For months, the biggest names in the world of 'Mock Drafts' have been sending cornerbacks to the Eagles at pick 25 before being viciously escorted to the exit. But as the Draft nears, does taking a corner in the first round actually make sense?
Find out by watching the video below, or reading the five reasons listed in the pages underneath!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoPY88kORbs
The bigger picture
When it comes to longevity, something craved at the position, that doesn’t often come without huge paydays, the Eagles could potentially lose both starters after next season. At the very least, it’s looking like Ronald Darby will be looking to secure the bag, leaving the team with no option but to lean on the next in line...and that's where the waters become murky.
Ronald Darby 2020
Cre’Von LeBLanc 2020
Jalen Mills 2020
Sidney Jones 2021
Rasul Douglas 2021
Avonte Maddox 2022
The Eagles would almost be forced to extend one of the two next of kin due to the fact that both Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas would be entering contract years of their own. If we're to leave Maddox out of this discussion (for now), the Birds will have no option but to either retain Jalen Mills, or put all their chips on Sidney Jones, a corner who hasn't been able to shake off the 'injury' label, and Rasul Douglas, who clearly isn't viewed in the same vein as he is by those screaming 'SUUUL' in the stands whenever he makes a big-time play.
If we take a best-case scenario of an affordable Mills extension, who then lines up with Jones and LeBlanc/Douglas, the need for not only depth, but longer term options suddenly become immediate. Free agency plug-n-plays work well, but the Eagles have a luxury of being deep at the position right now, so using that as a breeding ground instead of relying on free agents, seems the best option.
Depth is deceiving
Now onto everyone's favorite rookie from 2018. If the Eagles move Maddox to Safety to learn behind Sendejo and McLeod (which certainly seems logical given the need at Safety and Undlin’s development record), that leaves five on the roster. Darby has missed 15 games in 2 years and Mills suffered a season-ending injury last season. If Rasul Douglas, the most likely to be traded, does find himself out of Philadelphia, an immediate need for depth arises.
This wouldn't be the first time that the Eagles have moved a promising young DB toward the last line of defense either.
I'd like to remind you of a man named Jaylen Watkins. The now L.A. Charger survived the Chip Kelly roster purge and made it onto the Jim Schwartz Defense...but it was out of the pan and into the fire, or so it seemed. With eleven defensive backs on the roster, the Eagles cornerback corps was filled to the brim with a mix of talented young corners, all possessing different skill sets, trying to break onto the roster.
Watkins was quiet. Below the radar. Jalen Mills was the man stealing the show as Watkins’ grip on a roster spot started to slip..that was until, they moved him to Safety. The position was still heavily contested, Jenkins and McLeod had secured the starting roles long before Camp and Chris Maragos has a presence on special teams unheard of elsewhere..so that left Watkins, Ed Reynolds and sixth round pick Blake Countess.
But then, something clicked. Without having to be so prominent in run Defense or switch playing styles depending on the situation, Watkins found his balance and began to walk the roster cut tightrope. Interceptions, pass deflections, and big hits filled the final practices of Training camp before an explosive preseason earned him that valuable third-safety spot. Watkins, as we all know, then went on to become a key cog in the team's iconic Super Bowl run.
Sendejo and McLeod make up the back-end right now, while Malcolm Jenkins will continue to clean up underneath. But this is the perfect situation for the Eagles to take a very raw talent in Maddox, who despite never playing Safety, was astounding when thrown into the deep end during the regular season, and help nurture his skillset so that when Sendejo moves on, Maddox is ready to step up to the plate as a key part of the defense.
What comes next?
Howie Roseman has destroyed Free Agency. As in, he's blowing it to pieces. The Eagles had a flurry of needs coming into this offseason and you can now make the argument that every single one of them has seen substantial re-enforcement, again, giving the franchise a position of luxury come draft night since they won't be pressing for their first-round pick to be an immediate starter who simply has to perform.
They no longer immediately need a starting safety, running back or lineman on either side due to some stunning free agency moves. DeSean Jackson silences the noise for a 'speedy receiver', and L.J Fort at least buys the team optionality at linebacker.
While depth and development is key, round 1 is an immediate home-run hitter and if there’s a corner on the board like DeAndre Baker or even a potential trade up for Byron Murphy, wouldn’t it make sense to strike first? Especially considering the Eagles focus on sustaining special teams brilliance and could do with some young, willing talent to burst onto the scene under Dave Fipp's watchful eye.
Outside of linebacker, I can't think of a position where the team's pick at 25 would start immediately...pushing me further onto the cornerback hype train.
It wouldn’t be the first time…
Cast your minds back to 2002. The Eagles had a cornerback corps made up of Al Harris, Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. They double-dipped that year, taking Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown with back-to-back picks, despite already having one of the finest cornerback units in the league.
I think it's safe to say that was a wise move, retrospectively...
Howie Roseman has proven himself as a general manager always looking for the next 'bubble' to take advantage of. Whether that's adding' dummy years' to contracts, playing the compensatory pick game, or constantly moving money around to accommodate long-term deals, it's really not that hard to imagine him seeing what could very rapidly go from a position of strength, to one of complete haze and uncertainty, and strike before it has a chance to snowball into such a questionable future.
Putting the chips on the table
If we look back at how Joe Douglas values cornerbacks and DB's, only twice did Baltimore draft a defensive back in the first round under his input.
While Douglas was a Raven, they didn't draft a corner in the first round outside of 2011, where Jimmy Smith has done nothing but flash talent before having his progress thwarted with injuries, playing in just one full season since entering the league.
The other first-round pick in the list is Safety Matt Elam. From substance abuse to being benched in the heart of the 2014 season after struggling to make tackles and cover on deep routes, he has easily been one of the most disappointing first-round picks in the Ravens recent memory. He wasn’t the only DB in this list to fall victim to substance issues. Asa Jackson was suspended in 2012 and violated the PED policy once again a year later. Although he was later approved to use Adderall for his attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, the suspensions stung his career.
Surprisingly, until Douglas' departure, this position has been one of the Ravens biggest inconsistencies when it comes to drafting. That pattern has followed him, it seems. Injuries forced the Eagles to dive deep into their pocket of tricks last season and we all know the criticisms that have followed the likes of Mills and Darby over the last two years.
Is it finally time for the Eagles to invest heavily in the position and draft an eventual heir to the throne of Ronald Darby, by going for a home-run hit as opposed to a low-risk, high-reward talent? Don't write it off...
