Breaking down the Philadelphia Eagles’ best options at Edge, CB and WR

March 2, 2022

Jake Rigdon

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Philadelphia needs to come away from this draft with a pass rusher, cornerback and a wide receiver.

Armed with three first-round picks, the Eagles shouldn’t have a problem finding Day 1 starters at those positions.

Just one problem: Philadelphia is in a tricky spot, as its picks are at 15, 16 and 19. That means the team likely won’t pick high enough to take the best, or maybe even the second-best, players at those positions.

Which players at those positions are most likely to still be available when Philadelphia is on the clock in the first round?

Here’s a look:

Pass Rusher

Current players:

Josh Sweat (1x Pro Bowl), Brandon Graham (1x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro Second Team), Tarron Jackson.

Outgoing players/free agents:

Derek Barnett, Ryan Kerrigan, Genard Avery.

Potential draftees:

David Ojabo, Michigan (No. 15 in Fanspeak-Jake Rigdon big board); George Karlaftis, Purdue (No. 16); Jermaine Johnson, Florida State (No. 22).

Wildcard:

Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State (No. 38).

The pick:

It would be hard to pass up on the hometown favorite Ebiketie, who played his first three years at Temple, but Johnson has better measurables (6-foot-4, 259-pounds) and is generally seen as the more pro-ready prospect, especially after his dominant showing during Senior Bowl week. Ojabo, if still available, should test better at the Combine, but his lack of experience gives Johnson the slight edge (no pun intended).

Cornerback

Current players:

Darius Slay (4x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro First Team), Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson

Outgoing players/free agents:

Steven Nelson

Potential draftees:

Kaiir Elam, Florida (No. 28); Roger McCreary, Auburn (No. 29); Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson (35).

Wildcard:

Tariq Woolen, UTSA (No. 27)

The pick:

It would be tempting to pick Woolen, who is expected to impress at the Combine, as he is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, cornerbacks in the draft. But Elam is the more battle-tested of the two, which is important because teams will generally look away from Slay. Booth and McCreary would also be good pick-ups.

Wide Receiver

Current players:

DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Greg Ward

Outgoing players/free agents:

None

Potential draftees:

Garrett Wilson, Ohio State (No. 12); Treylon Burks, Arkansas (20); Chris Olave, Ohio State (No. 34).

Wildcard:

Jahan Dotson, Penn State

The pick:

Burks is a fast-riser coming into the Combine, so it would be a bit of a surprise if he’s still available this late in the draft. He gets the nod over the Ohio State duo and Dotson simply because of his combination of size and versatility. Otherwise, the Eagles would have one of the smaller WR units in the league with Smith, Reagor and Watkins.

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