7th Round - DT, S Added

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The Eagles had a pair of Comp picks at the end of the 7th round and took two players that I'm shocked were still on the board.

DT Jeff Owens
S  Kurt Coleman

Jeff is 6'1, 304.  He did 44 reps at the Combine and is a really powerful guy.  At the Senior Bowl he was one of the best DTs at shedding blocks.  Here are notes on him:

Stout, strong DT had a solid comeback in 2009 after tearing his ACL in '08. Shorter build makes him tough to block. Owens has a big upper body and plays with a lot of power. Able to stack and shed. Uses his hands well. Effective against double teams. Knows how to hold his ground. Not much of a playmaker. Only had 13 TFLs in his career. Showed some athletic ability early in his career. Ran a sub-5.00 40 at his Pro Day. That's good speed for a DT. Did 44 reps at the Combine. Barrel chest and short arms helped.

Played in the Senior Bowl.

Mid to late round prospect. Could be a real good backup. Showed starting potential prior to ACL injury.

Kurt is one of my favorite players in the whole draft.  Every time I watched Ohio State to try and study someone I would see Coleman making play after play.  He lacks ideal size at 5'10, 192.  He isn't a great athlete.  This kid is just a tremendous football player.  The Eagles should be ecstatic to have him.  I think Coleman will be a starting Safety in the NFL in due time.  I project him to Mikell's backup for now.  Notes:

3-year starter who I like more and more as I watch him. Not a great athlete. Not a physical specimen. Just a good solid Safety who got better each season and developed into a real good player. Football player, not an athlete. And I mean that as a great compliment. Finished his career with 9 INTs, 10.5 TFLs, 5 FFs, 13 PDs, and a pair of blocked kicks. Equally good against run or pass. Smart player. Knowledge, instincts allow him to jump routes. Covers the slot receiver in some sets. Not a natural centerfielder, but he can cover some ground. Made a great play in the early 4th Qtr against Michigan when he got over to the sideline and picked off a pass. Went up high for the ball and made an impressive grab. Held on as he fell to the ground. Hits with power. Solid tackler. Takes good angles in pursuit. Coleman got suspended by the Big 10 (+1) for a questionable hit on Illinois QB Eddie McGee. Didn't look like a dirty play to me.

Kurt didn't have a great postseason. He was up and down at the Senior Bowl. That game shows which players have the most pure talent and athletic ability. That's not Kurt. He did okay at the Combine. That's not his forte either. You need to see him playing for his team in a real game to appreciate what a good player he is.

I think he'll go in the 4th or 5th round.

One thing that I really love this year is that we drafted veteran Safeties.  We didn't go for athletes or projects.  We added guys that know how to play the position.  They just have to learn our scheme. 
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Another LB in the Fold

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The Eagles traded a 2011 6th round pick to get a pick in the 7th round.  They took ILB Jamar Chaney from Mississippi State.  Real interesting player.  Lots of ability. Could be a MLB or WLB for us.  Isn't ideal at shedding blocks, but has the potential to be good at that.  Just needs to do it on a consistent basis. 

Notes:

3-year starter. Missed almost the entire 2008 season due to a broken leg in the season opener. Played WLB in 2006 before moving to the middle. Had a strong Senior season. Led the Bulldogs in tackles. Added 2 INTs, 2 FFs, and 4.5 TFLs. Moves well laterally. Flows to the ball. Fills well. Does a good job of scraping to the ball. Can shed blocks, but it isn't his strength. Prefers to slip blocks if he can. There are some plays when he'll throw his hands into an OL, shed the block, and get the ball. Looks like a terrific prospect on those plays. Other times you see him dipping and dodging. That's okay for the SEC, but can be deadly in the NFL. Gets through trash well. Good range. Wrap-up tackler. Takes good angles to the ball. Has some athletic ability. Agile. Gets very good depth on his pass drops.

Mid-round target.

Great value pick.  That seems to be the theme for today.
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Great Scott, Eagles Add RB in 6th Round

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Sorry for the cheesy headline.  You have to be a little creative at this point in the draft.  The Eagles picked LSU runner Charles Scott.  I love this pick.  He comes here to be our #3 RB.  Short yardage situations will have a whole new look with Leonard Weaver as the lead blocker for the 5'11, 235 Scott.  Notes:

Big power runner had a great year in 2008, 217-1174-18. Injuries and other issues slowed him down as a Senior and limited him to only 542 yards and 4 TDs. Played some FB as a Senior. Proved to be an effective lead blocker. Downhill runner. Has good straight-line speed. Runs with authority. . Arm tackles won't get him down. Runs over defenders when he's able to build up a head of steam. Good burst. Has okay feet. Able to make cuts on the move. Scott has good vision and is also nimble for a big guy. Those skills allow him to break off some longer runs than the normal power runner. You might want to think of him as similar to Jamal Lewis when he was at Tenneessee, although I don't think Scott has as much speed as Lewis did. Can be a workhorse runner. Okay receiver on short stuff. Missed 4 games and the Senior Bowl due to a shoulder injury late in the '09 season.

