Adrian Fedkiw
The biggest question for the Philadelphia Eagles heading into the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft is if they will even pick anybody on Thursday night.
Because they might trade back.
And I think they should trade out, not just because they don’t have a second or third-round pick, but for positional needs and the lack of depth at some of the ones they need to attack. It’s not a good offensive tackle class, the linebackers are really good, but top heavy and if the Birds don’t get one in the first, it might be slim pickens by the time the fourth rolls around. There’s been a lot of talk about the Eagles potentially taking a running back at 32, but it’s a very deep class and you can still get a solid one in the middle rounds.
The other thing to watch out for is how many quarterbacks will go in the first round. If Mason Rudolph or Lamar Jackson are still there at 32, I believe someone will attempt to swoop up and make a tempting offer. Remember, first-round selections get a fifth-year option, while it’s only four years for other picks. A team will overpay for a quarterback more so than a positional player, obviously, so that may work in Philadelphia’s favor and an offer might be too good to pass up when it is on the clock.
Another thing to keep an eye on is Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and whether or not he will slide in the draft following a report by Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, who said on his Stick to Football podcast that five teams have removed him from their draft board due to a spine issue. If he falls to the second round and the Eagles move back, he could be a target on Day 2 if the report is indeed correct.
On his podcast, @nfldraftscout reported that 5 NFL teams have removed Leighton Vander Esch off their boards due to concerns about his neck and/or spine.
This news was first reported by @DraftCampbell nine days ago. pic.twitter.com/yaLpCHBCwS
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) April 26, 2018
The other player to watch out for will be Georgia running back Sony Michel, because according to The Ringer’s Michael Lombardi, teams are concerned about his “bone-on-bone” condition in his knee. The following is via Rotoworld.. He’d be another one to watch out for on Day 2 if the Eagles trade back and he tumbles.
It can be a career-shortening condition, and contributed to Jay Ajayi’s fall in the 2015 draft. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock has also alluded to medical concerns surrounding Michel, but still sent Michel to the Steelers in the first round in his mock draft on Thursday night. Lombardi said teams have concerns Michel won’t last long enough to play out a second contract.
For the purposes of this draft I had the Eagles staying in the first, although I did have one trade because I’m pretty sure the Buffalo Bills are going to sneak into the top five. The New York Giants will be dictating how everything shakes out because if they don’t go quarterback, I’m even more positive that Buffalo will make the drastic leap from No. 12 to the top five. In my hypothetical scenario, I have the Bills working out a trade with the Denver Broncos at the fifth selection.
If the Eagles do in fact stay put at 32, I’ve got them taking LSU running back Derrius Guice.
1. Cleveland- Sam Darnold (QB) USC
2. NY Giants- Saquon Barkley (RB) PSU
3. NY Jets- Baker Mayfield (QB) OU
4. Cleveland- Bradley Chubb (Edge) NC ST
5. Buffalo (via Denver)- Josh Allen (QB) Wyo
6. Indianapolis- Quenton Nelson (G) ND
7. Tampa Bay- Minkah Fitzpatrick (S) Bama
8. Chicago- Tremaine Edmunds (LB) VT
9. San Francisco- Denzel Ward (CB) OhSt
10. Oakland- Roquan Smith (LB) UGA
11. Miami- Josh Rosen (QB) UCLA
12. Denver (via Buffalo)- Derwin James (S) FSU
13. Washington- Vita Vea (DT) UW
14. Green Bay- Marcus Davenport (Edge) UTSA
15. Arizona- Calvin Ridley (WR) Bama
16. Baltimore- Rashaan Evans (LB) Bama
17. LA Chargers- Mike McGlinchey (T) ND
18. Seattle- Connor Williams (T) Tex
19. Dallas- D.J. Moore (WR) MD
20. Detroit- Da’Ron Payne (DT) Bama
21. Cincinnati- Billy Price (C) OhSt
22. Denver (via Buffalo)- Isaiah Wynn (G) UGA
23. New England- Lamar Jackson (QB) Lou
24. Carolina- Josh Jackson (CB) Iowa
25. Tennessee- Harold Landry (Edge) BC
26. Atlanta- Taven Bryan (DT) UF
27. New Orleans- Mike Gesicki (TE) PSU
28. Pittsburgh- Justin Reid (S) Stan
29. Jacksonville- Courtland Sutton (WR) SMU
30. Minnesota- Will Hernandez (G) UTEP
31. New England- Christian Kirk (WR) A&M
32. Philadelphia- Derrius Guice (RB) LSU