The NFL Draft is coming up in a month and the Eagles have officially announced their top pre-draft visits. This is a good indicator of players that they have real interest in. So... could one of these guys actually land in Philly? In other news, we take a look at some of the early predictions from NFL Draft experts and even conduct a mock draft of our own! Today, RB discusses all of this and more!
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00:00The Philadelphia Eagles have officially revealed the guys they will be bringing in before the NFL draft.
00:07And while this is not always certain, it definitely is a good indicator in terms of where they could be leaning.
00:13We'll also hear from some of the top NFL draft experts and what their early predictions for the Eagles are.
00:18And we'll talk about whether it aligns with Howie Roseman's strategy.
00:22At the end of the day, we know anything can happen, but the birds need to nail this draft like they have over the last several years.
00:29So we'll talk about their current needs and a whole bunch more.
00:32But welcome in to A to Z Philly, I'm R.B. Do me a favor, like this video, go down below, and subscribe to our channel.
00:39And we're going to start this one off just like we did a couple days ago with some humor.
00:44Because the Giants are the gift that keeps on giving.
00:47A couple days ago I said it was Saquon, well now I'm saying it's his former team.
00:50Because a couple days ago we come on and they signed Jameis Winston and we thought, oh man, what a revelation, right?
00:57Now they signed Russell Wilson.
00:58And I hear this news last night as I'm out and I'm like, oh, what is it, a $6-$7 million deal?
01:03They signed Russell Wilson to a one-year $21 million deal.
01:11$10.5 million guaranteed for Russell Wilson?
01:14We're talking about the same guy who crumpled down the end of the season.
01:18Remember how big of a controversial game this was?
01:21Oh, Jalen's got to throw, Jalen's got to throw.
01:23Russell Wilson went 14 for 22.
01:25128 yards, he crumpled.
01:27You saw how the Steelers crumbled.
01:29You saw how their season ended because Russell Wilson fell off.
01:33I'm not trying to throw shade at Russell Wilson.
01:35He's been a heck of a player, right?
01:37Maybe a Hall of Famer, he's a Super Bowl champ.
01:40Russell Wilson got his bag, shout out to him.
01:43But the Giants are just terrible and it makes me laugh.
01:47A couple days ago I said two easy wins on the schedule.
01:50I mean it, two easy wins.
01:52You can mark the Eagles in at 2-0.
01:55This guy's 36.
01:57Their quarterback room is Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Tommy DeVito.
02:01Who's next, Shadour Sanders?
02:03I mean the Giants really just do not know what they are doing
02:06and it makes me laugh.
02:07So shout out to the Giants and shout out to Russell Wilson.
02:10Speaking of an actual good quarterback though, how about Jalen Hurts?
02:14How about what Vic Fangio had to say about him?
02:17I told Howie back in 2021 that he had his quarterback.
02:22Well, I believe that Vic Fangio can read quarterbacks, can read talent.
02:25We saw what he did this year.
02:27What a coordinator.
02:28I am just so happy that that guy is here.
02:30I think when you start to break off pieces of the coaching staff,
02:33it really messes, you know, not only with the philosophy,
02:36but the confidence, things like that.
02:38And Vic Fangio knows what he's talking about.
02:40And Jalen Hurts is on pace to being one of the great quarterbacks in the NFL,
02:44if not already.
02:45But let's talk about some of the other pieces on this team
02:48because the NFL draft's coming up.
02:50And yeah, the Eagles had the last pick in the first round,
02:53but there's a lot that could happen.
02:55Okay?
02:56So I took some time and I'm starting to research these prospects
02:59and I was on the NFL mock draft database.
03:01Here are some of the guys that they have mocked to the Eagles at 32.
03:06Nick Emenwori, Walter Nolan, Gray Zabel, Nick Scowerton, Donovan Jackson,
03:11Josh Connerly Jr., Donovan Ezraku, Derek Harmon, and Tyler Booker.
03:17All right?
03:18Those are some of the names that the Eagles could potentially draft
03:21that pick 32.
03:22Now, before I start talking about the experts and what the Eagles
03:25actually did, I went ahead and I ran three mock drafts myself,
03:30just to start us off.
03:31Okay?
03:32And I ran it through the system,
03:35and I just wanted to see some of the players that it would spit out.
03:38So my first draft, the Eagles take Malachi Starks at pick number 32.
03:43Right?
03:44We talked about him last week.
