After a seemingly endless stream of draft rumors, hot takes, stock alterations, and, of course, the annual slew of mock drafts over the last few months, draft day has finally arrived. Like giddy children waiting for midnight to strike on Christmas day, pro football fan bases all over the world eagerly await Round 1 of the NFL draft to commence.
Trades, surprises, stress, and grandeur will be in abundance tonight as
teams aim to align themselves with a more prosperous future. Tonight,
future Hall of Famers and Pro Bowlers will be introduced to the NFL world for
the first time- officially, anyway- before they blaze their trail through the
league. Excitement overflowing, draft day is here and it's time to reshape
the future.
Possessors of the 25th overall selection in this year’s draft and with
few roster holes to fill, the Eagles could go in a number of directions in the
opening round. Arguments have been made caping for them to draft
seemingly every position, many with sound reasoning, but each case seems
to further muddy an already murky situation. Perhaps this bevy of
unknowing results in the Eagles selecting arguably one of the most
polarizing prospects in this class- Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Statistically speaking, there is nothing polarizing about the talented
Oklahoma wideout. 2413 receiving yards and 17 TDs in only two seasons
speaks for itself, especially when it comes on just 132 receptions. Brown was
simply electric during his time with the Sooners, averaging 17.6 YPC,
routinely streaking past defenders en route to the endzone. Blazingly fast
and an absolute menace in the open field, there’s no doubting Hollywood
Brown is a gifted athlete.
Doubt has been cast over his long-term durability, however, as Brown
has an incredibly thin build. Standing at 5’10 and weighing just under 170
pounds, the standout receiver doesn’t possess ideal size and many scouts
are skeptical he’ll be able to hold up long enough to be productive at the
next level.
Still, Brown’s unique blend of speed and skill make him a tantalizing prospect and one the Eagles will no doubt consider if he’s still on the board at 25. Since Brown has grown into such a polarizing figure leading up to the draft, as most speed receivers projected to go early usually do, I have decided to make the case for and against the Eagles selecting Brown.
Continued on the pages below:
DRAFT
As I mentioned earlier, Brown is ridiculously fast, recording a 50+ yard reception in eight of Oklahoma’s fourteen contests last season. Eagles HC Doug Pederson has yet to roster such an elite deep threat in his short tenure with the team, despite his desire for one, and even though they traded for D-Jax earlier in the offseason, I think it would behoove the Eagles to add even more speed to their offense.
During the few stints of unproductivity during the Pederson era, the
offense was stymied by the lack of a true deep threat. Opposing defenses
would load the box to take away the run and stifle Ertz and Jeffery
underneath. It wasn’t until veteran deep threat wideout Torrey Smith was
brought in that the offense began to prosper. Now, with notorious burner
D-Jax in tow, the Eagles’ offense can enter the speed zone by adding the
dynamic Brown to the roster.
The former Oklahoma Sooner can man the slot with ease and has
more than enough juice to hold his own on the outside. After years of
inconsistent output from the slot position due to the streaky nature of
Nelson Agholor, the Eagles can start a new chapter by replacing him with an
absolute game-breaker.
Admittedly, taking a speed receiver in the opening round is a bit of a luxury pick, but with few roster holes and a couple of Day 2 picks to boot, the Eagles can afford to enjoy the finer things in life this year.
PASS
Traditionally, speed receivers selected in the first round haven’t always panned out. Corey Coleman, John Ross, Phillip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman, Tavon Austin- just to name a few- all fizzled out in the NFL after lighting it up at the collegiate level. While size isn’t an automatic handicap, it certainly plays a part in the longevity of a professional athlete. Brown, on the surface, could be the next in a long line of small receivers to fall short of expectation in the pros. Additionally, with the Eagles in win-now mode, now isn’t the best time to start experimenting in the first round and risk drafting a player who may not be able to contribute year in and year out.
Philly may be better served playing it safe and drafting a player with a
relatively high floor, as opposed to swinging for the fences with Brown.
There won’t be a shortage of talent available at 25 either, so it’s not like
they’d be choosing between the almighty Brown or some bottom of the
barrel prospect.
Also, even though the Eagles don’t have many roster holes to fill, doesn’t mean they should commit to making luxury picks. Drafting an heir at left tackle or adding another pass-rusher to the defensive end rotation should be in heavy consideration when the Birds are on the clock and would eliminate long-term needs at the position.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, I don’t think the Eagles can really go wrong either way. If
they draft Brown and it works out, Philly will challenge the Saints and Rams
for the best offense in the NFL. If they swing-and-miss trying to make the
home run pick, they still possess a Super Bowl-caliber roster and will have
two shots at drafting a Pro Bowl talent in the second round. If Brown is
clearly the top player on their board when they are on the clock, I think it
would be wise for them to stick with their gut and trust their scouting
reports by adding him to the roster. With all the lights, cameras, and action
abound at the NFL draft, don’t be surprised if the Eagles go Hollywood this
weekend.
