Hard to Believe - Birds Take Short LB

By all accounts, Mychal Kendricks was a productive inside linebacker at Cal. But playing inside -- presumably the strongside, which is where Eagles spokesman Dave Spadaro tweeted Kendricks will compete for a job here -- is going to be a challenge for a linebacker listed at 5-11, 240.

The Birds made Kendricks the 46th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft Friday night, their first of two selections in the second round.

"I just play big," Kendricks said, when asked how he answers people who question his height. "Shut 'em up that way. That's never been an issue for me, so I don't see why it would be an issue for anyone else."

This is the highest the Eagles have taken a linebacker since they selected Barry Gardner 35th overall, also in the second round, in 1999.

Kendricks, who has excellent speed, was Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The Eagles left some perhaps more celebrated prospects on the board when they took him, then they traded out of the 51st spot in the secord, down to 59, allowing Green Bay to draft Michigan State defensive tackle Jerrel Worthy, in exchange for giving the Birds a fourth-rounder, 123rd overall.

Get full Eagles coverage in our NFL Draft special section.