03:45Safety out of Georgia makes a lot of sense.
03:47Just a guy who graded really well at the Combine.
03:50Then on the second attempt, I got Landon Jackson and Edge out of Arkansas.
03:55Definitely makes sense, you know, in terms of the positional need
03:58and, you know, how he loves drafting in the trenches.
04:00So we'll talk about that.
04:01And then on my third attempt, I got Malachi Starks again.
04:04So I've seen Malachi Starks mocked in the 20s,
04:07especially to the Detroit Lions.
04:09They say he really, you know, fits that culture, you know,
04:12similar to the Georgia Bulldogs.
04:14And I hope he's there at 32.
04:16Could Howie trade up?
04:17Keep in mind, they have 20 draft picks in the next two years.
04:20Do I expect them to make all 20 picks?
04:22No.
04:23Howie Roseman likes to consolidate picks.
04:25He likes to add more, and I could see him using those to move up
04:28or, you know, maybe moving back and adding more.
04:31So we'll see what happens.
04:32But those are the guys that I got when I did my own mock drafts.
04:37However, something happened.
04:39All right.
04:40And I want you to keep this in mind.
04:42Last year, the Eagles brought in Quinion Mitchell, Cooper Dejean,
04:46Anais Smith, and Johnny Wilson.
04:49Right.
04:50They brought those guys in before the draft.
04:52And out of all the guys they brought in, those were the ones they drafted.
04:55So while it is not always 100%, the guys that are brought in, right,
05:01for top 30 visits to come in beforehand, see the Novocare, all that stuff,
05:05it means the Eagles have a decent level of interest in these guys.
05:09Right.
05:10There's no coincidence that these guys were drafted by the Eagles.
05:12And the new pre-draft visit list has been put out for every team,
05:18and the Eagles have announced who they are bringing in before the NFL draft.
05:23So they have Josh Connerly, the guy we just saw, right, Anthony Belton,
05:26Marcus Embo, Jalen Travis, Jaden Blue, Elijah Roberts, Donovan Isoroku,
05:31who we just saw as well, Charles Grant, Tyler Barron, and Maxwell Hairston.
05:35So Eagles have a lot of guys on their radar, a lot of guys they're bringing in.
05:40And if we go and we look at the experts and who they think the Eagles are going
05:46to take just as, you know, a preliminary thing, and shout out to Dave Zangaro,
05:51who kind of consolidated a bunch of different expert opinions here
05:54in one article.
05:56We have one for Josh Connerly, offensive tackle out of Oregon.
06:00We have another for Josh Connerly.
06:02That's two.
06:03We have Shamar Stewart, an edge out of Texas A&M.
06:06Then we have Malachi Starks, who we just saw on my mock draft that I ran.
06:11Then we have Walter Nolan, and they actually have him trading up here
06:14to pick 26 to get Walter Nolan.
06:16And then another Walter Nolan right here.
06:18So, ladies and gentlemen, we have two Walter Nolans, two Josh Connerlys,
06:22one Shamar Stewart, and one Malachi Starks.
06:26So where do the Eagles go?
06:28What is their most likely option?
06:30Well, honestly, I think it depends on what happens with Dallas Goddard, right?
06:34We still don't have any update.
06:36We don't know what's going on.
06:37Are they going to trade him, cut him?
06:39I still think it would be a monumental mistake to go out there
06:43and cut Dallas Goddard when you don't have his replacement in place, right?
06:47You don't have a guy who's ready to step in and be that guy.
06:50I hope they draft a tight end in the first couple rounds.
06:53I hope they develop somebody.
06:55But letting go of Dallas Goddard, who, again, not only has put up
06:58a lot of production, even though he's been hurt every year,
07:01he plays well in the big games.
07:03He makes big catches, big plays, and he's a much better blocker
07:06than other guys who have been in this organization.
07:09I really like Dallas Goddard.
07:11I know his time is coming to an end in the next couple years,
07:13but he's been so productive.
07:15And I think until you have the guy that's ready to step in
07:18like the Dallas Goddard was to Zach Ertz, you don't go out there
07:21and you don't cut him or trade him.
07:23So we'll see what happens.
07:25But based on history, based on what Howie Roseman likes to do,
07:29where do I think he's going in the first round?
07:32Absolutely in the trenches.
07:34And the first guy on this list, Josh Connerly Jr.,
07:37this is a guy who's been talked about for the last couple months.
