SENIOR BOWL: Defensive Tackles to Watch

With everyone fascinated by receivers and cornerbacks when it comes to the Eagles, don't sleep on the D line, and here are some that could interest Philly

Never rule out a lineman when it comes to the Eagles and the draft.

That is where they like to build and did so last year by trading up to land left tackle Andre Dillard in the first round, even though they already had Jason Peters manning that position.

Defensive line could be on the menu this spring. Specifically, defensive tackle.

The Eagles last took a defensive tackle in 2017, when they spent a sixth-round choice on Elijah Qualls. Qualls played six games as a rookie and was cut.

Beau Allen came in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he was key contributor on the Eagles’ Super Bowl team in 2017.

The Eagles, though, haven’t invested a draft pick in the first three rounds of the draft since taking Bennie Logan out of LSU in 2013. Logan gave the Eagles solid production in 59 games played in four years, with 51 starts.

It just feels like the time is right, and right for them to take one early.

The Eagles have had 10 draft picks the past two years combined and only three of them came on defense – cornerback Avonte Maddox and defensive ends Josh Sweat and Shareef Miller.

Fletcher Cox will turn 30 during the season and has salary cap hits of more than $22 million the next three season. He is also coming off a down season, at leas numbers-wise, with 3.5 sacks and 34 quarterback hits. In 2018, Cox had a career-highs in sacks (10.5) and QB hits (74).

Malik Jackson is coming off a season that saw him suffer a season-ending Lisfranc sprain in the season opener. He turned 30 on Jan. 11.

The Eagles could use a youth infusion.

The Senior Bowl may provide answers. At the least, it will provide some players that Eagles fans can keep an eye on.

The game will be played Saturday at 2:30 eastern and will be televised by The NFL Network.

Here are some defensive tackles to watch:

NORTH

Neville Gallimore, 6-2, 301, Oklahoma. He has been compared to former Tampa Bay player Booger McFarland and current Atlanta DT Grady Jarrett who could be sitting there in the third round. Gallimore needs to improve his pass rush skills, though he did have four sacks as a senior, but he can be a stopper in the run game right away.

Larrell Murchison, 6-3, 290, N.C. State. Reported to be a high character individual, the kind the Eagles like. Could be a good third day-of-the-draft acquisition who could be used in a pass rush rotation as he develops. He had seven sacks last year but is more of a run defender at this point in his career.

DaVon Hamilton, 6-4, 310, Ohio State. Another prospect that could be a third-day selection, though it is not out of the question he could go on the second day and in the third round. He had a strong senior season, with 28 tackles and six sacks playing most of the Buckeyes’ snaps. He had been rotational backup in his first three seasons in Columbus and showed that he could still have plenty of ceiling left to reach.

Others: Leki Fotu, Utah; Darrion Daniels, Nebraska

SOUTH

Javon Kinlaw, 6-6, 310, South Carolina. May be the best of the draft crop, behind Auburn’s Derrick Brown (who is not in the Senior Bowl). Don’t dismiss out of hand that the Eagles could take this beast with their 21st pick, given their affection for building on the offensive and defensive lines. The Eagles could use someone to groom at this spot, especially with Cox and Malik Jackson serving as his tutors. Kinlaw is the perfect package of size and speed off the ball and could make an impact from day one, even in a rotation with Cox and Jackson.

Benito Jones, 6-1, 326, Mississippi. He is most definitely a space-eater who can play nose tackle and occupy gaps in the run game. His pass rush moves are somewhat limited, but he did pile up 5.5 sacks and batted four passes at the line of scrimmage to go along with 30 tackles as a senior.

Robert Windsor, 6-4, 289, Penn State. Not exceptionally heavy for an interior player, but Windsor is technique-sound. He had better numbers as a junior, with 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 39 tackles compared to 40 tackles and 3.5 sacks this year. Probably a third-day pick, but he could offer decent, inexpensive depth for a team that likes to employ heavy rotation along the defensive line.

Other: Josiah Coatney, Mississippi