NFL draft 2020: 10 options for the Eagles for pick No. 53

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The Eagles stayed put on Day 1 of the NFL draft, taking TCU receiver Jalen Reagor with the 21st pick. 

Since they didn’t make a trade, the Eagles still have seven picks remaining over the next two days. They have two picks on Friday, at No. 53 in the second round and No. 103 in the third. 

The Eagles have had great success the last two times they held pick No. 53. Last year, they took Miles Sanders out of Penn State and in 2009, they took LeSean McCoy out of Pitt. 

Here are 10 realistic options still available for the Eagles at No. 53 tonight: 

Terrell Lewis, DE, Alabama 

The 6-5, 262-pound Lewis is a lanky edge player with the potential to be an explosive pass rusher at the next level. Lewis had a torn ACL in 2018 but the Eagles were able to sneak him in for a visit before top-30s were shut down. So they might feel comfortable with his medical situation. If so, he has a ton of freakish, but raw, talent. 

The Eagles return Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham for the 2020 season, so Lewis could begin as a rotational defensive end for his rookie season with the plan to make him a long-term starter after that. 

Darrell Taylor, DE, Tennessee 

Don’t roll your eyes at Taylor just because he comes from the same school at Barnett. 

At 6-4, 267 pounds, Taylor has good size but is also a very explosive pass rusher  with a lighting quick get-off. He had 16 1/2 sacks in his final two college seasons and was a team captain in 2019. 

Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota 

The son of longtime NFL cornerback Antoine Winfield, Winfield Jr. is an undersized but exciting safety prospect. He’s just 5-foot-9 but is build solid at 203 pounds. 

Winfield is a good athlete, aggressive and instinctive. He had seven interceptions in nine games as a senior in 2019. 

Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois 

One of the quick risers in this draft, Chinn is a really fun player. At 6-3, 221 he’s either a safety or some sort of hybrid linebacker. If Jim Schwartz likes the idea of positionless players, Chinn fits. 

He was a productive college player with 13 career interceptions and 243 tackles. And there’s no arguing with his athleticism. He ran a 4.45 at 221 pounds. 

Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame 

The Notre Dame wideout is the prototypical size-speed guy who projects as an X receiver at the next level. If Denzel Mims is gone by 53 (and I think he will be), Claypool has a similar build and athletic profile. Claypool ran a 4.42 at 238 pounds in Indy. 

Overall, Claypool needs more polish but as a second-round option, he’d certainly be intriguing. 

Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson 

A few months ago, Higgins (6-4, 216) was a popular first-round option for the Eagles. Now, there’s a legitimate chance he’ll be on the board at 53. 

No, he’s not a burner as his 4.58 time in the 40 shows, but he was a productive college player and has play-above-the-rim ability to make contested catches. 

Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU 

Plenty of people thought Fulton would be a first-round pick but opinions have been split on him for a long time now. Just two career interceptions for Fulton (6-0, 197) but he’s a tight coverage player. 

At the combine, he ran a 4.46 and has the ability to be an NFL starter. There are some red flags for character concerns and medical that might have led to his slide. 

Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming 

The Eagles have reportedly been very interested in Wilson for some time. Sure, the Eagles have been hesitant to use high picks on linebackers in recent seasons but they really need help at that position, so maybe it’s time to change that mindset. 

Wilson (6-2, 241) was a four-year starter at Wyoming and piled up tackles while he was there. He had an incredible 421 total tackles in four years to go along with 10 INTs, 35 TFLs and 7 sacks. He would project as a MIKE linebacker who can play against the run and in coverage. 

Matt Hennessy, C, Temple 

Jason Kelce is returning for the 2020 season but there are no guarantees after that. So it might be time to find his replacement. Sure, there are other positions that would probably help more this coming season but Hennessy is an intriguing prospect. 

The 6-4, 307-pounder moves incredibly well for his size and his tests at the combine definitely backed that up. He’s the kind interior lineman the Eagles want and who would be a logical type of eventual Kelce replacement. 

Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State 

At the combine, Dantzler (6-2, 188) ran an awful 4.64 time in the 40, which definitely didn’t match his play speed. Then he reportedly ran a 4.38 at his pro day. I think his real speed is probably somewhere in between, but he’s fast enough. 

In three seasons at Mississippi State, Danztler had five interceptions. While he has a very slender build, he’s a sticky cover corner. 

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