07:40I've heard his name brought up with the Philadelphia Eagles.
07:43We've had the Malachi Starks of the world, the Georgia guys.
07:46I think that would make a lot of sense.
07:48And matter of fact, the Eagles have never taken a safety in the first round.
07:51So, of course, you look back to last year.
07:54They didn't take a corner in how long, and they take Quinion Mitchell.
07:57But anyway, Josh Connerly Jr. sounds like a very safe pick for the Eagles.
08:02And here's what Dave said about it, and I completely agree with him.
08:06Lane Johnson, who just signed a one-year extension,
08:09what was it, last week, week and a half ago,
08:11is now under contract through the 27-28 season,
08:14which means he has three years left now on his deal.
08:17And the Eagles like to bring in these big offensive linemen,
08:20train them, make them more versatile, and get them ready to go
08:24for when these guys retire.
08:25It's going to be really sad when Lane walks away.
08:27I mean, he's in his mid-30s.
08:29Can he hang up the next couple years? I hope.
08:31I hope he can stay in there.
08:33But if he can't, drafting his replacement makes a lot of sense.
08:38Now, do they wait a year or two to do that, or do they do it now?
08:41I think it all depends on the best talent available.
08:43If a guy's there like Josh Connerly Jr., and they believe in him,
08:47then you have to take him.
08:48And it says here that the Eagles actually did this with Lane Johnson back in 2013,
08:53if you remember.
08:54They drafted Lane Johnson to be the potential replacement for Jason Peters.
08:58Now, Lane ended up being an absolute beast, moved over to right tackle,
09:02the rest was history.
09:03They did it with Cam Juergens.
09:05But here's the difference.
09:06Think about Cam Juergens.
09:07He moved inside.
09:09When Kelsey was still here, they were training him, but he moved inside,
09:12played pretty damn good at guard.
09:14Why can't they do that with Josh Connerly?
09:16The Eagles have a void right now.
09:18Tyler Steen is going to be battling.
09:20Kenyon Green, who they traded for, is going to be battling.
09:23But they don't really have anybody they are ultra confident in right now.
09:27So if they bring in Josh Connerly Jr., and it says here,
09:30this guy's not even 22 years old yet.
09:32He won't turn 22 until November.
09:34He's rather young, a little bit of a smaller prospect at tackle,
09:386'5", 311 pounds.
09:41And here's the most important thing.
09:43It says at the Senior Bowl, Connerly got a chance to line up at right tackle
09:47and at guard, which is important for his evaluation.
09:50So he's willing to be a hybrid.
09:53He's willing to be versatile, dynamic.
09:55This guy makes so much sense for the Eagles.
09:57It sounds like a typical Howie Roseman pick.
10:00And if they bring in a guy who not only can be Lane Johnson's replacement
10:04but also play guard, I think it makes all the sense in the world.
10:08So I do like this philosophy, but I could also see Howie trying to replace
10:13some of the voids that were created with Josh Swett, with Milton Williams.
10:17That's where guys like Shemar Stewart come in.
10:19Or if he wants to boost that secondary, I talked about Justin Simmons.
10:23I think that would be a good temporary option and maybe try to draft a guy.
10:27If Malachi Starks is still there for some reason at the end of the first round,
10:31which I really do not think he will be, maybe they trade up.
10:34But if not, and he is there for some reason,
10:37I think the Eagles have to jump on it, and I would not hesitate
10:40to take another Georgia guy, bring him in.
10:43The fit is seamless as always.
10:45So that's how I kind of feel right now.
10:47I don't think it's ironed in on one position.
10:50I think it's between a few different positional groups.
10:52I think it's what Howie has done historically and what they need right now.
10:56But I would say over the first couple rounds,
10:58based on the preliminary stuff we're hearing,
11:01it's probably either the trenches or the secondary.
11:04There's no reason to really go anywhere else unless you're trading Dallas Goddard,
11:08and you need to go get a tight end right away,
11:10and there's one there that just blows you away.
11:12But I trust Howie, and we'll see what happens.
11:15We'll see how it plays out, and we'll get into more prospects as we move forward.
11:18But ladies and gentlemen, I want to know from you,
11:21who do you think the Eagles should go out and draft in the first round?
11:26If it was up to you, what position would you go with?
11:28Give me your thoughts down below, and we'll get into more as we move forward.
11:31But I appreciate everybody for tapping in.
11:33Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe, and as always, I'll catch you on the next one.