The 2021 NFL Draft is just 88 days away! Until then, let’s spend time together looking at which mock drafts the Philadelphia Eagles select with the No. 6 overall pick.
Philadelphia has some big changes to make, including cleaning up the wide reception room. Ja’Marr Chase could be a big part of that offense and move forward with or without Carson Wentz.
The Philadelphia Eagles have great needs at linebacker, down the offensive line, and in the secondary, but wide receiver has been a huge problem for the franchise for years. It’s time to give whoever is in the Philadelphia quarterback a bona fide No. 1 target. Ja’Marr Chase fits that description. The 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner sat out 2020 after setting SEC records in receiving yards (1,780) and touchdowns (20) during a national championship season in 2019. At 1.85 yards and 205 pounds, he has a good size and athletic ability. With excellent hands, route running skills and above average speed, he’s dead-heat with Smith as the best receiver in class.
The Eagles should be able to choose from two from the Smith, Chase or Jaylen Waddle trio. It would be hard to go wrong with any of them – but don’t put it past Howie Roseman picking the wrong wide receiver. It’s kind of his thing. Chase didn’t play in 2020, but he was utterly dominant in 2019, even producing Justin Jefferson … who already looks like an NFL star.
He spent much of 2020 through opposing defenses with 117 catches for a record 1,856 yards in Alabama and holding SEC record 23 TDs. Teaming up with WR Jalen Reagor from the first round of 2020 could be the optimal way to get QB Carson Wentz back on track in 2021. Smith will have to prove, however, that his 170-pound frame can hold up in the NFL and that he can handle corners stronger that will no doubt try to get him stuck on the line … unlike, say, what he encountered. Ohio state in the championship game of college football.
Some caution its thinly built frame, but Smith is an exciting talent who could restore hope in the Carson Wentz reclamation project.
The Eagles had a disastrous 4-11-1 season, with quarterback Carson Wentz getting back on the bench for rookie second-rounder Jalen Hurts. And yes, Wentz wasn’t very good, but his receivers didn’t exactly help him. The Eagles got just 20 catches from veterans Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson due to injuries, and 2019 second round pick JJ Arcega-Whiteside barely made it to the field. So even though Philadelphia fielded Jalen Reagor in Round 1 a year ago, I still see this as a hole in the offense. Waddle, one of the fastest candidates in this draft, could be targeted in the onslaught of new coach Nick Sirianni. He was one of college football’s most electric receivers of the past three seasons, even though he was sometimes overshadowed by teammates Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and DeVonta Smith. His next-level ceiling is like a No. 1 pass catcher.
I went back and forth on whatever WR I would go to Philadelphia here. Head coach Nick Sirianni has worked with such players as Mike Williams, Michael Pittman and Tyrell Williams who are bigger goals. But he has also worked with Travis Benjamin, TY Hilton and Parris Campbell. As a result, I decided to just take the player who was higher on my board. Even though the Eagles just lined up Jalen Reagor, that shouldn’t stop them from adding Jaylen Waddle to their inconsistent reception room at best.
I recently wrote that Kyle Pitts is a good fit for the Eagles. The Philadelphia resident would be a nightmare in Nick Sirianni’s attack. He and Goedert would move all over the formation, giving Carson Wentz or Jalen Hurts or any other quarterback two massive, dynamic pass catchers to work with.
Carson Wentz appears to have won the power struggle with Doug Pederson, meaning the team will almost certainly not be in the QB business this spring. And while pass catcher is high on the to-do list, that doesn’t necessarily mean much here. In a few years, we can talk about Pitts as the best receiver in this class. He reminds us of Darren Waller and – with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert both potentially entering the final year of their deals in Philly – it makes sense to fill the position.
Eagle fans, take a deep breath. The NFL draft is longer than one round. Not selecting a WR here might come as a bit of a surprise, but as the upcoming class is strong for the first two days, packing Surtain II plus a wide out on Day 2 makes a lot of sense for a team in dire need of help on both positions. . The franchise has not chosen a defensive back in the first round since 2002 (Lito Sheppard). Surtain II breaks a sequence that spans nearly two decades.
The Eagles had all kinds of secondary issues away from veteran Darius Slay in 2020 and need a big shake-up at cornerback to help their defense under a new coach. Surtain, with his pedigree, size and ball-hawking skills, has the potential to be a true shutdown player.
Farley is the best combination of size, athleticism and cornerback production in this draft class, adding to an Eagles secondary that’s been struggling since the 2017 Super Bowl run. Farley posted a coverage of 90.5 while allowing a passer rating of just 26.8 in 2019, and putting him up against Darius Slay gives the Eagles an excellent base at the back.
If you’re an Eagle fan, you’ve probably read over the past few weeks about the 98 different head coach candidates that the team was rumored to hire. Now, finally, the Eagles coaching staff has largely been formed. All eyes will now be on QB Carson Wentz, how the new technical staff deals with him, what the front office is doing with him, etc. It will be fascinating how all this dynamic plays out. While it is less likely now than it was a few weeks ago, it cannot be ruled out that Wentz can still be traded. New coaches do like brand new, sparkly QBs and Wentz seems to want a guarantee that he will get the runway regardless of his terrible game in 2020. This will be one of the most important storylines in the entire league in the coming months. So in this CMD we’ll explore the scenario where the Eagles find a trading partner for Wentz, and a deal is worked out. Of course, if this happens, the chances of the Eagles targeting a QB in RD1 skyrocket. I said in the last CMD that I thought BYU’s Zach Wilson wouldn’t be out of the top 3. I now have a strong sense that Wilson will be the Draft’s runner-up … either by the Jets, or by a team they trade with. Wilson may not have the pure cannon of a Justin Fields, but his ‘arm talent’ is superior. He can throw at different levels, different angles or courses … he just masters the football and is one of the most creative pitchers you will see. With 3,700 Pass YDS, 33 TDs and only 3 INTs, with 10 Rushing TDs and tape like THIS, Zach Wilson is the # 1 choice in a bunch of concepts that don’t include guys like Andrew Luck or Trevor Lawrence.
The Eagles aren’t quite ready to pair their car with Jalen Hurts, are they? I think they want to at least give him legit competition, and Fields would absolutely take care of that.
WR Ja’Marr Chase – 3
WR DeVonta Smith – 2
WR Jaylen Waddle – 2
TE Kyle Pitts – 2
CB Patrick Surtain II – 2
CB Caleb Farley – 1
QB Zach Wilson – 1
QB Justin Fields – 1
WR – 7
CB – 3
TE – 2
QB – 2
Violation – 11
Defense – 3
THOUGHTS
- Obviously, there is no consensus for the Eagles coming out of the Senior Bowl. Chase and Smith are becoming popular options that we’ll be discussing ad nauseam at the end of April. However, there is no guarantee that both players will be on the board. Some scoffs have both SEC receivers picked before number 6.
- In the event that both Chase and Smith are unavailable, Waddle could play a part. Seems a bit rich though.
- I’m not one of those on board, Pitts being the choice. Occasional BGN contributor Patrick C. recently had a relevant Twitter thread about him:
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- Cornerback seems reasonable when both top two receivers are gone.
- It’s hard to know exactly what to make of the Eagles’ quarterback situation. Nick Sirianni wouldn’t even say Carson Wentz would be on the team for good in 2021. I hardly think the Eagles are itching to get rid of him at all costs. It looks like they are open to moving him, but they know they might be stuck with him. When Wentz returns, I don’t see them adding another pair of calipers to the mix, despite being a self-proclaimed QB factory.
- Who does you do you want the Eagles to leave?