Eagles Outlook By Position (Defense/ST)

Eagles Outlook By Position (Defense/ST)

The NFL Draft gives teams an opportunity to fill holes in their roster or bolster certain positions with young talent. The Eagles have a solid number of picks in this upcoming draft, but what should they be used for? Here’s a pre-draft position-by-position outlook on the Eagles defense.

Defensive Ends: Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, Daeshon Hall, Josh Sweat

Philadelphia is stacked at the edge position. Roseman struck a bargain with a premier defensive end in Brandon Graham to solidify the right side of our line. Barnett was coming into his own before his season-ending injury, and if he picks up where he left off, the 2017 first-round draft choice will become a double-digit sack artist. The Eagles also brought back Vinny Curry, a starter from the Super Bowl team, as premium depth to Graham and Barnett. Long always has an impact in his limited minutes and should have an expanded role (assuming he returns) after the trade of Michael Bennett. Hall and Sweat fill out the depth chart, but Sweat, in particular, is loaded with potential and must remain healthy.

Defensive Tackles: Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Treyvon Hester, Bruce Hector

Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson combine to form one of the league’s most intimidating duos in football, but there isn’t much behind them. The Eagles like to rotate their defensive linemen to keep them all fresh, but without another solid player on the bench, Cox and Jackson will have to play more minutes than the team would like. DT is a popular mock draft pick for the Eagles, and if they can select an impact player at that position early, opposing linemen will never get a break.

Linebackers: Nigel Bradham, L.J. Fort, Kamu Grugier-Hill,  Nathan Gerry, Paul Worrilow, B.J. Bello

Linebacker was already a shaky position for the Eagles last season, but the departure of Jordan Hicks makes it much more of a glaring need. Bradham is entrenched as a starter, and Grugier-Hill showed some promise (but nothing that screams “impact player”). Fort, a veteran journeyman, was one of the Eagles free agent additions but has never started more than two games in a season for his career. Gerry is a nice depth piece but shouldn’t be a starter. Bello is a special teamer and nobody knows what to expect from Worrilow, who was signed last year but suffered a season-ending injury during OTAs. There’s not too much to be optimistic about at this position.

Cornerbacks: Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones, Cre’von LeBlanc, Josh Hawkins

The Eagles have a room chock-full of #2 corners. Darby is obviously the most talented of the bunch, but he’s had severe injury issues over the past couple of seasons and has been inconsistent when playing. The Eagles have a questionable unwavering commitment to Mills, the flamboyant cover man who isn’t that good at covering. Douglas is a great tackler with high-end ball skills, but his lack of speed is his main problem. Maddox played over his head after having to man multiple positions in an injury-decimated backfield, but where he will be placed next season is unknown. Jones hasn’t been able to stay healthy since he entered the league, and it’s extremely frustrating because he may be the most talented corner on the roster. LeBlanc came in midseason and clamped the slot position, quickly becoming a fan favorite. The name of the game in this defensive backfield is youth, but there still is no clear-cut number one. There will be an interesting battle for starting spots.

Safeties: Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Andrew Sendejo, Tre Sullivan, Deiondre’ Hall

Safety is another position many have mock-drafted to the Eagles. Their starters this season will be Jenkins and McLeod, but with neither getting younger and McLeod coming off of a torn MCL, they will have to look to the future in this upcoming draft. The position seems to be set for this season at least.

Kicker: Jake Elliott

83.9% conversion rate on field goals and still very clutch, he’ll stick around.

Punter: Cameron Johnston

The Aussie showed more than enough to be trusted as the successor to Donnie Jones.

Long Snapper: Rick Lovato

If you hear nothing about your long snapper, he’s probably doing a good job.

-By: Micah Jimoh