Eagles 2017 draft picks all have one thing in common

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There was a trend with the Eagles' choices in the 2017 NFL draft, from the first pick down to the last. There were no workout warriors taken solely on the basis of insane measurables, no "raw" athletes still learning to play their position or the game of football. Every single selection had the same thing in common.

They produced in college, frequently at a historic level, or least among the leaders in the nation.

That's not by any means an exaggeration, either. You would be hard-pressed to find a draft class in the NFL this year with more players who set NCAA and school records, led the nation of conference in a certain category or simply posted some impressive numbers. In other words, all of these kids flat out produced -- and now they're members of the Eagles.

Derek Barnett

Set University of Tennessee record previously held by Reggie White with 33.0 sacks, which were also the most among prospects in 2017 draft.

Sidney Jones

Led Pac-12 with 14 pass breakups as a sophomore in 2015, finishing three-year career with 27 and 9 interceptions.

Rasul Douglas

Tied for the national lead with eight interceptions as a senior in 2016.

Mack Hollins

A special-teams captain in all four seasons, Hollins also led the nation with 24.8 yards per reception as a junior in 2015, and he set a UNC record with a 20.6 average for his career.

Donnel Pumphrey

Became the NCAA FBS all-time rushing champion with 6,405 yards and broke numerous San Diego State records held by Marshall Faulk, including all-purpose yards and touchdowns.

Shelton Gibson

Recorded 80 receptions for 1,838 yards for an astounding 23.0 average and 17 touchdowns over 2015-16 sophomore and junior seasons.

Nathan Gerry

Tied for second in University of Nebraska history with 13 interceptions, with at least four picks in each of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

Elijah Qualls

Registered 7.5 total sacks as a two-year starter his junior and senior seasons. (Hey, we’re in round seven at this point.)

 

With the exception of Pumphrey, all eight spent at least two seasons at a major college football program.

The trend of production over projection was almost certainly no accident. Eagles vice president of football operations Howie Roseman noted the developing thought process after selecting Douglas in the third round.

"Usually guys that play well in high school and play well in college have a chance to play well in the pros," Roseman said.

The Eagles can only hope, because they went all-in on the production side, often at the expense of size-speed measurables -- kids who might be better athletes or physical specimens than football players. Whether the approach pays off remains to be seen, but it's difficult to argue with the thought process behind it.

"We won't know a lot about the things that we did this weekend for a while here, but as we sit here, we feel good about it," Roseman said. "We feel like we did the right things for our team, not necessarily only for this moment but going forward."

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