of months earlier at his pro day on the University of Washington campus. That didn’t work out, though Jones is still in the league and productive. He was considered a first-round talent prior to the injury.
Last year, they took Landon Dickerson in the second round despite a torn ACL suffered in December of 2020 and a lengthy injury history. That’s worked out, so far.
Like Jones, Dickerson was considered a first-round talent. The offensive lineman from Alabama was able to complete his rehab and, after spending training camp on the Active/PUP list, he was activated on Aug. 30 and ended up making 14 starts.
Now comes this year’s draft and there are four players coming off recent injuries who could be in play for the Eagles when the selection process begins on April 28 and runs through April 30.
JAMESON WILLIAMS, WR
The Alabama star tore an ACL in the national championship game in early January.
A video released on Wednesday showed the progress he has made. It may not be out of the question for him to be ready by the start of the season if not at some point during training camp.
He was at the Combine earlier this month and was asked about his potential return.
“It’s not something I’m going to rush but hopefully (by training camp) it can happen,” he said. “I’m not sure what it did to my draft stock. I hope it didn’t hurt it. Hopefully, a team takes a shot at me and drafts me"
Williams, who measured 6-1½ and 179 pounds in Indianapolis, said then that he was six weeks out of surgery and had been walking without a brace for the previous two weeks, without crutches for the previous three weeks, and had been simulating a running motion.
Williams knows Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith well. Jameson roomed with Smith when he visited campus as a high school senior.
Williams, however, chose to attend Ohio State but transferred after one year because he said he didn’t see much opportunity to play, and with two Buckeye WRs expected to go in the first round this spring in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, he was right.
It’s doubtful Williams lasts until the second round when the Eagles pick at No. 51, so to get him, they’d have to roll the dice with one of their three first-round selections, or trade back and hope he's there.
JOHN METCHIE, WR
Another Alabama star, Metchie is a little further along than Williams in his rehab after tearing his ACL on Dec. 4. Mitchie measured 5-11, 187 at the Combine and is considered the best blocking and yards-after-catch WR in the draft.
Metchie said at the Combine he expects to be cleared to return to football-related activities in June.
“It's part of football,” Metchie said about his run-blocking ability. “Playing without the ball is just as important as playing with the ball, especially for your offense, especially creating big plays in the run game, it's really blocking on the secondary that creates those big plays, so I think it's just pride in being a football player really.”
Metchie could be an option in the third, and maybe fourth, round for the Eagles.
DAVID OJABO, EDGE
The re-signing of Derek Barnett for two years could, in fact, mean the Eagles will be willing to draft the Michigan edge rusher who tore an Achilles’ during his March pro day. Sort of an insurance policy until Ojabo is ready then has a year to develop.
Ojabo's injury will likely sideline him for the season, though Sidney Jones was able to return for the final game of his rookie season when he tore his Achilles during his March pro day.
Ojabo is considered to have a high ceiling after not playing football for the first time since his junior year of high school.
One mock draft had him last until the second round, where the Baltimore Ravens took him as the draft’s 45th overall pick.
So, if the Eagles want him, they take him in the first round or trade back into the early second, then maybe, if he’s still on the board at that point, they pull the trigger on Ojabo.
DAMONE CLARK, LB
The LSU star broke out last year with 135 tackles, 15 for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
At 6-2½, 239 pounds, he has good size, but he also has a bad back after spinal fusion surgery to replace a herniated disk on March 24. That will cost him his 2022 season and perhaps hinder him for the remainder of whatever career he has.
Still, if he is able to play in 2023, the Eagles could have a need for him since T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White have contracts that will expire after this season.
A third-day flier for Philadelphia wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
