Eagles add more draft picks on Day 2
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Washington cornerback Sidney Jones in the second round of the NFL draft, a month after he ruptured his left Achilles tendon at his pro day.
PHILADELPHIA >> It’s Philly, so of course they booed.
Roger Goodell heard it. Cincinnati’s selection of Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon intensified it.
And Drew Pearson incited the fans at the NFL draft Friday night by lauding — and lauding and lauding — the hated Dallas Cowboys.
Not everything got jeered on the second day of the grab bag. The most popular group in the second round came from nearly 3,000 miles away from Philadelphia: the Washington Huskies secondary.
Washington cornerback Sidney Jones was taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round, a month after he ruptured his left Achilles tendon at his pro day.
Jones was considered a first-round pick before he was injured. He won’t be ready to start the season, so the Eagles still need two starting cornerbacks to replace departed starters Leodis McKelvin and Nolan Carroll. They signed veteran Patrick Robinson in free agency and could use second-year pro Jalen Mills at the other spot.
Jones had eight interceptions and 21 pass breakups in three seasons playing in a talented Huskies secondary. He didn’t allow a passing touchdown in coverage last season.
The 6-foot, 186-pound Jones is considered a tough, physical cornerback with excellent ball skills. However, it’s uncertain if he’ll lose a bit of his speed following surgery.
The Eagles have focused on defense in the first two rounds after upgrading their offense in March by adding wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency.
Defensive end Derek Barnett was Philadelphia’s pick at No. 14 overall.
The Eagles may have been tempted to select running back Dalvin Cook at No. 43, but he went to Minnesota two picks earlier. Their next pick in 99th overall in the third round.
Three Washington players — Jones, along with fellow Huskies cornerback Kevin King and safety Budda Baker — were taken in the first 11 picks Friday night.
None of those choices drew the attention that Cincinnati’s pick at No. 48 overall did: Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, who was uninvited to the scouting combine because he was videotaped punching a woman in the face, breaking bones.
He punched Amelia Molitor during an altercation at a restaurant, and was suspended from the team for a year. He came back and had two strong seasons. In 2016, he was an All-Big 12 performer who set the school record for all-purpose yardage in a season.
Fans in the draft theater booed lustily when Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz announced the choice. Cincinnati has a history of bringing players with offfield problems to the roster.
“For some of our fans, probably (they’ll) pause for a second,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “But this thing’s got to move forward, and he’s got to move on. He’s lived with this since the day it’s occurred.”
Another running back who dropped to Round 2 was Florida State AllAmerican Dalvin Cook. He slipped from the first round because of off-field issues and some injury concerns. Cook is a big-play guy and the Vikings, of course, let go of Adrian Peterson this year.
Earlier, King’s extra-long stay at the draft turned out to be a short stint.
The Washington cornerback was taken by Green Bay as the first selection in the second round. One of five players who were on hand and were not taken in the opening round, the 6-foot-3 former safety isn’t particularly speedy, but has the size and aggressiveness pro teams seek.
Plus, the Packers, who acquired the spot from Cleveland in a deal Thursday night through which the Browns got Miami tight end David Njoku, were ravaged by injuries in the secondary last season.
Through 64 selections, 18 defensive backs had gone, the most for two rounds of any draft.
Cleveland was expected to add a quarterback at some point and did so at No. 52 with Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer. The Browns have started 26 quarterbacks since 1999, when they returned as an expansion team.
Accompanied by former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski, an icon in Philadelphia, Goodell thanked the city and the fans — folks in the theater still booed him, but not when “Jaws” repeated the tribute.
Then Jaworski admitted he had been the object of the boo-birds in Philadelphia during his career, drawing cheers. But the jeers were back, as loud as ever, when Goodell stepped back to the microphone to open the second night.
They reached a crescendo when Pearson came onstage to announce the Cowboys’ choice at No. 60. With every boast about America’s Team and every Cowboys name Pearson uttered, the noise level increased.
“I want to thank the Eagles fans for allowing me to have a career in the NFL,” Pearson said with a wide smile.