Mayock likes corner or safety for Eagles at 20 in draft

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock sees corners and safeties when he looks at the Eagles picking 20th overall in the NFL draft.

Mayock spoke Monday to reporters on a conference call, as the league prepares to convene in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine.

Asked what he thinks the Eagles will do, assuming they won't be able to trade up to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, Mayock said there should be a corner worth taking at 20, and quite possibily a safety, though he acknowledged safety is one of the thinnest positions in this draft.

In his answer, Mayock touted LSU corner Jalen Collins, 6-2, 198, who has the size and press ability Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Bill Davis covet. Mayock ranked Collins third among corners in his early top 5 at each position, posted on NFL.com last week, behind Michigan State's Trae Waynes and Washington's Marcus Peters.

Waynes seems likely to go in the top 10 to 15 picks. Given the fact that Peters was kicked off the Washington team for disrespecting coaches, and is known for losing his temper on the field, it is hard to see the Eagles drafting him. Mayock acknowledged that he doesn't do a lot of character evaluation early in his rankings, but as he gets closer to the draft and taks to more people around the league, he gives those concerns more weight.

"He fits what Philly does to a T," Mayock said of Collins. "Billy Davis would love him. He's a press corner. Not afraid to play man. Jumps up in your face, will tackle. Understands how to play the game. Has some physicality about him."

At safety, Mayock mentioned an interesting player, also from Washington: linebacker/safety/running back Shaq Thompson, who could be the Swiss Army Knife-type Kelly seems to like.

Many draft evaluations have Thompson (6-1, 228) pegged as a linebacker, primarily, but Mayock said he sees Thompson as more of a safety.

"I think he can be a Kam Chancellor type in your base, and then drop down and play linebacker in your dime," Mayock said.

The Eagles used corner Nolan Carroll as a quasi-linebacker in their dime last season.

ESPN reported yesterday that Cleveland and former Eagles president Joe Banner tried to get Nick Foles from the Eagles in 2013 for wideout Josh Gordon, who was suspended for the first two games of that season. The Eagles wisely demurred.

Both players made the Pro Bowl that year, but Gordon currently is serving his third league-mandated substance abuse suspension, and can't play before 2016.

Fox 4 TV in Fort Myers, Fla., reported that police there arrested Eagles safety Nate Allen Monday. The station offered no details, and the team said it was attempting to obtain information on the situation. Allen, 27, a second-round draft choice from South Florida in 2010, will become a free agent next month and seems unlikely to return to the Eagles.

Daily News attempts Monday night to contact Allen, the Fort Myers police and Allen's agent, Todd France, were unsuccessful.

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