Eagles Today

Eagles Host USC CB For Pre-Draft Visit

The Eagles have been doing more due diligence on CBs than expected after moving on from Darius Slay and losing Isaiah Rodgers and Avonte Maddox in free agency.
John McMullen|
Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team wide receiver Kyle Williams of Washington State (11) and National team defensive back Jaylin Smith of USC (21) spar during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team wide receiver Kyle Williams of Washington State (11) and National team defensive back Jaylin Smith of USC (21) spar during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles hosted a pair of pre-draft, top-30 visits at the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane.

Philadelphia is kicking the tires on Miami edge defender Tyler Baron and Southern Cal defensive back Jaylin Smith.

The former's scheduled top-30 visit was known earlier but Smith was a new addition to the list and the fourth cornerback who has been invited to South Philadelphia in the pre-draft process, joining Ole Miss' Trey Amos, Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston, and Kansas State's Jacob Parrish.

Smith, 21, played 43 games with the Trojans with 32 of them starts, tallying 182 tackles, 8 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He was USC's slot cornerback in 2022 and 2023 before moving outside last season. He's also played some safety early in his college career but at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, Smith is projected by most to be a nickel player at the NFL level.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler rated Smith as the 30th-best CB in the 2025 draft class and tabbed him as a potential sixth-round pick. The Eagles start the process with four Day 3 picks, all of them in the fifth round (Nos. 161, 164, 165 and 168).

The fit for the Eagles would seem to be as a backup slot CB behind Cooper DeJean and perhaps add some versatility in the wake of losing veteran Avonte Maddox, who played nickel, dime, and safety last season, to Detroit in free agency.

Avonte Maddox
Avonte Maddox meets with the media during the Philadelphia Eagles' minicamp. | By Ed Kracz/SI Eagles

According to NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein Smith "plays with a narrow backpedal, glitchy transitions and sluggish closing burst from off-man coverage, but he is much clingier from press-man. He might not have the play strength, length or top-end speed to be reliable on an island outside, though."

The other CBs the Eagles set up visits for are higher-level of prospects with Hairston graded by The Athletic as the CB4 of the class and Amos right behind him at CB5. Parrish was CB9.

MORE NFL: Eagles Set For Pre-Draft Visit With Versatile Penn State Safety

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John McMullen
JOHN MCMULLEN

John McMullen is a veteran reporter who has covered the NFL for over two decades. The current NFL insider for JAKIB Media, John is the former NFL Editor for The Sports Network where his syndicated column was featured in over 200 outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Miami Herald. He was also the national NFL columnist for Today's Pigskin as well as FanRag Sports. McMullen has covered the Eagles on a daily basis since 2016, first for ESPN South Jersey and now for Eagles Today on SI.com's FanNation. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey and part of 6ABC.com's live postgame show after every Eagles game. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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