Eagles take best cornerback in latest mock draft from top analyst

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In his latest first-round mock draft, respected NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has the Eagles taking a cornerback in the first round.

With the top three pass catchers off the board in the first 11 picks, the Eagles take Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II with the 12th pick in Jeremiah’s latest mock. Aside from being one of the more respected draft analysts in the country, Jeremiah is also a former Eagles scout. So when he talks, we listen.

Here’s what he said:

“This would be a dream scenario for the Eagles. After trading down to No. 12, they still land the top cornerback in the draft.”

This was Jeremiah’s first mock draft since the Eagles traded down from 6 to 12. In his previous mock draft, he had the Eagles’ taking tight end Kyle Pitts at No. 6. In his first mock draft, which came out in January, he had the Eagles’ taking receiver DeVonta Smith at No. 6.

So with the trade down, Jeremiah now has the Eagles’ taking a defensive player, which is a solid thought process. Jeremiah gives the Eagles Surtain instead of some other popular mock draft options for the Eagles: CB Jaycee Horn, WR Jaylen Waddle, LB Micah Parsons.

Here’s a look at the 11 picks before the Eagles:

1. Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

3. 49ers: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

4. Falcons: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

5. Bengals: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

6. Dolphins: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

7. Lions: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

8. Panthers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

9. Broncos: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

10. Cowboys: Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan

11. Giants: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

A few thoughts on the top 12 picks in this mock draft:

  • Even if the Falcons don’t take a QB, that No. 4 spot is reportedly available for a trade so it seems like there’s a pretty good chance a quarterback will go in that slot. That helps to make this mock more realistic.
  • If that happens and Ja’Marr Chase ends up going to the Dolphins with the No. 6 pick, that will hurt for Eagles fans. Sure, the Birds got really good value by trading down and picking up a 2022 first-rounder but missing out on Chase isn’t ideal. He’s the top receiver prospect in this class by a mile.
  • The most interesting pick in the top 12 is at No. 10 from the Cowboys, who pass up the top cornerbacks to take an edge rusher, making Paye the first defensive player off the board at No. 10. That’s another kind of crazy thing: In the first 11 picks, 10 are on offense.
  • That sets up the Eagles to take either the 11th offensive player or the second defensive player. While there are certainly reasons to take receiver Jaylen Waddle from Alabama, picking Surtain at No. 12 feels like a really good selection. One of those two would be my pick in this scenario if I were Howie Roseman.
  • Surtain is one of my favorite players in this entire draft class and I definitely think he’s the top corner. While Horn has potential and Farley is very talented too, Surtain just has no weaknesses. He’s 6-2, 208, athletic and is an absolute technician with great football intelligence. He’d step in and start right away and would grow into the CB1 role for the Eagles when Darius Slay’s time is up.

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