Eagles Aim in Draft is to Repeat 2016, Not 2017

The grades couldn't be much further apart between those two fairly recent draft classes, and now Andy Weidl takes overr fgor Joe Douglas

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman must set right some wrongs made three years ago when the 2020 NFL Draft begins with the first round Thursday at 8 p.m.

The 2017 draft class has its grade now, and if it is to be graded on a pass or fail standard then it was a fail. A letter grade would be a ‘D.’

Joe Douglas was Roseman’s right-hand man back then and parlayed his role into the New York Jets’ general manager.

The two men had success in 2016, and a grade for that class is a clear pass, or an ‘A,’ after yielding Carson Wentz, Isaac Seumalo, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and Jalen Mills. That class also produced the serviceable Wendell Smallwood and Joe Walker.

Now, Andy Weidl is Roseman’s top lieutenant. This new combination must find a way to reproduce 2016 and steer away from 2017.

If you look at 2017, the players the Eagles drafted are the same ones they are looking for this weekend – cornerbacks and receivers.

The two corners taken in that draft, Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas on the second and third rounds, respectively, aren’t the answers. Douglas could be traded this weekend and injuries have at least been part of the reason why Jones hasn’t worked out, yet.

The two receivers that came on the third day, Mack Hollins (fourth round, No. 118) and Shelton Gibson (fifth round, No. 166) are both gone, though Gibson is on a future/reserves contract with the team at the moment.

The Eagles are also in search of a running back, and why is that?

Well, Donnel Pumphrey, taken in the fourth round, No. 132 overall, was a bust.

While linebacker Nathan Gerry, who arrived in the fifth round, No. 184 overall, has been useful, the jury is still out on first-round pick Derek Barnett, who hasn’t stayed healthy enough to provide the sort of production worthy of the 14 overall pick.

The final pick in that draft, defensive tackle Elijah Qualls, never played an NFL down, but the Eagles have continued their search in free agency to bolster that position.

It is against this backdrop that Roseman and Weidl will charter the Eagles’ course into the new decade.

Will they be off and running with a strong draft or will the decade of the 20s get off to a bumpy start?