A year ago, the radio stations in Philadelphia were dominated by the talk of the Eagles attempting to reunite with Chip Kelly’s college quarterback, Marcus Mariota, through a massive draft-day trade. This year, the Eagles are yet again named as one of several teams reportedly in play for the number one overall pick.
Per Robert Klemko of MMQB, the Eagles, along with the Browns, 49ers and Rams, are interested in securing the Titans’ top draft slot, which they would likely use to select either quarterback Carson Wentz or Jared Goff. Klemko speculates that the trade would cost a team “somewhere south of the legitimate king’s ransom Washington paid for the right to draft Robert Griffin III – basically, three first-rounders and a second-round pick.”
It’s fascinating to consider the possibility of the Eagles trading up for a quarterback, something they tried and failed to do last draft season. Below I will highlight the ten most likely players for the Eagles to select in the first round, and I did include the two quarterbacks the Eagles could consider if they moved up.
1 – Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
The most likely player for the Eagles to select with the eighth overall pick is cornerback Vernon Hargreaves. An All-SEC pick for the third straight season, Hargreaves is the second-best defensive back in the draft behind likely top-five pick Jalen Ramsey. Hargreaves stands 5’10 and weighs 204 pounds, a physical, instinctive player most comparable to Joe Haden, per nfldraftscout.com. Hargreaves would likely be a Week 1 starter for the Eagles, possibly even the team’s top cornerback, at a position that is probably the most underrated need on the team.
2 – Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
Ronnie Stanley is the top player I would like for the Eagles to select with the eighth pick, assuming neither Carson Wentz or Jared Goff is available. Stanley is the consensus second-best offensive lineman in the draft. If the Eagles draft him, they’ll have a player who can fill one of the two tackle spots for the next decade. The only issue is what to do with Stanley in 2016. He’s not equipped to play guard and veteran Jason Peters has already stated his unwillingness to move inside even as his skills decline. It’s a good problem to have though, not one that should preclude the Eagles from drafting the Notre Dame prospect.
3 – Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
If the Eagles trade down from pick eight, Michigan State’s Jack Conklin feels like a very likely target. The third-best tackle entering the NFL draft this season, Conklin has drawn similarities to Andrew Whitworth. CBSSports calls Conklin “NFL-ready from day one.” If drafted, Conklin would likely begin his career at left guard and move to right tackle after the end of Jason Peters’ tenure in Philadelphia. However, it’s worth noting that NFL analyst Gil Brandt has referred to Conklin as a guard. The Eagles have a major need at both positions and it would be very handy to have a player who could play both spots.
4 – Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Ezekiel Elliott is an elite talent. He might be the clear-cut best player in the draft, one of the three or four best running back prospects in the last decade. However, just how high of a pick is Elliott worth while playing at a position generally considered to be replaceable? And do the Eagles really need a running back that badly? After all, veteran Ryan Mathews is a talented runner, Darren Sproles is a great rotational piece and Kenjon Barner showed flashes last season in a limited role. The Eagles need a running back. It’s just a question of whether they feel they need one with their only pick in the top 75, or if they want to add a player in a middle round and use their top pick for a more pressing need like offensive tackle or edge-rusher.
5 – Jared Goff, QB, California
If one of the top two quarterbacks falls to pick eight, it’ll likely be Jared Goff. Realistically, he’d probably be snapped up by the San Francisco 49ers with the seventh pick, although no one really has any idea what Chip Kelly is thinking when it comes to the Niners’ long-term plan at quarterback. At pick eight, the Eagles would have to think long and hard about Goff. Even with Sam Bradford guaranteed $26 million and Chase Daniel as the highest-paid backup quarterback in the NFL, there’s no stopping the Eagles from selecting Goff if they think he has the tools to be a franchise quarterback.
6 – Laquan Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
Most would agree that Laquan Treadwell isn’t quite worthy of the eighth overall pick. But he is the best wide receiver prospect in the draft and the Eagles can’t survive another season with the same production they received in 2015. The big wild-card is whether last year’s first-round pick Nelson Agholor can take a step forward after a disappointing season severely hampered by a high ankle sprain. Personally, I think Agholor can, and I think it’s the reason why the Eagles should hold off on using yet another high draft pick on a wide receiver. In the past two drafts, they’ve used a first, second and third-round pick on wide receivers. They need to wait for those players to develop instead of using a second straight first-round pick on a pass-catcher. Treadwell would make a lot more sense for the Eagles if they traded down from 8 to the middle of the first round.
7 – Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
If Joey Bosa falls to pick eight, the Eagles will sprint to the podium to hand in their draft card. The draft’s best pure pass-rusher, Bosa would immediately become a versatile weapon in Jim Schwartz’s new defense. He’d start at defensive end, making two of Vinny Curry, Brandon Graham and Connor Barwin delegated to role players. It’s highly unlikely that Bosa falls to eight, although predicting the first round of the draft, even the top 10 picks, is all a guessing game.
8 – Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
There’s a lot to like about Myles Jack. A lot. In fact, he might be the best player in the draft. Even with knee surgery that cost him almost all of the 2015 season, Jack is viewed as a consensus top five pick. It’s unlikely that he’ll be on the board at eight, but if he is, the Eagles could select a player who CBSSports compares to NaVorro Bowman. A true outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, Jack has elite coverage ability and unbelievable athleticism. He’s everything you want in the middle of your defense, a defensive coordinator’s dream and a player who makes everybody else around him, from Fletcher Cox to Jordan Hicks to Malcolm Jenkins, so much better.
9 – Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
Carson Wentz is the dream scenario for the Eagles in the 2016 draft. He’s the draft’s best quarterback, a player likely to go with the second overall pick to the Cleveland Browns – possibly even number one overall if a quarterback-needy team trades up in the draft. There’s no way he’ll fall to eight. If the Eagles pick him, it’s because they traded several high draft picks to acquire their long-term plan at quarterback. Whether the move will pay off obviously would remain to be seen for several seasons. In fact, even if the Eagles did trade up for Wentz, they may end up sitting him as a rookie due to Bradford’s $22 million salary in 2016. That’s not ideal, especially since Wentz would be almost 25 by the start of the 2017 season, but it’s worth noting that we’re in an era where top quarterbacks can play until they’re 36 or 37 – even older.
10 – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
The consensus third-best quarterback prospect in the draft, Paxton Lynch would be considered a reach if taken with the eighth pick. However, it’s really not that uncommon for a borderline first-round prospect to be taken early if a team needs a quarterback. Personally, I don’t think the Eagles would pick Lynch at eight, but it’s become obvious with their pre-draft visits how much general manager Howie Roseman wants a franchise quarterback. There are some NFL scouts who believe that Lynch has a higher ceiling than both Wentz and Goff, and it’s not a stretch to see the Eagles taking him. He’s also a possible target if they choose to trade down from the eighth pick.
