Eagles mailbag: Worth it to trade up for Kyle Hamilton?

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Is it worth it to trade up for Kyle Hamilton? Who’s an All-Pro from this draft class? What’s the the wait for Honey Badger all about?

Answering those questions and more in the latest mailbag.

We answered your first bunch of questions yesterday, including ones about J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, trade up/down scenarios in the draft and more.

Let’s get to some more now:

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is a special player, but because of his position on the field, experts are really split about where he’ll end up getting drafted. Some people think No. 2 overall isn’t out of the question and others think he’ll end up sliding toward the back end of the top 10 or even out of it.

If Hamilton somehow lasts beyond the top 10, I think Howie Roseman should and would try to move up and get him.

To be clear, this would be a major departure from Eagles’ history. For all the annual talk about the first-round linebacker drought, the Eagles have never taken a safety in the first round. So this would buck a longstanding trend … but Hamilton is worth it. He’s the type of rangey, versatile safety who could completely change a defense. And if Jonathan Gannon really is intent on building his defensive scheme around his players, just get him the best player you can. If Hamilton lasts beyond the top 10, he’s the best player available.

Some folks are going to be scared off by his 4.59 time in the 40 at the combine and his 4.70 time at his pro day. Understandable. Combine results matter. But Hamilton is 6-4, 220 and can move plenty fast. He’s just not equipped to run the 40. If you watched him at Notre Dame and you didn’t see any speed deficiencies. And any that might have been there, he makes up with incredible instincts and football smarts. He’s the type of player that will give offensive coordinators sleepless nights. The Eagles could use a player like that.

This has been a big talking point in the last few months and I get it. Many people thought a free agent receiver like Allen Robinson would have made sense for the Eagles because he was that big-bodied type of complement for DeVonta Smith. That type of player would be a complement for Smith and if you’re looking for that type of player, there are some options like Drake London and George Pickens.

But I don’t necessarily think the Eagles need to draft a big receiver. Ideally, they would bring in a player who could make a huge impact without needed to be fed a bunch of targets. Because we know Smith and Dallas Goedert are the two guys the Eagles want to run their offense through. So I’d think about a speed guy if they go in the first round: Jameson Williams or Chris Olave.

The Eagles haven’t drafted an off-ball linebacker in the first round since 1979 and they haven’t drafted one in the second round since 2012. So … nah, they’re not going to draft two linebackers in their first three picks.

But I do think there’s a chance of one on Day 2 (second or third round). There will be some intriguing options in that area. A couple Georgia ‘backers (Quay Walker and Channing Tindall) will be out there, as well as Alabama’s Christian Harris, Wyoming’s Chad Muma and Wisconsin’s Leo Chenal.

https://twitter.com/Whitenoisespor1/status/1517514622844211200

I got Roob to help on this one:

Roob: I'd say Kyle Hamilton. I just think he's got all the tools to be an elite safety — size, toughness, versatility, intelligence and good enough speed.

Dave: Hamilton is a very good one. I’ll give you a different name, though: Derek Stingley. I know there is risk with him but if he can stay on the field, I think he will be a great player. He’s supremely talented. There’s some boom-bust potential here but the boom would be huge.

If Willis is there at 18, that means he would have been there at 15. And if the Eagles viewed him as their next quarterback, they’d take him there. But either way, I think it’s unlikely they draft a quarterback. Jalen Hurts should be the starter in 2022 and then we’ll figure out their future after that.

Yeah, they’ve kept an eye on Tyrann Mathieu but at this point, it makes sense for him to wait until after the draft. That way he can see which teams might use a high pick on a safety and which teams might end up a little more desperate to sign him.

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