Seven best remaining players for the Eagles on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft

The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft couldn’t have gone any better for the Eagles. They traded up with their division rivals, stole the Heisman Trophy winner away from the Giants (forcing them to trade out and settle for Kadarius Toney themselves) while only parting with the 3rd-round pick they received in the Carson Wentz trade. For a few short moments, the Dallas Cowboys were real ones.
As we approach Day 2, the Eagles still have a myriad of holes to fill on the roster. Here’s a deeper look at the seven best available players remaining in the draft:
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB – Notre Dame
JOK was considered a lock to go in the first round, but he managed to slip past the first 32 picks. Owusu-Koramoah is a versatile defensive piece with a high ceiling that could be plugged in virtually anywhere on the defense. The Notre Dame product is listed as a linebacker but his skill set resembles that of a traditional box safety.
He possesses the athleticism of a safety as well as the physicality that you’d want in a linebacker. JOK’s coverage skills and sideline to sideline range would be welcome additions to an Eagles defense that needs playmaking in a bad way.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is putting on a defensive football clinic
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) November 8, 2020
pic.twitter.com/1pQhir0yRP
Asante Samuel Jr., CB – Florida State
The Eagles desperately need a stud CB2 opposite Darius Slay, who just turned 30 January. Avonte Maddox surrendered a passer rating of 108.3 last season and I doubt the team is interested in playing Craig James or Michael Jacquet extensively. The Eagles don’t have many young corners waiting in wings after parting ways with both Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas last offseason.
The son of the 4-time Pro Bowler and 2-time Super Bowl champion is coming off a productive junior season:
- 3 INTs
- 6 pass deflections
- 30 tackles
- Zero 100+ yard games allowed
Samuel thrives in man-coverage and although he may be a bit undersized at 5’10”, his natural speed and instincts are that of a prototypical corner in the NFL. In addition, new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has a knack for getting the most out of his DBs. With that said, Samuel has all the tools necessary to be just as exceptional as his father.
Asante Samuel Jr. is listed at 178 pounds.
— Brendan Sonnone (@BSonnone) November 18, 2018
AJ Dillon is listed at 245 pounds.
That little dude is freaking fearless. pic.twitter.com/OzyU0KjxzV
Trevon Moehrig, S – TCU
The Eagles added safety Anthony Harris in free agency, but they could still use some young secondary talent in addition to K’Von Wallace. Moehrig could very well be the best safety to come out of this class with his range and athleticism. His length and quickness allow Moehrig to be a playmaker and break up passes at the catch point. As a run defender, he has the closing speed and a 202-pound frame at his disposal to stop runners in the open field.
Moehrig plays aggressive, and that can cause him to jump routes prematurely at times and lose leverage against runners. That hasn’t hindered his production, however, as Moehrig accumulated 109 tackles, 6 INTs and 20 passes defended over the last two seasons for the Horned Frogs. His balls skills and instinctive play would be an immediate impact on an Eagles defense that ranked 23rd in takeaways this season.
This play by TCU safety Trevon Moehrig is why he’ll get a ton of draft hype before next spring. An outstanding play in coverage. pic.twitter.com/myTAMfAk8q
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) December 5, 2020
Tevan Jenkins, OT – Oklahoma State
Jenkins seems to be slipping through the cracks in a strong offensive line class. He has great power in the run game and has played both tackle positions as well as guard across his 44 games. His ability to punish defenders and hold his own against speed rushers had scouts viewing him as the 3rd or 4th best offensive tackle in this draft.
Jenkins plays with a mean streak and helped contribute to Chubba Hubbard’s 2000+ yard season in 2019. When healthy, the Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in football. Adding Jenkins as depth at guard would only help pave the way for Jalen Hurts & Miles Sanders.
Don’t play with Tevan Jenkins name. pic.twitter.com/BqSCCFjEvV
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) December 11, 2020
Christian Barmore, DT – Alabama
The Eagles were linked to Barmore heading into the draft as many were speculating that he’d be a possible option for them at #12. Thankfully that didn’t happen and the disruptive DT is still available after Day 1. Barmore’s combination of speed and strength at his size is intriguing and would help generate pressure up the middle. Adding him to a rotation of Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Hassan Ridgeway would make an already dominant defensive line ever more lethal.
Learn more about @AlabamaFTBL DT Christian Barmore with @InTheBleachers‘ analysis in this @progressive Tape Don’t Lie #NFLDraft Prospect Breakdown. pic.twitter.com/cZj4vBvBVo
— Stadium (@Stadium) April 29, 2021
Javonte Williams, RB – North Carolina
If the Eagles are interested in building a young tandem with Miles Sanders, pairing him with Javonte Williams would be a great fit. Williams led the nation in forced missed tackles last season with 76 and runs hard for someone with a 5’9″ frame. Some scouts viewed him as the best back in this draft ahead of Najee Harris and Travis Etienne, who were both drafted last night.
Williams’ well-rounded athletic ability would complement both Sanders and Hurts well, potentially creating a rushing attack that would be reminiscent of Lamar Jackson, JK Dobbins, and Gus Edwards from last season.
Javonte Williams is now killing and burying defensive backs on national TV.
— Brandon Walker (@BWalkerSEC) December 12, 2020
pic.twitter.com/7LSY2YdvR3
Elijah Moore, WR – Ole Miss
How Kadarius Toney was selected before Elijah Moore is beyond me. He had a 4.35 40-time, faster than any receiver drafted last season with the exception of Henry Ruggs III. Moore has also never dropped a pass in the red zone in his entire Ole Miss career and only dropped two passes last season.
If I had to guess, his size is the only thing that kept Moore out of the first round. He’s only 5’9″ and 184 pounds so it’s tough to project how effective Moore can be outside of the slot. His ball tracking is tremendous and he is as elusive as anyone in this class, forcing 18 missed tackles in 2020. Moore racked up 86 catches for nearly 1,200 yards and 8 TDs last season.
Elijah Moore had the lowest drop rate among SEC WRs last season
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 16, 2021
pic.twitter.com/u8KgL4wdq7
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