Eagles Draft Countdown: My 3 Favorites...2 Sleepers...1 No Thanks

Howie Roseman has been known to make some shocking draft picks, and here is my opinion of six players to watch in the first round when it comes to the Eagles

When it comes to the draft, the Eagles remind me of my son when he was a toddler.

He loved trying to stick his finger in electrical outlets.

Not sure why he wanted to do it so badly, and one day, after he figured out how to take off those plastic covers that are supposed to protect the outlet, he succeeded. All I heard was a loud wail from downstairs and came upon him standing next to it. He survived just fine.

That’s GM Howie Roseman, isn’t it?

A survivor who loves to shock and sometimes that can leave a fan base in tears.

Some evidence:

Taking Jalen Hurts at No. 53 when he had just signed Carson Wentz to a lucrative extension less than a year earlier.

Taking Jalen Reagor ahead of Justin Jefferson.

Here are three potential first-round shockers and they involve my three favorite players in this draft:

TREVOR PENNING. Can we rule out another O-lineman, especially one who plays tackle? Probably. Hence, it would be shocking, though it would make some sense. Penning’s best position is right tackle and he could be the swing tackle until such time Lane Johnson either retires or gets traded. I just love the way he plays right until the whistle, and sometimes after it's blown, just like Jon Runyan did.

DAXTON HILL. The Eagles have never taken a safety in the first round, but the sense is they value the position perhaps more than they have in the past, especially after watching what frontline safeties are commanding in the marketplace these days. Not to mention they really are thin at this spot.

CBS' Tom Fornelli had Kyle Hamilton dropping all the way to the Patriots at 21. Now that would be a shock, made even more shocking because that would mean the Eagles would have bypassed the Notre Dame product not once but twice.

If Hamilton is there at 15, they have to take him. If he’s not, one of my favorite players in this draft will be, and that is Daxton Hill, a versatile, 21-year-old DB who could be the next Malcolm Jenkins.

DEVIN LLOYD. We all know the history here with the Eagles and taking linebackers in the first round. Needless to say, Lloyd would be an excellent fit with his playmaking ability in three phases - blitzing the quarterback, tackling ballcarriers, and in coverage.

My son was also a champion sleeper. He slept through the night just days after being born and always mix in a daily nap that sometimes would last hours.

With that in mind, here are two sleeper picks:

KAIIR ELAM. The Florida cornerback has the size the Eagles like at 6-2, 196, if not the arm length at a slightly below average 30 and 7/8. And, well, he is from Florida and so was the last corner the Eagles took in the first round, Lito Sheppard in 2002. If Sauce and Derek Stingley are one, keep an eye on Elam.

KENYON GREEN: The best guard in the draft and somebody that had been linked to the Eagles in earlier mock drafts. The Texas A&M product is certainly somebody that could help the Eagles more in the future than this season, but that would be OK with Roseman.

Finally, one player I do not want to see the Eagles draft:

DRAKE LONDON. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had better numbers than this USC product, who is 6-4, 213. JJAW had the size, too, at 6-2, 225, and was supposed to excel at contested catches like London. The former second-round pick of the Eagles had 28 touchdowns at Stanford to London’s 15, though Arcega-Whiteside played in 11 more games. Also, London broke his ankle last October and, while he is supposed to be at full strength, he hasn’t run for anyone.

Maybe I’m just snake-bit by JJAW, but I would still pass on London.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.