Six Day 2 NFL draft prospects who make sense for the Eagles | Early Birds

Good morning, Eagles fans. Happy Wednesday. If you’re local, here’s hoping you’ve dug your way out of the snow and are getting ready to enjoy a decently warm Wednesday. With the Carson Wentz trade behind us, the Eagles’ offseason feels a little less hectic now, although there’s still plenty to come.

Since we last hit your inbox, the team released DeSean Jackson and its plans to also part ways with Alshon Jeffery are apparent. Zach Ertz is still on the trading block, and the future of Jason Kelce, Malik Jackson, and maybe even a few more highly paid veterans is up in the air. Such is life in a rebuild, I suppose.

Below, we’ll go through some NFL draft prospects who make sense for the Eagles in the second or third round of this April’s draft.

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— EJ Smith (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

One of the few positives the barren state of the Eagles roster offers is just how many positions they could benefit from addressing early in the draft. There are glaring holes at a few spots such as wide receiver, cornerback, and linebacker, but the team could also really use a talented young starter at safety and tight end and on both the offensive and defensive lines.

When you factor in the possibility the Birds could take a quarterback with their first-rounder, we’re really talking about the entire team that could use an upgrade this April.

With that in mind, here are six guys who make sense on Day 2 for the Eagles, who have the 38th, 70th, and 85th picks.

Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern

One of the Eagles’ most pressing needs this offseason is a cornerback capable of holding things down opposite Darius Slay. Avonte Maddox tried to compensate for his lack of height last season, but it’s clear the 5-foot-9, 184-pound corner is better suited elsewhere. Newsome has at least a chance to get on the field right away as an outside corner. He’s coming off a shortened season in which he capably followed other teams’ top receivers on both sides of the field. According to Pro Football Focus, Newsome allowed just one catch for more than 15 yards in 2020 on 10+ targets.

Newsome’s testing should determine whether he goes in the second or third round. Either way, the Eagles will likely have some interest in the corner at one of those spots.

Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse

Unlike Newsome, Melifonwu doesn’t have much to prove with his athletic testing. The 6-2, 213-pound corner has rare size and speed and helped himself with a solid Senior Bowl performance earlier this month. He’s not as polished in coverage as Newsome and there are some concerns that he’ll never learn to convert his powerful frame into forceful play in press man coverage, but there’s a lot with which to work. Especially with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s background working with the secondary, Melifonwu would be a high-upside player for the new defensive staff.

Melifonwu’s older brother, Obi, was taken in the second round of the 2017 draft, but the strong safety didn’t really catch on. He is on the 49ers’ roster on a Reserve/Futures contract and last played in the NFL in 2018. Ifeatu Melifonwu’s draft stock is likely similar to Newsome’s, with a chance he’ll slide to 70.

Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU

If the Eagles don’t address wide receiver in the first round, Marshall could be an excellent consolation prize. The 20-year-old is another upside play who will need a good deal of development, but he also has a rare combination of size and speed at 6-2 and 200 pounds with the ability to stretch the field. The biggest knocks on Marshall, who had 48 catches for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, are his skinny frame and lack of polish on his route running. In the past, it would have been difficult to count on the Eagles to develop a raw receiver, but there’s at least hope that new head coach Nick Sirianni’s staff, rich in experience coaching wideouts, can reverse the trend.

If Sirianni and Co. can get their hands on Marshall, they could turn him into a solid “X” receiver opposite Jalen Reagor. While Marshall is plenty fast, his size combined with ability to make contested catches would help keep the Eagles’ receiving corps versatile as it reshapes itself this offseason.

All this could be a moot point, depending on where Marshall ends up. He could be a late first-round pick, but there’s at least a chance he’ll end up on the board for the Eagles at No. 38. There’s no way he’ll make it to them at 70, though.

Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington

Assuming the Eagles are going to maintain their aggressive, one-gap scheme on the defensive line, Onwuzurike would help maintain the defensive-tackle depth the team has valued for so long. At 6-3, 293-pounds, Onwuzurike is an athletic, twitchy interior rusher with potential to be a real difference maker. With Malik Jackson likely to become a cap casualty later this offseason, Onwuzurike could fill Jackson’s role as the third rusher on a stacked interior defensive line led by Fletcher Cox. Unlike Jackson, Onwuzurike could also eventually develop into a player who makes it easier for the Eagles to say goodbye eventually to Cox, who will turn 31 in December.

Where exactly Onwuzurike will go is still unclear. He opted out of the 2020 season and had mixed reviews during Senior Bowl practice. Still, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ranked him No. 23 on his big board earlier this month, although he didn’t have him going in the first round in his latest mock draft. There’s a chance he’d be there at 70, but it’s much safer to expect him to go around 38.

Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama

Let’s get this out of the way now: Dickerson has a torn ACL, and many of you will roll your eyes at the idea of the Eagles’ drafting a player with a serious injury. I, too, have my doubts that Howie Roseman would consider Dickerson after last offseason’s comments on targeting players with a history of durability.

But have you seen Dickerson play? With Kelce’s future very much in question, the Eagles could suddenly find themselves in the market for a difference-making center either this summer or next. If they’re in need of one, Dickerson is the most capable replacement, even if he tore his ACL in December and will probably miss all of training camp, if not the beginning of the season. At a monstrous 6-6, 325 pounds, Dickerson wins in a way much different from the agile Kelce, but is dominant nonetheless. He’s got a reputation for knocking the crud out of people.

Dickerson has experience at both guard and center and could spend his first season as a backup at multiple spots once healthy, depending on Kelce’s looming decision. Although Dickerson has first-round talent, his injury history will likely drop him to Day 2, maybe even far enough for him to be in play at 70.

Demetric Felton, RB/WR, UCLA

We’ve written about Felton in the past, but he’s a name to keep an eye out for later on Day 2, particularly with the 84th pick. Felton offers a versatile skillset with which Sirianni is familiar. He started his college career as a wide receiver but eventually moved to running back with the Bruins. In the pros, he figures to be a slot receiver/running back hybrid similar to the role Nyheim Hines played in Sirianni’s Indianapolis offenses.

Even the 84th pick might be a bit rich for Felton, but it will likely be the only chance the Eagles have to get him without trading, since their next pick is at 134, far after Felton should go.

Is Trey Lance not in consideration for the Eagles at #6 since he played at North Dakota State, same as Carson Wentz? Would that be awkward in some way to the point where the Eagles would not want to draft him for that reason? — from Dan (@dannmaal) on Twitter

Great question, Dan. Trey Lance is the type of high-ceiling, low-floor prospect who could easily go significantly earlier than anyone expects or just as easily slide drastically. If the Eagles decide Lance, who has freakish arm strength and athleticism, is truly a potential superstar, the North Dakota State thing shouldn’t deter them.

Lance and Wentz definitely have a relationship — Wentz said he’s given the prospect guidance in the past — but I doubt Lance would turn the Eagles away if they showed serious interest. The chance to go sixth overall, and make the money that goes along with that, would probably quiet the reservations he might have based on Wentz’s tenure. It’s also important to note that Lance signed with Creative Artists Agency, which isn’t the same group that represents Wentz.

All of this to say, no, I don’t think Lance is out of the question simply because of the NDSU dynamic.