Eagles’ 3-round mock draft with two big trades for impact prospects
The 2022 NFL Draft is one day away.
This year’s order could possibly be the most unpredictable draft in recent memory as there is no clear-cut #1 pick, and the top ten picks change daily. I’m sure you’ve read your fair share of multiple versions of an Eagles mock draft, but here’s one more before the big weekend involving some trades I think the Birds’ brass could potentially make.
! TRADE !
Eagles send picks #15 plus #51 (and a mid-round 2023 selection) to the Seahawks at #9. Seattle is in the middle of a massive rebuild and could use all the draft capital they can get. Like most drafts, there will be a run on offensive linemen and edge rushers early; then, some teams will trade up to grab their quarterback.
Round 1, Pick #9: CB Derek Stingley Jr, LSU Tigers
6-0, 188 pounds, 31″ arms
Forty: 4.44 seconds
Vertical: 38.5 inches
Broad: 10-feet, 2-inches
I could see the Eagles eyeing a potential trade-up scenario for dynamic safety Kyle Hamilton out of Notre Dame. However, part of me is still hoping that Tyrann Mathieu will land with the Birds once the draft salaries are figured out. Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr stand above the rest of this cornerback class. With Avonte Maddox excelling in the slot, the Eagles have the opportunity to create one of the better cornerback groups in the NFL.
The recipient of LSU’s legendary number 7 jersey is the perfect understudy for Darius Slay with his similar press-man “island” type coverage. Stingley Jr not only improves the Eagles’ defensive backs immediately but sets them up to have a lockdown cornerback for years to come, one of the rarer players to find in the league.
Round 1, Pick #18: WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas
6-2, 225 pounds, 33.5″ arms
Forty: 4.55 seconds
Vertical: 33 inches
3-Cone: 7.28 seconds
That’s right. Howie goes for a wide receiver in the first round for three straight years. The JJAW and Jalen Reagor selections have plagued the Eagles for years, and I am all in for correcting past mistakes by taking another shot at a potential weapon. There are a lot of excellent wide receiver prospects around this pick, but here’s why I think Burks fits the Eagles best.
I’ve mentioned it in many articles, but I would love to see the Eagles give Quez Watkins one more year on the outside due to his route running and deep threat ability. Treylon Burks played 529 snaps in the slot for Arkansas last season compared to 132 outside.
Burks’ size and speed make him a potentially legitimate vertical threat at the next level despite not testing well at the combine in terms of the forty-yard dash. Many scouts project the Arkansas receiver to make the leap to the outside, giving the Eagles flexibility to work out both Watkins and Burks in the slot.
! TRADE !
Eagles trade pick #83 and one of their three fifth-round picks to the Falcons for the 74th selection. Another team in need of assets, and I’m sure they would be willing to trade down nine spots and add a fifth-round pick to their 2022 draft haul.
Round 3, Pick 10 (#73): Safety Kerby Joseph, Illinois
6-1, 203 pounds, 33″ arms
Forty: N/A
Vertical: 38.5 inches
Broad: 10-feet, 3 inches
The Eagles drafting a cornerback, wide receiver, and safety all within in the first three rounds? It might be too good of a thing since this is an Eagles mock draft. But if Howie can pull this off, he’s trending upwards as far as targeting key prospects. Kerby Joseph is one of those prospects.
The lengthy, ball-hawking safety stands six-foot-one but has a six-foot-eight wingspan. The way he tracks the ball is similar to a wide receiver while missing only ten tackles during his collegiate career. The concern with Kerby is that he could not lock down a starting safety position until his senior year and struggles on typically instinctual plays. However, I love “late-bloomer” prospects because you never know what their upside might be.
Anthony Harris proved he could be a starter at safety towards the end of the year, but the other spot remains wide open. Why not open up a competition between Marcus Epps, K’Von Wallace, and a hungry rookie looking to make an impact?
Round 3, Pick 36 (#101): EDGE Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
6-5, 228 pounds, 32 5/8″ arms
Forty: 4.67 seconds
Vertical: 33″
Broad: 10-feet
It would not be an Eagles mock draft without Howie addressing the offensive or defensive line within the first three rounds. While he’s made considerable upgrades in Haason Reddick and through the draft, I think Howie wants to bolster this unit as one of the league’s best for years to come.
Myjai is one of the most explosive defensive linemen off the snap in this draft. That NFL-caliber get-off, combined with his length and physicality to explode into contact, makes for a lot to like about the former Bearcat. However, at less than 230 pounds, Sanders has to hit the Eagles’ strength and conditioning program hard in the offseason. There are too many occasions where bigger linemen easily toss Sanders off his line and his lean frame causes issues finishing tackles.
Still, against his toughest competition last year against Alabama in the College Football Playoff, Myjai Sanders tallied ten total pressures on 27 pass-rush snaps with a 38.5% win rate. Brandon Graham isn’t getting any younger, and even with the addition of Reddick, the Eagles can continue to make their defensive line’s pressure a continued focal point of the defense.
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Photo Credit: Paul Moseley, TNS
