[ad_1]
The Eagles are giving up passing yardage and touchdowns at an ugly clip this season and are in need a shutdown corner ASAP.
With Darius Slay pushing 33, James Bradberry also on the other side of 30 and Avonte Maddox perpetually injured, the Eagles need to find at least one talented cornerback in the upcoming draft.
That looks to be easier said than done in the spring lottery even with the Eagles having a decent stash of draft capital.
Yes, the Birds will have their own first-round pick, two second-round selections (including New Orleans’), a late third-round compensatory pick for free agency loss, three fifth round-selections (three of those compensatory) and a sixth-round pick from Atlanta.
For now, however, there are no elite corners in this draft as in the previous two. So forget about trading up to land plug and play stars like Derek Stingley, Sauce Gardner and Devon Weatherspoon.
The Eagles invested in defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter in the first round of the past two drafts. Last year the top corners available while Carter was on the board were Emmanuel Forbes (Commanders) and Christian Gonzalez (Patriots).
Jon Cooper of Ourlad’s Scouting Services, like many of his colleagues, doesn’t see a true top 10 corner in the draft.
“It’s not going to be like in past years,” Cooper told host Billy Werndl during an appearance on his WCHE radio show. “But it’s definitely going to be a solid class.”
Solid is in the eye of the beholder and judging by the corners the Eagles have tabbed in recent years, it’s going to take a lot of luck to find the right fit. They haven’t drafted a cornerback who reached the Pro Bowl since taking Lito Sheppard off the board with the first of their first three picks in the 2002 draft. The second pick was safety Michael Lewis, who earned a Pro Bowl spot while the third selection was Sheldon Brown, a solid starter for nine of his 11 NFL seasons.
That said, there are plenty of cornerbacks with upside. Here’s how the top prospects suiting the Eagles shape up:
NATE WIGGINS, CLEMSON >> Wiggins (6-2, 185) has elite ball skills and may be the closest thing there is to a shutdown corner in this draft. His tackling skills leave a lot to be desired and his missed tackle ratio is worth a second evaluation. In that respect, he’d fit right in with the Eagles. Though there is no way to know if he’ll be available in the bottom third of the first round, he’s a first-day pick.
COOPER DEJEAN, Iowa >> Jon Cooper described the 6-1, 207 DeJean thusly: “A big zone corner from Iowa (who) has excellent ball skills and is fundamentally very sound. In terms of playing cover two in the right scheme, he’s going to be a longtime, solid cornerback.”
Mel Kiper likes him too, rating him as his top corner and No. 13 prospect overall.
What endears DeJean to Cooper is “he’s a great punt returner and kick returner, and that’s something that’s going to be very attractive.”
DeJean plays nickel corner, outside corner and some safety fast and physically. He would be an immediate upgrade to the back end of the Philly defense.
KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, ALABAMA >> He tops a lot of corner lists with a bag of tricks including an offhand jam to die for.
“He’s physical and he gets to the catch point and breaks up passes,” Cooper said of McKinstry (6-1, 195). “He’s got things to work on, too. Sometimes because of his speed and outstanding recovery ability he’ll let a receiver get up on his toes. But overall, he’s very good.”
TERRION ARNOLD, ALABAMA >> Arnold’s swift rise “kind of out of nowhere in some ways” has surprised Cooper and draft scouts. From backup to a guy who has been grading out just about as well as McKinstry.
“He just has been tremendous in terms of his ability to match and mirror receivers breaks,” Cooper said. “He’s only a red shirt sophomore. We’ve got him in the first round right now because of the experience level. The latter part of the first round, but he’s playing at the same level as McKinstry.”
JOSH NEWTON, TCU >> At 6-0, 190, he’s skilled in mirroring receivers and maintaining leverage and is a solid tackler with stellar ball skills. He’s not as big as some of the other corners, though.
On the cusp of the first round are a handful of corners:
T.J. Tampa (6-2, 200) of Iowa State plays big, has good length and is proficient in press coverage and rerouting receivers. Overall speed is a question here.
Denzel Burke (6-1, 190) of Ohio State has fallen in the wake of an ordinary season that included some injuries. His forte is man defense. He does not have the ball skills and tracking ability of Wiggins.
Kalen King (5-11, 190) of Penn State may have slipped out of the first round after a sub-par season in which he was lit up by Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State. King will be drafted but Cooper feels he’s prone to holding and interference calls because of his size limitations.
There is a small army of solid second-day picks with interesting backgrounds, none moreso than Toledo corner Quinyon Mitchell (6-0, 196).
Mitchell has dominated the MAC with his cover ability and tackling in run support. Burying MAC receivers, not Power 5 conference catchers makes him a boom or bust type prospect.
“But this kid is highly graded out and he’s outstanding and dominant,” Cooper said. “More dominant in the MAC than some of these really great corners in the Power 5. He’ll be closely watched.”
[ad_2]
Source_link