Mid-round pick could turn out to be a steal. Lots of potential.

We still have a pair of picks at the end of the 7th round.  OL?  CB? 
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5th Round Roundup

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The Eagles added a pair of players in the 5th round.

DE/LB Ricky Sapp
WR Riley Cooper

Sapp is a real interesting pick.  He played DE at Clemson.  I projected him as a 3-4 OLB.  Sapp is 6'4, 252.  That's okay size for a DE, but he always looked like more of an athlete than a physical guy.  I wonder if we're bringing him in here to fill the Chris Clemons role.  He would be a DE/LB/athlete and play a lot of roles.  We could try him at SAM, but I think Sapp is best served as a pass rusher.  Notes:

Played DE for the Tigers. Ricky is 6'4, 250. He hurt his knee at the end of the 2008 season, but played every game this year. He had 14 TFLs and a couple of FFs. He's quick off the ball. He's athletic. Gets washed out on run plays by TE. Ricky is thin and isn't a very rugged run defender. Good pass rusher. Quick. Good shoulder dip. Agile, athletic. Likes to get down in a track stance. Good COD. I have concerns about whether he could play DE in the NFL. I think he's best suited for OLB in the 3-4. That would let him attack off the edge without having to take on OTs on every single run play. Had 17.5 sacks in his career. Also had 4 FFs.

I think 3-4 OLB is where he'll end up. Probably a 2nd round pick. Could slide into the 3rd round.

Cooper gives us a big WR, something I wanted.  He is 6'3, 222.  Cooper can beat press coverage and catch the ball with a defender all over him. Could be a good Red Zone threat.  Good STs player.  NotesL:

Developed over time into a good prospect. He can beat press coverage because of his size and strength. Tough, physical WR. He knows how to get open. Occasionally will push off, but is subtle about it. Runs pretty good routes. He lacks ideal speed and quickness, but makes up for that because of his size and hands. He can pluck the ball. While he lacks ideal speed, Riley runs well enough to play in the NFL. He will drop passes on occasion and that is one of the things that will hurt his value a bit. That is a mental / concentration problem and not a physical issue. Caught a skinny post vs SoCar and took it all the way for a 68-yard TD. Has good RAC ability. Caught 30 passes in 3 years. Then caught 51 as a Senior. Averaged more than 18 yards per catch and added 9 TDs.  Ran 4.56 in the 40. 

Solid showing at the Senior Bowl. Good athlete. Has put aside a baseball career for now to focus on the NFL.

Should go in the 3rd or 4th round. 

Both players were great value picks.  They slid because of concerns, but each guy has the potential to be a good role player or possibly starter in the NFL. 
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4th Round Picks - Role Player Roundup

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The Eagles added 3 players in the late 4th round. 

LB Keenan Clayton
QB Mike Kafka
TE Clay Harbor

I like these picks. 

Clayton comes here to be our Nickel LB and a STer.  He is 6'1, 229.  He excelled in coverage for the Sooners.  Think of him as an Ike Reese type, but with much better athletic ability.  Here is a limited write-up I did on him:

Undersized LB, but talented and productive.  2-year starter.  Good tackler. Good blitzer.  Had 6 sacks in his career.  Excellent athlete with good coverage skills.  Picked off 3 passes in his career.  Broke up 15.  Had a very impressive 8 FFs.  Showed really good athletic ability at his Pro Day:  4.57, 10-7 BJ, 6.85 3-cone. 

Projects to Nickel LB in the NFL. 

Kafka is a good QB prospect.  He is the kind of player the Eagles like, from a size and skill set perspective.  He lacks ideal experience, but had a real good postseason and did himself a lot of good.  We need a backup to develop behind Kolb.  Kafka is 6'3, 225, good size for a QB.

Real interesting prospect.  Only a full time starter as a Senior.  Had a few starts due to injuries prior to that, but was hardly the most experienced guy in the world.  Mike had a good Senior year and showed a lot of promise.  Too bad he is out of eligibility.  I'm not sure he's ready for the NFL, but Mike does have potential. He had Northwestern up on Penn State when he got hurt and had to leave the game. Kafka is a leader and tough guy. He has some athletic ability. He's accurate, but I do have concerns about the fact he comes from the spread offense. Can he make pro throws?  Most of his passes went to receivers that were wide open by the design of the play. That's great in college, but in the NFL a passer must be able to make a good throw to a tightly covered receiver. Had a crazy bowl game against Auburn.  Kafka was 47-78-532. He threw 4 TDs and 5 INTs.

