Many people watching the NFL Draft likely left it wondering how in the world every team let the Philadelphia Eagles run away with the best players. Well, there’s a strong reason why they were able to snag the guys they did, and why other teams felt that they should pass on them. But first, we have to talk about who they grabbed.
Eagles Crushed Their Picks
They started things off by waiting patiently before trading up one or two spots to grab Jalen Carter ninth overall. Later on in the first round, they stayed put despite many offers and picked Nolan Smith at 30. Both of these guys were players on that defensive side of the ball for Georgia, a school known for great defense. Their next pick was offensive guard Tyler Steen, followed by defensive back Sydney Brown. Then came another shock, as Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo fell all the way down to them at pick 105. Their third Georgia Bulldog taken in this draft.
Their final two picks were quarterback Tanner McKee and defensive tackle Moro Ojomo. Now, looking at these names, you can see three players that surprisingly went to them. Carter, Smith, and Ringo all should have gone earlier than their projections. So, how did Philly get so lucky?
Each Player Fell For A Reason
Well, the answer is fairly simple. The Eagles took the risks that no other team felt comfortable taking. On top of that, the Eagles also find themselves in a wonderful position in terms of their roster. They don’t currently have major holes to fill across the roster, which allows them to simply take the best available. In their minds, missing these players would be disappointing, but they can still compete. And if they turn out to be great, then the initial risks were worth it.
However, other teams just can’t do that. For example, everybody knew Jalen Carter was arguably the best prospect. The problem was that he was arrested a few weeks before the draft for a serious matter that painted him in a bad light. For the teams in front of Philadelphia, they couldn’t afford to take a guy like that and have him be out of football instantly. Especially because a lot of those teams were desperate to turn their franchise around.
Something similar happened with Nolan Smith. Now, Smith has blazing speed but just wasn’t fascinating enough for other teams to think of him as a first-round talent all-around. He also wasn’t a position that many teams really needed to fill, and those opted to go elsewhere instead of taking an risk on a potentially raw prospect. Philadelphia then saw him drop and snapped him up because once again, there’s potential for a huge payoff. Not having a single position that needs to be filled opened a lot of doors.
Then finally, we get to Ringo. Ringo had expectations of being a high second rounder, or somewhere in that area. He fell all the way to 105. Teams likely all had the same concerns about his play, and the Eagles felt like they could possibly get the most out of him with the talent they have in the back end.
The bottom line here is that the Eagles saw players that had huge question marks above their heads and took them without question. At their best, the Eagles will be a super team for years to come. If none of them work out, Philadelphia is still a clear playoff contender. Just a few genius moves from their general manager Howie Roseman to recognize that and dive straight in.