EAGLES NFL DRAFT PREVIEW: The Defensive Tackles

The Eagles did their heavy lifting on the interior of the defensive line in free agency, signing Javon Hargrave from Pittsburgh to complement Fletcher Cox and also bringing back Hassan Ridgeway for depth purposes.

Add in the returning Malik Jackson and Philadelphia could have the best four-man rotation and most expensive, in football if things unfold in a positive direction.

Additionally, Anthony Rush showed some things late last season when forced into action as a two-down run stuffer and Bruce Hector has some upside as a three-technique. Albert Huggins is also back to fortify the 90-man offseason roster.

Defensive tackle is now arguably Philadelphia’s deepest position so you can look elsewhere in the premium rounds of the draft. In fact, the only thing that would even point you in the direction of DT is the core philosophy that led the Eagles to sign Hargrave in the first place, the Andy Reid/Joe Banner-fueled sentiment of building up both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Injuries to Jackson, Tim Jernigan, who signed as a free agent in Houston, and Ridgeway last season - not to mention that Cox wasn’t himself for much of the campaign after undergoing surgery for a foot injury stemming from the divisional round playoff loss to New Orleans at the end of the 2018/19 - decimated the Eagles at times, so there’s also the feeling you can never have enough.

To be realistic, though, unless something parachutes into Philadelphia’s lap it’s unlikely anyone from the top of a class led by Auburn’s Derrick Brown, who many have tabbed as a Cox-like clone, will even be in the virtual Zoom conversations as serious contenders.

Before the Hargrave signing, an interior player would have been in serious consideration at No. 21 overall and the Eagles started the draft process by checking in on Brown and others at the top of the board, like Utah’s Leki Fotu.

Post-free agency, it’s more about the diamond-in-the-rough types and what flavor Howie Roseman may like.

Players like James Lynch of Baylor, an undersized tweener, scheme-dependent nose tackle Benito Jones of Ole Miss and North Carolina State’s Larrell Murchison, another undersized hustle type in the mold of a Hector, have been looked at by the Eagles.

Lynch is especially intriguing because he could be a Swiss Army-like player who can help up and down the line of scrimmage. In fact, we at SI.com mentioned him as a possibility on the edge as well.

“They've asked,” said Lynch when queried about interest in him inside vs. outside. “It's been both because I mean I've played in a four-man (front) and a three-man, so it's back and forth, and I feel like I can do either or, so I feel comfortable with both."

Much of Lynch’s ability to handle and project in multiple roles can be traced back to Baylor with Matt Rhule and Lynch’s former, and potentially future, defensive line coach Phil Snow.

"My freshman year, whenever we get there, we learned offense before we even learned defense,” said Lynch. “The way (Snow) did things, he did it backward, and people kind of thought it was weird at first. We were kind of like, 'Why are we doing this?' And then we realized. We called him Yoda, like the Yoda of football.”

Yoda is now in Carolina with Rhule so that path would make sense unless someone like the Eagles get in the way.

"As a competitor, you always think like I feel like I bring the most to the table," said Lynch. "So I feel like I have the ability to go from a zero (technique) to a five and be able to play in a three-man and a four-man.

“So I just want to make sure whatever people think about me, I want to take it one step further and make sure that they know that I'm a good athlete and I can play and I'm smart and just show them that I'm capable of doing whatever they need me to do."

BUILDING THE PERFECT DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Pass rusher - Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina - It’s an evaluation because the big numbers weren’t there in college but most NFL scouts see Kinlaw as the biggest disruptor in the class. Physically he’s like Jackson at 6-foot-5 so if he keeps his pad level low the length could be a big problem for quarterbacks.

Run defense - Leki Fotu, Utah - At 330 pounds and plenty of room to grow, Fotu is the guy you want to tie up multiple blockers. The question is how valuable are two-down run-stuffers in the modern NFL?

First step - Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma - A natural three-technique, Gallimore has the quickness to burst through gaps and blow up plays before they’ve started.

Strongest - Raekwon Davis, Alabama - Davis dominated at the point of attack in college football’s toughest conference. As far as functional-football strength goes, he’s shown the most in his class.

Hustle - Larrell Murchison, North Carolina State - Murchinson moved all over in college but will need to settle in as a three-technique at the next level due to some size deficiencies. What always travels, though, is effort and Murchison never gives up on a play.

EAGLES MAVEN TOP 10:

1. Derrick Brown, Auburn

2. Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

3. Ross Blacklock, TCU

4. Jordan Elliott, Missouri

5. Leki Fotu, Utah

6. Raekwon Davis, Alabama

7. Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma

8. Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M

9. Marlon Davidson, Auburn

10. Benito Jones, Ole Miss

Sleeper - Auzoyah Alufohai, West Georgia

Boom or Bust - Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

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

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