Eagles' Draft Preview: Off-Ball Linebackers

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Fool me 44 times? Well, that’s where we are when it comes to the Eagles and off-ball linebacker in the first round of the NFL Draft.

But, hey it’s better than safety, a position that Philadelphia has never looked at in the first round before.

If you’re playing the odds, that means Devin Lloyd and Nakobe Dean have a slightly better chance to point the moving trucks toward Philadelphia than a falling Kyle Hamilton or Dax Hill. The better bet, of course, is that neither position is addressed and Jerry Robinson in 1979 continues to be relevant trivia for another 12 months.

In-house the Eagles are a little better equipped at the position than most outside observers believe after a breakout season by the undrafted T.J. Edwards in the middle and the signing of Kyzir White to a one-year deal in free agency.

Edwards was inserted as a full-time starter after the first month of the 2021 season and ended up starting 14 games, finishing with 125 tackles while also notching an interception.

“At first, it’s kind of figuring out where you fit into the puzzle in a way,” said Edwards about his breakthrough season. “You have your role … and your inner drive – you want to be that guy, you want to be the starter, the green dot (as the defensive play-caller).

“ … Being the middle linebacker, I wanted to become a leader, whether it’s leading through action, or keeping the guys cool under tough times. That’s something I took a big step toward and something I want to focus on.”

White, meanwhile, grew up just over an hour from Philadelphia in the Allentown suburb of Macungie, where he attended Emmaus High School, a stone’s throw from the team’s old training camp home of Lehigh University.

It was there as a 5-foot-5 running back that White, now 26, marveled at Mike Vick throwing bombs to DeSean Jackson and the shifty, jaw-dropping moves of Shady McCoy.

“I used to be at the training camps all the time, me and my brothers,” said White. Back when Mike Vick was playing, DeSean Jackson, Shady McCoy. Me and my brothers used to be up there, front and center.”

A safety in college at West Virginia, the undersized White (6-foot-1, 218 pounds) made the transition to LB in the pros after the Los Angeles Chargers took him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.

By 2021 White had developed nicely with the Chargers where he led the team in tackles with 144 last season.

“I think it helped me being a safety previously, just athleticism-wise, I feel like I can play the ball good, I feel like I can play good man coverage on tight ends,” White said. “That safety background definitely makes it a little easier for me, in my opinion, for a linebacker.”

The backups figure to be the athletic but raw and oft-injured Davion Taylor, along with Shaun Bradley, a pair of 2020 draft picks. Also around is 2021 sixth-round selection JaCoby Stevens, a one-time safety at LSU who will continue to try to make the transition to LB after spending most of his rookie season on the practice squad.

For those who still insist the Eagles need an upgrade, Edwards graded out as the 10th best off-call LB in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and White was No. 20.

The current coaching staff, spearheaded by defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, does seem to put a bit more emphasis on the position. Gannon's history in Indianapolis and Minnesota included Pro Bowl-level playmakers like Darius Leonard and Eric Kendricks at off-ball LB.

Meanwhile, GM Howie Roseman recently spoke highly of the potential of the position in the draft and gave a template of what the Eagles would be looking for.

“There are different guys at that position, and when you talk about off-ball linebackers, their value in the passing game is important,” Roseman noted. “There are different values in the passing game. Obviously pressuring the quarterback, being able to blitz and create pressure is an important part of that too, but being able to match mirror routes, being able to make plays in the passing game I think is an important part of that too."

EAGLES OFF-BALL LINEBACKER DEPTH CHART:

MLB - T.J. Edwards, Shaun Bradley

WILL - Kyzir White, Davion Taylor, JaCoby Stevens

EAGLES TODAY TOP 10:

1. Devin Lloyd, Utah

2. Nakobe Dean, Georgia

3. Quay Walker, Georgia

4. Chad Muma, Wyoming

5. Christian Harris, Alabama

6. Troy Andersen, Montana State

7. Leo Chenal, Wisconsin

8. Channing Tindall, Georgia

9. Brian Asamoah, Oklahoma

10. Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati

Sleeper - D’Marco Jackson, Appalachian State

Boom or Bust - Nakobe Dean, Georgia

BUILDING THE PERFECT OFF-BALL LINEBACKER

Instincts - Nakobe Dean, Georgia - Dean is short but he’s got a natural feel for the position and rarely authors a false step.

Run support - Channing Tindale, Georgia - Dean’s lesser-ballyhooed teammate is the seek-and-destroy option in the 2022 class.

Pass coverage - Christian Harris, Alabama - Harris has the athleticism to become better than anyone else in pass coverage if he begins to understand route concepts a little better.

Blitzer - Quay Walker, Georgia - As far as going straight ahead and chasing down QBs, Walker is your guy. Pass coverage will determine his fate at the next level.

Speed - Christian Harris, Alabama - Harris’ top-end speed (4.44) reaches WR territory.

Strength - Leo Chenal, Wisconsin - Chenal benches more than most linemen. He can push back just about anyone.

Green dot - Chad Muma, Wyoming - A great tackler with a savvy understanding of what the offense is trying to accomplish. Muma is the guy you want as a DC relaying calls and getting everyone lined up correctly.

Eagles Potential Picks:

Day 1 - Devin Lloyd

The belief here is that Jerry Robinson still has nothing to worry about but if the board falls in a certain way, choose Lloyd over Dean for Philadelphia.

Even though he didn’t win any of the above categories, Lloyd is the best composite in this year’s draft and does everything well. He’s also a lot rangier than Dean at 6-3 and the Eagles would certainly prefer that size. The one knock is that Lloyd is an older prospect at 23.

Day 2 - Christian Harris, Troy Andersen, Brian Asamoah

Judging by Roseman’s description of what he wants at LB, that’s players like Harris and Andersen more than a Muma type and Day 2 is where you would need to snare them. As mentioned Harris can run like a receiver and Andersen is raw and toolsy just like Davion Taylor was when the Eagles pulled the trigger there. Asamoah is a little undersized but can also run very well.

The Eagles also brought in Harris for a top-30 visit.

Day 3 - Mike Rose, Iowa State; Brandon Smith, Penn State;

The Eagles need to improve their special teams units as well and Day 3 LBs can help there. Rose is very instinctive but lacks the top-end speed to be a consistent starter. He could, however, be the next Alex Singleton, who made his bones in Philadelphia as a great special-teams player before being forced into the lineup.

Smith is your typical modern Penn State product as a really good athlete with starting-level potential if you can clean up the rough edges.

-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 "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen