Setting Odds on Eagles' Draft Decision
If you’re a betting man there isn’t much to focus on these days other than the NFL Draft and the further down you get in the process, the variables always increase.
Scheduled to go off in a virtual fashion at No. 21 overall are the Philadelphia Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman.
How does it go down? We’ve set up a betting guide to help you out:
LSU WR Justin Jefferson - 5/1 odds: The LSU playmaker is settling in as the consensus No. 4 WR on most draft boards around the NFL. The question for the Eagles is does he last to No. 21? And that seems to be trending in a negative direction.
Trading down - 6/1: If one of the top four receivers - CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy and Jefferson - aren’t available the likelihood that Howie Roseman moves down to regain some draft capital after the Darius Slay trade increases dramatically.
Eagles draft a LB, either Oklahoma's Kenneth Murray or LSU's Patrick Queen - 10/1: An off-ball linebacker in the first round for the Eagles? That hasn’t happened since 1979 and Jerry Robinson, a different time when LBs weren’t devalued afterthoughts. That said, the need is certainly there for Philadelphia and sometimes the player overcomes the theme.
Trading up - 15/1: Let’s make this very clear, Roseman doesn't want to trade up in this draft. He’s been very honest that the Eagles need to get younger and more cost-effective bodies as QB Carson Wentz enters his second contract. More so, Philadelphia has gone back-to-back years with just five picks because the organization felt the championship window remained open.
The question is: can Roseman stay disciplined if a player he likes starts to fall? The Eagles have moved - either up or down - in three of the past four drafts, and six times total since Roseman’s first stint as GM in 2010. This is a guy that doesn’t like to twiddle his thumbs.
Eagles take a second-tier WR at No. 21 - 20/1: The draft is so deep at WR that if one of the top four isn’t there and Philadelphia can find a trade partner, the prudent path would be to move back. The problem is that you need two to tango and if a dance partner can’t be found, defaulting to Baylor’s Denzel Mims or even Brandon Aiyuk of Arizona State or TCU’s Jalen Reagor, two players with some medical concerns, could be a Plan B scenario.
Eagles take an offensive or defensive lineman - 20:1: Since the days of Andy Reid and Joe Banner and the short hiccup that was the Chip Kelly era, the Eagles’ foundation has been building up front on both sides of the football so if the board doesn’t fall like Philadelphia hopes, its top targets are gone, and no deal is there to be made, Roseman will always default to the best linemen on the board and let the chips fall where they may.
LSU safety Grant Delpit - 30/1: The Eagles have an interesting plan at safety but one that doesn’t have a lot of proven options in it or pedigree for that matter so if the top safety on the board falls, plans could change.
Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson - 50/1: Henderson is a player that the Eagles love I’m told but the Florida cornerback is closer to top 10 than 21 according to multiple NFL scouts.
One of the top three WRs falls to No. 21 - 100/1: Not happenin’.
John McMullen covers the Eagles for SI.com. You can listen to John every day on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes and on ESPN 97.3 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
