NFL draft: Our Eagles beat writers rank 10 first-round possibilities for the Birds

Some mock drafts, including Mel Kiper’s last one, have Ruggs making it to the Eagles at 21. But I’d be very surprised to see that happen. I think he’ll either go to the 49ers at 13 or to the Broncos at 15. I don’t think a trade-up is likely. The Eagles need their picks.

Draft meter: 4

CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and Ruggs all likely will be claimed by the time the Eagles are on the clock at 21. Jefferson, who caught 111 passes and had 18 TDs last year, is the top-four wideout with the best chance of falling to them. If he does, this will be a no-brainer for Howie Roseman.

Draft meter: 8

I really like Aiyuk, but not at 21. If none of the draft’s top four wideouts make it down to the Eagles, a trade-down is a possibility. Aiyuk definitely would be in play for them in the 27-30 neighborhood, though he had core muscle surgery two weeks ago.

Draft meter: 6

Like Aiyuk, Mims is a more likely choice for the Eagles if they trade down rather than at 21. Aiyuk is a better yards-after-the-catch receiver and has surer hands than Mims, but Mims is bigger and has better straight-line speed. Would be a matter of which flavor the Eagles prefer.

Draft meter: 5

Murray is a terrific player. He has elite speed. He can cover the Travis Kelces and George Kittles of the world. He’s an explosive blitzer. Daniel Jeremiah’s logic for the Eagles possibly taking Murray if the top four wideouts are gone is solid: They’ve got to play Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley twice a year and Murray would give them a guy to match up against them. But it’s been 41 years since the Eagles took a linebacker in the first round.

Draft meter: 3

Queen essentially brings the same qualities to the table as Murray. Biggest difference is Queen is two inches taller and 12 pounds lighter. As with Murray, he’d be an intriguing chess piece for Jim Schwartz. But taking a linebacker in a year with a historically deep WR class? Just not seeing it.

Draft meter: 2

Brandon Graham is 32 and we still don’t know what Derek Barnett is going to end up being. So, yes, the Eagles could use a productive young edge rusher. Chaisson probably won’t make it down to the Eagles. Both the Falcons at 16 and the Cowboys at 17 are potential landing sites. But if he unexpectedly slides to 21 and the top four wideouts are gone, there’s a good chance he’d be their guy.

Draft meter: 4

Epenesa doesn’t have the natural ability that Chaisson does. He’s not a quick-twitch speed rusher. He’s a power rusher out of the Frank Clark mold, but was only a one-year starter at Iowa. Not sure I see a scenario where they take him in the first round, either at 21 or after trading down.

Draft meter: 1

The Eagles traded for Darius Slay and added another corner, Nickell Robey-Coleman, in free agency. But Slay is 29 and Robey-Coleman only signed a one-year deal. Henderson, the second-best corner in the draft, probably won’t slide to the Eagles. But if he did, and the top four wideouts all were gone, Howie would be a fool not to take him.

Draft meter: 3

Xavier McKinney is a much younger version of Malcolm Jenkins. He can do all of the things Jenkins did. Can cover slots and tight ends. Can play dime linebacker in sub packages. Can blitz. Is a solid run-defender. If the top four wideouts are gone, if Henderson is gone, if a trade down isn’t an option, McKinney would be a solid pick.

Draft meter: 5

If he’s there, I think you have to take him. If you can get him by trading up a few spots, I think you do that. This is the fastest receiver in the draft, who offers much more than that. Odds of Ruggs lasting even to within several spots of the Eagles’ 21st overall pick? Slim. Is he worth an expensive, massive trade-up, with the Eagles looking for long-term help in several areas from this draft? Tough, tough question. I might feel more comfortable making a big-stakes move-up for Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb.

Draft meter: 8

Jefferson might be the best wideout who realistically can fall to 21, or within a few slots of 21. He isn’t a real speed guy. He has played mostly in the slot, though I think he can be effective outside.

