Get ready for a draft party unlike any other
With the NFL’s first virtual draft just a couple of weeks away, a concession to the coronavirus pandemic, this is a good time to remind fans how important it is for teams like the Eagles to forget about wheeling and dealing and stay true to their draft board.
Unless you’ve arranged a blockbuster deal in advance, say, Zach Ertz and the first-round choice to move into the top seven, good players are going to be there in each round. That’s particularly true in the first round, because there are going to be runs on quarterbacks and offensive tackles.
Any time there’s a run on a position, draft boards get tilted, teams become unsettled and the best-laid plans change in a New York minute. And good players fall. It happens almost every draft.
Due to state health regulations established to help mitigate the coronavirus, clubs are limited to a specific number of draft personnel per remote location. In other words, it’s going to be anything but a business-as-usual free-for-all during the three-day draft.
There won’t be a big war room with all the principals, including the owner, collaborating on decisions as in years past.
It’s going to be a technological adventure of dotting the I’s and crossing the
T’s for trades.
Past drafts are absolutely no indication of what could happen this year.
Teams that draft cleanly in the face of the challenges will have an advantage this year. There isn’t going to be much time for discussion or tying up loose ends, let alone trying to figure out who it was pounding the table in support of a particular draft prospect.
We’ve all heard how the 2020 draft is loaded with wide receivers. Ourlad’s Scouting Service’s Dan Shonka, who worked for the Eagles and the National Scouting service, anticipates a record number of receivers coming off draft boards.
The first round alone has differencemakers Cee Dee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, Justin Jefferson and Denzel Mims. All of them would be welcomed by the Eagles, who have done a poor job of masking their needs at the position. Even the elephant in the room, injured veteran Alshon Jeffery, realizes there’s a pretty good chance the Eagles draft a receiver in the first round.
In essence, you’re looking at one or two of the above plug-and-play talents still available should the Eagles hang in and use the 21st pick because there are a bunch of teams selecting ahead of them that need quarterbacks and tackles.
Everybody knows Joe Burrow is coming off the board with the first overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals. The guy has everything except 10-inch hands (his measured nine inches at the combine).
Then the draft gets interesting because there are indications the Miami Dolphins could move up from fifth to second to grab quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, repaired hip socket and all. The Dolphins have stockpiled three firstround, and two second-round picks.
The Detroit Lions, who draft third, would have their choice of pass rusher Chase Daniel or cornerback Jeff Okudah with the third pick.
The New York Giants, selecting fourth, would have the star talent the Lions passed up - assuming, that is, a team didn’t trade with the Lions to have its choice of the defensive end or the corner.
Face it, the Lions need more than one player to get better. They’ve already deal their best defender, cornerback Darius Slay, to the Eagles. Doing another deal with the Birds would be really, really bold.
At least one other quarterback, Justin Herbert, will go in the top 10 and Jordan Love could be off the board in the first 20 picks. Utah State’s Love has been skyrocketing up draft boards, per a source, with his mobility and deep ball accuracy.
Almost every team in the league could use an offensive tackle. This is a stellar first round to secure your protection.
Tristan Wirfs of Iowa is the best, per Ourlad’s.
There’s much to be said for Jedrick Wills (Alabama), Mekhi Becton (Louisville), Andrew Thomas (Georgia), Josh Jones (Houston) and Austin Jackson (USC).
When you do the math, four quarterbacks, five or six tackles, five top-shelf receivers, one elite pass rusher and one star cornerback mean there’s a pretty good chance the Eagles will cash in on a big-time playmaking receiver.
You’d better believe linebacker Isaiah Simmons, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and cornerback C.J. Henderson would be incredible steals if they began drifting in the first round.
All the Eagles need do before signing off from their remote locations on Day One of the lottery is to trust their draft board.
The teams that try to get ahead of the chaos on this new draft frontier are only kidding themselves.
The Eagles pride themselves on preparing for all scenarios in advance of the draft. If they’re true to themselves, the draft is going to be a slam-dunk, their best since Doug Pederson became head coach four years ago.
With eight draft picks, including two of the first 53 and three of the first 103, the Eagles can replenish the lineup with the economical talent necessary to help them absorb the looming salary cap hit of Carson Wentz, among other highpriced players.
With a blockbuster trade for a topseven talent, they could repeat as NFC East champs and if they stay healthy, make a solid good playoff run.
Overthinking this draft, however, in the position the Eagles are in could set them back years.