Eagles 7-Round McMullen Mock Draft: Nolan, Ringo, A Trade - and Georgia on Their Minds
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PHILADELPHIA - Here goes nothing. ...
A year after predicting a targeted trade-up for Jordan Davis in the first round and Cam Jurgens to the Philadelphia Eagles in Round 2, our correct move would have been to drop the mic and walk off into the sunset. But what fun is that?
Greatness is defined by high points and longevity so it’s time to try again with the locked-in final edition of my Philadelphia Eagles-only mock draft.
One note to remember: trades are an exercise in futility, not that predicting players isn’t but the goal here is matching prospects to Philadelphia as potential fits. ... And here we go.
Round 1, No. 10 - Edge rusher Nolan Smith, Georgia - Barring a targeted trade-up for Smith’s teammate with the Bulldogs, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, the bet is that the Eagles jump for Smith over Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness in a very close call.
Philadelphia not only values winning on the pass rush, but it also wants players who can win quickly to better combat modern quarterbacks who are taught to get the football out as fast as possible, something that defines Smith.
New defensive coordinator Sean Desai also values overloading one side on the pass rush in known pass situations more than his predecessor Jonathan Gannon and Smith rushing from the same side as incumbent overhang star Haason Reddick could be quite the weapon for the Eagles.
Van Ness is far more imposing from a physical standpoint and has inside/outside versatility but is more of a projection than Smith.
The finalists for Philadelphia are going to be Carter, Smith, Van Ness, Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson and Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
-Eagles trade down from No. 30 to 37 with Seattle, which selects Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker. Philadelphia gets Nos. 37, 123, and 151.
Round 2, No. 37 - Cornerback Kelee Ringo, Georgia - In 2021 it was DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson from Alabama for the Eagles. Last year it was Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean from Georgia so why not keep it going with a high-profile duo from the national champions yet again?
Ringo is a lengthy, extremely fast cornerback who can take a redshirt season (barring injury) behind two of the savviest outside corners in the NFL, Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
Round 2, No. 62 - Safety Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M - The Eagles need more immediate help at safety and Johnson has the size and speed to get on the field quickly as a gifted long-strider who can run. His instincts aren’t great right now but if new secondary coach D.K. McDonald can tap into Johnson’s physical gifts, this is a potential rookie starter.
Round 3, No. 94 - Running back DeWayne McBride, UAB - While the whole world is focused on Bijan Robinson, the Eagles understand what plus-one in the running game with Jalen Hurts means. Competency can be found later in the draft and McBride is a physical runner with burst who could take advantage of Hurts manipulating the defensive numbers.
Round 4, No. 123 (from Seattle) - Wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, Princeton - With the added draft capital, the Eagles can afford to take a chance on upgrading behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith at receiver with a rare size-speed prospect in the 6-3, 201-pound Iosivas, who is so gifted athletically that he’s an Olympic heptathlon candidate.
Round 5, No. 151 (from Seattle) - linebacker Ivan Pace, Cincinnati - The Eagles need some competition at off-ball linebacker and Pace should get pushed to Day 3 because of his height (5-11, 235) despite tremendous instincts. He should be able to push Nicholas Morrow in training camp.
Round 7, No. 219 - Defensive tackle Siaki Ika, Baylor - The 350-pound Ika is a worthy lottery ticket for the gap-and-a-half, run-plugger role to complement Jordan Davis on the defensive interior. Ika has a nice first step for someone his size and should only get quicker after getting a sound plan from an NFL strength and conditioning staff.
Round 7, No. 248 - Offensive tackle Jake Witt, Northern Michigan - You know well-regarded offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is getting a piece of clay somewhere along the line and Witt is a worthy late-round pick who met with the Eagles virtually. A former basketball player at Michigan Tech and tight end before moving first to right tackle and then left tackle, Witt has the kind of athleticism Stoutland will covet.
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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
