Can the Eagles mess up this draft? Not at wide receiver, says Mike Quick | Early Birds
Quick thinks the Eagles will be able to get at least one good wide receiver, and maybe even two, in this week's draft.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RLHCHKZHSNA7FB3B4CZTTNHJOM.jpg)
Good morning, everyone. Well, the NFL’s first-ever virtual draft is just a day-and-change away. The league held a dress rehearsal on Monday, and while there were a few glitches, things went relatively smoothly. So get your popcorn and enjoy watching Roger Goodell make the picks from his basement.
The Eagles head into the draft with eight picks, including the 21st overall. Four of their eight selections are in the third and fourth rounds between picks 103 and 146, where, over the years, the Eagles have mined the likes of Donnel Pumphrey, Casey Matthews, Trevard Lindley and Keenan Clayton. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah referred to that area of this draft as a “sweet spot’’ and thinks the Eagles should be able to get some good players there.
But most of the focus heading into the draft is on the Eagles’ first-round pick. This draft features the deepest wide receiver class in years. Jeremiah has top-three-round grades on no fewer than 25 wideouts.
The assumption is that the Eagles will take a wide receiver with their first-round pick. But will they trade up, trade down or stay at No. 21 and take the best one on the board? We talked to one of the best wideouts in Eagles history, Mike Quick, about the wide receivers in this draft. His thoughts can be found below.
If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @pdomo.
— Paul Domowitch (earlybirds@inquirer.com)
Mike Quick doesn’t think Eagles will need to trade up to get a top WR in first round
Mike Quick typically doesn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the NFL draft in the days and weeks leading up to it. The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver prefers to spend the early spring out on a golf course than in front of a computer breaking down college players.
But golf courses have been off-limits during the coronavirus pandemic. Which has left the longtime Eagles radio analyst plenty of time to get acquainted with what many think is the best wide receiver class in the history of modern civilization.
Six wideouts could go in the first round. Twenty or more could go in the first three rounds.
The Eagles have the 21st pick in the first round. They are looking to upgrade their wide receiver corps and, in the words of general manager Howie Roseman, find players who can grow with the team’s quarterback, Carson Wentz.
“When that’s your thinking as an organization, the timing could not be better as far as the kids coming out at that position," Quick said.
There has been pre-draft talk about the Eagles possibly trading up to 10 and grabbing Clemson wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. But that doesn’t seem likely.
The Eagles are optimistic that one of the draft’s top four wideouts — Lamb, Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, and LSU’s Justin Jefferson — will make it down to them at 21.
“I think you might know after the 12th pick what it’s going to look like for them at 21," NFL Network senior draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “Because if the Jets [who have the 11th pick] and the Raiders [12th pick] both go receiver, then I think there’s a very good chance you’re going to miss out on one of the top four at 21.’’
That said, Quick doesn’t think the Eagles should trade up.
“I just think there’s going to be a talented receiver there for them at 21," he said. “Don’t make this harder than it is."
The most likely of the top four wideouts to fall to the Eagles is Jefferson. He caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns last season and ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.
Yet, some Eagles fans aren’t enthusiastic about the 6-1, 202-pounder because he was used primarily in the slot at LSU.
Quick thinks that rationale is absurd.
“It obviously made sense for LSU to play him," in the slot, he said. “But I think he can play inside or outside.
“If you’re a good receiver, and he definitely is, you can play inside or outside. I don’t think you have to be limited to one or the other. Especially when you have a frame like his and can run like he can."
Quick lined up both in the slot and outside the numbers during his prolific career with the Eagles.
“When you hear somebody say, ‘Well, this kid played slot all through college,’ it doesn’t matter to me," he said. “Take the kid from Texas. [Devin] Duvernay. He played outside most of his career, then moved to the slot last year. Caught a hundred balls. He played well inside and he played well outside. And he’s not a big guy [5-10, 200]. He’s just a stud."
With eight picks and the multitude of pick-your-flavor talent at wide receiver in this draft, Quick said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Eagles select more than one wideout in the draft.
“It might even please me," he said. “Remember the year they took Freddie Barnett, Calvin Williams and a guy named Mike Bellamy in the same draft [1990]? I don’t know if they’ll go three deep. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take two."
What you need to know about the Eagles
Jeff McLane on how the NFL Draft is basically a guessing game, and last year’s pick of J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was a good example.
Which of these 10 players are the Eagles most likely to draft in the first round? Our Eagles writers weigh in on each of them.
David Murphy writes about how Dick Vermeil and Carl Peterson used shrewd drafting to rebuild the Eagles in the ’70s and take them to their first Super Bowl.
The Eagles’ focus this week will be to not only draft good players, but ones that can stay healthy.
EJ Smith has Henry Ruggs falling to the Eagles in his mock draft.
In his mock draft, Les Bowen has the Eagles taking Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, though not necessarily at 21.
LSU’s Justin Jefferson will be there for the Eagles at 21, or so says me in my mock draft.
Eagles need to improve their speed, and Marcus Hayes finds if for them in his mock draft, which includes the selections of two wide receivers — Baylor’s Denzel Mims and Devin Duvernay of Texas.
What would an Early Birds newsletter be without a link to Domo’s Big Board?
There’s nothing funny about these home videos. Check out my story on how non-combine players filmed their own Pro Day workouts to get the attention of NFL teams.
As Jeff McLane reports in his excellent story, Carson Wentz and his representatives seem to be very influential in Eagles personnel decisions.
Professor Ed Barkowitz gives us a history lesson on where many of the top wideouts were drafted.
The Eagles won’t be spending all eight of their picks on wide receivers. Les Bowen takes a look at what else they’ll be shopping for in this week’s draft.
From the mailbag
With Trey Burton free as a potential backup to Goedert, would they listen (to trade offers) on Ertz? And if so, what would you want for him? — From Brian Rosenwald (@brianros1) on Twitter
Let’s start with Burton, Brian. I don’t think there’s any way the Eagles bring him back. He’ll always be loved in this city for his role in the Philly Special. But one of the reasons the Bears released him was because he couldn’t stay healthy. He missed eight games last season and is recovering from hip surgery. I think Howie finally has learned that there’s no room for sentimentality in roster building. If he had to do it over again, he never would have brought back DeSean Jackson. He has said twice this offseason that hope isn’t a strategy with injured players. I don’t think he’s willing to hope Burton stays healthy, even in a backup role. As for Zach Ertz, I’ve written several times in recent months that I don’t think the Eagles can afford to keep both him and Dallas Goedert beyond 2021, when their contracts expire. I think they want to keep Ertz through this season and then likely will entertain offers for him. Roseman has said Zach will be an Eagle in 2020, and I’m going to take him at his word.