Eagles seven-round mock draft: Another Georgia Bulldog could be a long-term answer at offensive tackle

With the initial fireworks of free agency giving way, the Eagles’ draft needs are coming into focus more clearly.

Although general manager Howie Roseman has addressed many of the immediate roster needs with short-term signings, several areas lack true long-term answers going into the draft, in which the team has eight picks.

Here’s a seven-round mock draft in the aftermath of free agency’s first wave:

Considering Roseman’s philosophical approach in the early rounds of past drafts, Mims checks plenty of boxes. He’s a former five-star recruit with a hulking 6-7, 340-pound frame and rare mobility to go with it. He comes from one of the biggest college football programs and has a strong case that he has only begun to realize his potential, given his limited playing time in college.

Mims, 21, started just seven games at Georgia because of a logjam of NFL-caliber tackles ahead of him and an injury once he finally earned a starting role at right tackle, which is the biggest question mark, along with some technique problems. That’s less of a concern for the Eagles, who can give him a season or two to develop behind Lane Johnson with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. If Mims rounds into form, the Eagles would have gotten a player who would have gone much higher with another year of development.

» READ MORE: Get to know the linemen the Eagles are building connections with at the NFL combine

Cornerback is the other obvious position of need the team could address in the first round, but the Eagles’ prioritization of the trenches along with the quantity of high-end tackle prospects in this year’s class make it hard to imagine their passing up someone like Mims.

They drafted defensive tackle Jordan Davis two years ago because of the rarity of finding a player with the height, weight, and athleticism to compare to the former Georgia prospect. In Mims, the Eagles could go back to the well of freakishly athletic giants out of Athens, Ga.

Pearsall was a Senior Bowl standout whose stock has risen because of elite testing to go with his impressive college production. The 6-1, 189-pound receiver was 88th percentile or better in the vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone, and 20-yard shuttle at the NFL scouting combine, while running a 4.41-second 40-yard dash.

On the field, the 23-year-old surpassed the 500-yard receiving mark in each of the last three seasons, one with Arizona State before transferring to Florida.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ potential third WR options at the NFL combine include Florida's Ricky Pearsall

Pearsall is an older prospect who will turn 24 in September, but he’s a ready-made slot receiver with the capability of spending time on the outside as well. He has strong, trustworthy hands and can be aggressive attacking the football with a track record of pulling off acrobatic, one-handed catches.

Pearsall would fit into the Eagles’ top-heavy wide receiving corps as a high-upside No. 3 wideout capable of playing from multiple alignments and spelling the offense if A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith misses time with injury.

If the Eagles forgo a cornerback in the first round, there will still be potential starters like Tampa available on Day 2 of the draft. A trade for a veteran corner could also make sense considering that the Eagles have two second-round picks and the potential to add more draft capital with a possible Haason Reddick move. But Tampa is an ideal fit if they stick and pick.

At 6-1 with a wingspan just under 6-7, Tampa has the requisite length to excel as a press-man corner on the outside capable of jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage and getting his hands on passes downfield. He had 16 pass breakups and three interceptions over the last two seasons along with 84 tackles.

His draft stock is harder to peg than some because he didn’t do athletic testing at the NFL combine because of a hamstring injury, but that could be solved if he works out at next week’s Big 12 pro day. Depending on his numbers, Tampa could run his way out of the Eagles’ range or solidify himself as an option for them in the latter part of the second round.

It’s worth noting the history of cornerbacks taken in this range going on to become impact players. When looking at the league’s 15 highest-paid corners in terms of average annual value, eight were taken on Day 2 of the draft, including five taken in the back half of the second round.

Four of the top-five corners in terms of AAV all went in the first 20 picks of the first round, though, suggesting that the most elite players at the position are identified in the draft process more often than not.

The Eagles raised the floor of their linebacking corps by signing veterans Devin White and Oren Burks to one-year deals, but they could still stand to bolster the depth at the position through the draft.

Enter Gray, another Senior Bowl standout with athletic testing that should satisfy the Eagles’ benchmarks for the position. He ran a 4.64-second 40 with a 70th-percentile 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds, each of which hovers near the average for the linebackers the Eagles have drafted during Roseman’s tenure.

Gray’s 68th-percentile broad jump of 10 feet strengthens his case even more; the team hasn’t drafted a linebacker with a broad jump under 10 feet since 2011.

A three-year starter with the Tar Heels, Gray was about as productive as any linebacker prospect over the last few seasons. He had 121 total tackles, five sacks, one interception, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles last season as a Butkus Award semifinalist.

For the Eagles, he’d be best suited as a Will linebacker or in sub packages where he can use his athleticism to take away underneath routes in zone coverage rather than taking on blocks on early downs.

» READ MORE: The NFL combine is a numbers game. These are the ones the Eagles seem to care about.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio places a premium on versatile defensive backs with a combination of length and quickness. Simpson fits the bill, measuring just under 6 feet but with 32⅜-inch arms and respectable 40-yard dash and 10-yard split times as well.

Simpson played as a safety, slot corner, and outside cornerback during his career at Auburn and has the versatility to play both as a post safety or a nickel corner in the NFL. Pairing him with C.J. Gardner-Johnson in Fangio’s secondary would give the Eagles flexibility and balance, with each player capable of filling multiple roles on opposite sides of a three-safety formation, particularly against the pass.

Simpson’s weight might be the cause if he is still available on Day 3. At 179 pounds, he’d be an outlier even as a safety playing well away from the line of scrimmage, and the idea of his logging snaps as a nickel corner on early downs against the run in the NFL is daunting.

Sydney Brown’s eventual return from a torn ACL makes this less of a concern for the Eagles, who could actually form a complementary pair with Brown as an early down enforcer and Simpson as more of a coverage specialist in known-passing situations operating out of the slot.

Overall, Simpson’s athleticism, length, and versatility would make him a potential contributor for the Eagles’ rebuilding secondary from the first day.

The Eagles need to add depth at tight end — so much so that they could address the position earlier than this with a more premium pick — and a guy like Barner would be a sensible Day 3 addition.

The former Indiana starter transferred to Michigan and is considered one of the best blocking tight ends in the class. With Albert Okwuegbunam and Grant Calcaterra each offering more in the receiving game, Barner makes sense as a replacement for what Jack Stoll gave the Eagles as a run blocker out of heavy formations.

Even with Saquon Barkley now atop the depth chart, the Eagles still need running back depth.

Laube, yet another Senior Bowl standout, is a 5-10, 206-pound scat back who may be his most effective catching the ball out of the backfield. Laube had 2,095 all-purpose yards for FCS program New Hampshire last season and would give the Eagles a third-down back, especially if Barkley misses time during the season.

At 6-8, 313 pounds, Driskell may be worth a flier in the late rounds as a developmental tackle. After starting 26 games at Marshall, Driskell got an invitation to the Senior Bowl and the combine, although he didn’t do athletic testing at the latter.

From Jordan Mailata to Prince Tega Wanogho to Matt Pryor, the Eagles have a track record of drafting late-round tackle prospects to fill out the bottom of the depth chart. Driskell fits the mold from a physical perspective, at the very least.