I was impressed with his Pro Day throwing.  His motion looked tighter and more efficient.  His passes were accurate and had good velocity.  Decision-making is still a mystery because of the spread offense. 

Kafka played in the Shrine Game and helped himself. He led the game-winning drive. He made some pro throws. His passes lack the kind of velocity you ideally want, but he was accurate. He did throw at least one downfield ball. You could also see his athletic ability on the play that set up the TD. Kafka responded well to the pressure of the final drive. He didn't panic at all and did a good job of running the offense.

Mid-round target.  Lacks ideal experience and comes from a spread offense.  I do like his potential.  Might go in the 3rd, but I think of him as a 4th rounder. 

Harbor, 6'3, 252,  is a guy that I've followed all year.  This isn't some guy who just had a good Pro Day and got scouts attention.  Really good player.  Here is my report on him:

Athletic small school player.  Good receiver.  Caught 40 or more passes each of the last 3 years.  Finished with excellent numbers, 150-1906-10.  Has pretty good hands.  Good RAC ability.  Went to the Shrine Game.  Had a good catch & run on a bootleg play.  Showed his agility and athleticism.  The step up in competition didn't seem to bother him.  Had a terrific workout at the Combine.  Ran in the 4.6 range, did 30 reps, and had a VJ of 40 inches. 

Late round target.  Could be an H-back for some teams.  I think he's best at TE.  Could also get looks at FB, but that would seem to be a waste of his athletic ability. 

Harbor played in the Shrine Game and showed that he can play with guys from big schools.  His athleticism translates to the field.  He could be a terrific STs player for us.   Think of him as an insurance policy for Cornelius Ingram. 
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Early 4th - CB Trevard Lindley

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The Eagles just added a CB.  They took Trevard Lindley from Kentucky.  I'm not thrilled with this pick.  Lindley is a little stiff in the hips.  He has good feet.  He has very good ball skills.  Lindley had a real good Junior season and thought about coming out, but decided to stay in school.  Wasn't as good in 2009.

Here are my notes:

Veteran SEC corner had a down season in 2009.  Probably should have come out after his Junior year.  Missed some action this season and didn't look as good.  Solid cover guy.  Lindley has good feet, but is a little stiff in the hips.  He has great ball skills.  Picked off 10 career passes and broke up 43.  Had a ton of solo tackles in his first 2 seasons (92).  Ran 4.50 at his Pro Day.

Went to the Senior Bowl.  Looked okay.  Played the same as he did during the year...up and down.

Probably a late round pick. 

Odd pick in my mind.  I'll watch a couple of his game tapes and see if there is something I'm missing.
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Day 3

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Rounds 4-7 are coming up shortly.  The Eagles have gotten some key players down in this part of the draft.  There are good players still on the board.  You can look through the rankings at ScoutsNotebook to see the overall lists.

Player Rankings

Here is a list of players that I like for the Eagles.  It is based on character, talent, skill set, and value. 

Players I want

QB Mike Kafka
QB Zac Robinson
QB Levi Brown

RB Charles Scott
RB James Starks

WR Carlton Mitchell
WR Riley Cooper
WR Jacoby Ford
WR Marcus Easley
WR Jeremy Williams
WR Blair White
WR Donald Jones
WR Danario Alexander

OL Selvish Capers
OL Chris Scott
OL Marshall Newhouse
OL J'Marcus Webb
OL Ramone Harewood
OL Chris Degeare
OL Reggie Stephens


DT Al Woods
DT Arthur Jones
DT Geno Atkins
DT Jeff Owens
DT Jay Ross
DT Kade Weston
DT Nate Collins

LB AJ Edds
LB Perry Riley
LB Keaston Kristick
LB Jason Beauchamp
LB Kavell Conner
LB Travis Goethel
LB Arthur Moats
LB Nathan Tripplett
LB Albert McLellan

ILB Jamar Chaney
ILB Darryl Sharpton
ILB Lee Campbell
ILB Jacob Cutrera

S Kurt Coleman
S Reshad Jones
S Matt O'Hanlon
S Quentin Scott

CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah
CB Perrish Cox
CB Walter McFadden
CB David Pender
CB Josh Moore
CB Nolan Carroll
CB A.J. Jefferson

I'm sure Howie and Andy will make a pick or two that has me scratching my head, but they've done well so far. 

If we keep all 4 of our 4th round picks here are the guys I'd prefer:

4th -WR Carlton Mitchell
4th - DT Al Woods
4th - CB Walt McFadden
4th - OL Marshall Newhouse

In the 5th give me RB Charles Scott or James Starks and then AJ Edds.  We'll see who's left. 
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