Adrian Fedkiw
A product of the NFL Draft’s lying period, or legitimate concern for UCLA’s Myles Jacks’ knees not to hold up in the NFL?
An anonymous source told the Philadelphia Daily News that Jack’s knee is a “time bomb” and is imperiled after a meniscus tear and repair last year. NFL Network reported Sunday that Jack has a “chondral defect” in his right knee. Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith was going to be a potential top 10 pick had it not been for him tearing up his knee at the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.
Does Jack fall from this? And which round will Smith wind up being taken in?
If the Eagles had stayed at No. 8, there’s the potential that Jack could’ve fallen. The New York Giants at 10 would’ve loved a free fall, but I believe the the Jacksonville Jaguars will pull the trigger on Jack at No. 5.
What about Smith? I’m thinking he drops to the third round, but if a team has a pair of picks in the second round I’d think someone might strongly consider him.
The Eagles might look to add depth at linebacker following the trade of Kiko Alonso to the Miami Dolphins. They’ve held visits for three players, LSU’s Deion Jones, West Virginia’s Nick Kwiatkoski and Boston College’s Steve Daniels. It had the second highest interest of all the positions with 21 players behind the wide receivers’ 26 players.
Adrian’s Top 5 4-3 Outside Linebackers
1. Myles Jack (UCLA)
2. Jaylon Smith (Notre Dame)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBkK_2luJMk
3. Darron Lee (Ohio State)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7CKiAjEfUc
4. Eric Striker (Oklahoma)
5. Su’a Cravens (USC)
Adrian’s Top 10 Inside Linebackers
1. Reggie Ragland (Alabama)
2. Kentrell Brothers (Missouri)
3. Tyler Matakevich (Temple)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeh7bO_W9ms
4. Scooby Wright III (Arizona)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK2PJqfJe84
5. Nick Vigil (Utah State)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Iwbglztco
@PHLANon’s Top 5 OLB
1. Jaylon Smith (Notre Dame) If not for the gruesome injury at the end of the college season, Smith would likely have been the top talent in the entire draft. He started all 39 games the last three seasons, and was dominating, but the injury has now put his draft stock in limbo. If he overcomes the injury, the upside is tremendous. He could be a yearly Pro Bowl player that dominates.
2. Myles Jack (UCLA) An athletic specimen with above-average pursuit speed, contact balance and mental processor to know everything going on around him. Jack has the athletic skill set to be a difference-maker. As long as his knee holds up, he too could be a beast that is constantly knocking on the Pro Bowl door.
3. Darron Lee (Ohio State) A fantastic athlete with long arms and aggressive hands, but needs to develop his functional strength to consistently stack and shed at the line of scrimmage and keep himself clean. Still young in linebacker years, but is a high character competitor, playing with sky-high confidence and natural football instincts to pick things up quickly. Lee is a versatile run-and-hit linebacker with an attacking mind-set that fits today’s NFL.
4. Leonard Floyd (Georgia) Floyd can dip and flatten around the edge, maintaining his balance without losing speed to the pocket. He is deadly in space, but Floyd’s lack of functional strength and growth potential are glaring concerns. One of the best athletes in this draft class, but is not one of the best football players. If he adjusts and grows his talents he could be a great talent. If he just simply relays on his athleticism, he will be the next SEC defensive bust.
5. Kamalei Correa (Boise State) Undersized to remain as defensive end, Correa possesses an explosive burst to rush the quarterback as well as the flexibility and awareness to handle coverage duties. A terrific athlete that impressed in workouts. Correa could be a steady riser during the draft.
@PHLANon’s Top 5 ILB
1. Reggie Ragland (Alabama) Hard hitting linebacker with throwback size and tonesetting mentality. Ragland is a confident and capable early starter in league who has the temperament to become one of the premier run-stopping inside linebackers in the pro game. Ragland has some coverage and speed limitations, but his instincts and overall awareness should be able to mask those issues.
2. Kentrell Brothers (Missouri) Brothers has above average recognition skills and anticipation to beat blockers to the contact point, but for his high tackle production, he also misses several tackles due to his lack of ideal speed and length. He’s able to compensate for his average athleticism due to his competitive nature and superb instincts to be a tackling machine.
3. Tyler Matakevich (Temple) Matakevich is a film junkie who understands that maximum preparation is essential to his production and success. He has outstanding instincts paired with a desire to fill up a stat sheet with as many positive plays as possible. His lack of size and strength may limit him. His work ethic, production and ability to step right in and help on special teams gives him a shot at having a long career as a mid-level starter in the league.
4. B.J. Goodson (Clemson) Physical linebacker with the desire to get downhill and strike what he sees. Goodson’s lack of pursuit speed and overall athleticism could be troubling to teams, but his toughness and consistency of effort will appeal to teams who value force in the middle. Goodson currently figures as a backup with eventual starter potential.
5. Scooby Wright III (Arizona) Wright has amazing instincts and keen spatial awareness to knock the ball free, making him a potential standout against the run and while attacking the quarterback. The challenge of adapting to a more traditional defensive alignment and holding up in pass coverage, however, could keep him on the board for a while. That, and his injury history.
@PHLAnon’s Rebuttal
This is not the draft you want if you’re needing to add an impact linebacker. There are so many question marks, red flags, and limitations that it’s hard to what anyone will be able to do, when, and to what level. Luckily the Eagles don’t have much of a need, and could more look to add depth on guys as priority free agents. Someone I’d love to see us sign after the draft to look at is Victor Ochi. He was a DE at Stony Brook, who should get a look at OLB in an attacking 4-3 scheme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfdYUcMuU1A