We’ve spent the last couple months leading up to next Thursday’s draft focused on receivers and for good reason.
Receiver is the Eagles’ top need heading into a draft that is supposed to be one of the best receiver classes ever. It all makes plenty of sense.
But there’s no guarantee the Eagles take a receiver in the first round. In fact, there’s a chance the Eagles will view this deep class as an opportunity to get one (or more) later.
Heck, there’s not even any guarantee they’ll pick at 21, as I looked at yesterday.
When I look at non-receivers in this class, there’s not another offensive player that makes sense to me at 21. The top offensive tackles will be gone, it’s too early for an interior lineman and the Eagles aren’t going to take a running back or tight end in the first round.
So all the real non-receiver options in the first round (at least at 21 or higher) are defensive players. Here are 10 who make the most sense:
K’Lavon Chaisson, DE, LSU
NFL
We’re going to start with defensive linemen because history shows Howie Roseman likes taking DL in the first round. Since Roseman became GM in 2010, four of his eight first-round picks have been defensive linemen.
Chaisson (6-3, 254) is the second best edge player in this draft after Ohio State’s Chase Young, who is probably the best overall player in the draft. Chaisson missed most of 2018 with a torn ACL but returned in 2019 better than ever with 6 1/2 sacks and 13 1/2 TFLs. He needs to work on stopping the run but he’s an explosive pass rusher who could turn into a Pro Bowl edge player in the NFL as an OLB in a 3-4 or a DE in a 4-3.
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
At 6-5, 266 pounds, Gross-Matos certainly looks the part and would fit in the Eagles’ 4-3 front. In 2018 and 2019, Gross-Matos had 94 tackles, 34 1/2 TFLs and 17 sacks. But Gross-Matos isn’t a finished product either. He might not have the high ceiling as an explosive pass rusher like Chaisson but he’s already better against the run and if he refines his pass rush moves, he could be a really good NFL player.
A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa
This wouldn’t be a move that excites Eagles fans but that doesn’t mean it would be a bad one. Epenesa during his three-year college career (just one as a starter) had 26 1/2 sacks, 36 TFLs and 9 FFs for the Hawkeyes. At 6-5, 275 pounds, Epenesa is a big, long and powerful defensive end, which might complement the Eagles’ duo of Brandon Graham (6-2, 265) and Derek Barnett (6-3, 259). He could also work inside on passing downs. As a powerful rusher, Epenesa works off of his bull-rush and isn’t a quick bend-around-the edge type of rusher.
Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
I think Kinlaw (6-5, 324) will be gone before the 21st pick but if he isn’t, we all know how much the Eagles love their interior linemen and Kinlaw is one of the most explosive in this class. He would thrive in the Eagles’ one-gap scheme as a 3-technique. Of course, the Eagles are already four deep at DT and this might not be the best allocation of resources. But the player makes sense in a vacuum.
C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah is considered to be top cornerback in this draft class but Henderson is next. At 6-0, 204, Henderson ran a 4.39 and is a sticky cover corner. He’s not great against the run and he’s not a super swaggy corner so maybe he’s not a Jim Schwartz prototype, but he’s good enough so that shouldn’t matter. Now, if he’s on the board at 21, something has gone wrong. But if he starts slipping, he’s one non-WR trade-up candidate who would be worth a trade up.
Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
Just because the Eagles traded for Darius Slay, it shouldn’t stop them from addressing cornerback in the draft. Unlike Henderson, there’s a much better shot Gladney will be available at 21. Gladney is 5-10, 191 pounds but he’s more of a Schwartz corner. He’s undersized, feisty and plays with a lot of confidence. He also ran a 4.48 and had 30 pass breakups over the last two seasons.
Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
If the Eagles want to draft a safety in in the first round for the first time in franchise history, McKinney might be worth it. Considered by many to be the top safety in the class, the 6-0, 201-pound versatile defensive back could be a longer-term replacement for Malcolm Jenkins. The 4.63 time in the 40 is a little worrisome but he’s an instinctive player who makes up for his lack of deep speed and is always around the ball.
Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Delpit is another fringe first-round safety with plenty of versatility. He was banged up, playing with a high ankle sprain in 2019 and that could have led to some tackling miscues. But that’s a concern with him. Aside from that, he’s a rangy defensive back who can play in multiple spots and comes from a school known for churning out next-level DBs. He didn’t perform at the combine and then his pro day was canceled, which didn’t help his cause to be a first-round pick.
Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
We’re all aware the Eagles haven’t drafted a first-round linebacker since Jerry Robinson back in 1979. Well, that was the 21st pick so maybe they’ll do it again. OK, it’s unlikely … but there are a couple options to make the Eagles at least think about it. Queen (6-0, 229) is definitely a modern-day linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed and athleticism. He was a starter just one year at LSU but it was a very good year in 2019, when he had 85 tackles, 12 TFLs, 3 sacks, 3 PBUs and 1 INT.
Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
A popular pick for the Eagles in recent mock drafts, Murray (6-2, 241) isn’t as slight as Queen but is still extremely athletic and ran a 4.52 in the 40, which is incredibly impressive at his size. And he has a fuller resume as a three-year starter for the Sooners. It seems like the floor for Murray is really high; it’s hard to imagine him not being at least a good pro.
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