Philosophically, I’m not real big on “high floor” guys; in the first round of such a good WR draft, I’d like to get someone who can be great. But Jefferson can probably help Carson Wentz right away, and can be a dependable starter for a long time. If I took him, I would be looking to swing for the fences on a boom/bust WR prospect in maybe the second, third or fourth round.

Draft meter: 7

Played two years for Herm Edwards at Arizona State, as a juco transfer. Seems to play faster than the 4.5 I’ve seen listed as his 40 time. Excellent return skills, in the open field he shakes and bakes like a running back. But is he good enough to be drafted 21st overall in a really good WR draft? You won’t find film of him beating press coverage, or running any sort of complicated routes. Lots of catch-and-run off screens and such. The Eagles have other guys who do that. I’d be OK if they traded down, picked up something of value, then took Aiyuk, as one of two or three wideouts they ended up drafting.

Draft meter: 5

This was the guy who caught my eye at Senior Bowl practice, more than anyone else on the offensive side. There’s a danger in that, though. The junior-eligibles and some of the sure-fire first-round seniors aren’t at the Senior Bowl, which means Mims wasn’t working against top prospects.

We’re talking about spending the 21st overall pick, in a great WR draft. Might be able to trade down and still get him. Or not. This is a 6-foot-3, 207-pound receiver who ran a 4.38 40 at the scouting combine, who played his junior year with a broken hand, because he felt Baylor needed him. You certainly can find film of him making contested catches. I wouldn’t rip the Eagles for taking him at 21. He went on local radio last week and said they’ve shown a lot of interest. Can I guarantee he will be a true difference-maker? No.

Draft meter: 6

I came to the realization last week that I like pretty much every LSU prospect in the draft. What a group of athletes. Chaisson, the leading pass rusher on the national championship team, left with two years of eligibility remaining, and doesn’t turn 21 until July 25. That’s nearly always a good thing in the draft; overage guys often look better than they really are, playing against 19- and 20-year-olds. Chaisson isn’t a finished product but he has loads of talent. Great agility and quickness, strong hands. I could see taking him at 21 overall.

Draft meter: 4

My first instinct was, miss me with the edge rusher who ran a 5.04 40, with a 1.78-second 10-yard split, at the combine. But he’s 6-5, 275 — built more like a defensive tackle or a 3-4 defensive end than a sleek speed rusher. Opponents laud his power. He could certainly hold the edge against the run, and help collapse the pocket, even if he turned out not to be a big sack guy in the NFL. This is the sort of mature, cerebral, tough player former Eagles player personnel chief Joe Douglas and Douglas’ protégé, current chief Andy Weidl, really like. I would not be excited to take him 21st overall in this draft. Maybe if they traded back?

Draft meter: 2

As I said in the K’Lavon Chaisson blurb, if a guy played for LSU last season, I probably like him. If you want to see the Eagles get faster and more athletic, hope they draft heavily from Ed Orgeron’s team. There was a time when 6 feet, 229 didn’t say “NFL linebacker,” but that time has passed. Queen runs a 4.5 40 — maybe he can line up outside for Carson Wentz when the offense is on the field — and he’s an instinctive linebacker who’s always moving toward the ball. Good tackler. Three-down LB who can cover a tight end. Sometimes he gets stuck on blocks, but still, I would not mind seeing Queen at 21 — assuming the Eagles will have good luck later on in the wide receiver group.

Draft meter: 5

The other possibility if the Eagles take a 4-3 linebacker in the first round for the first time since Jerry Robinson in 1979 is this fellow. He’s bigger than Patrick Queen, at 6-2, 243. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who worked for the Eagles in personnel and knows Howie Roseman’s thought process, had Murray going to the Eagles in his mock draft. He’s a sideline-to-sideline ‘backer and a strong leader, who ran a 4.52 40 at the combine. I think Queen is more consistent, less tempted to overrun on misdirection, but Murray sure has the tools to be great.

Draft meter: 6

Of all the positions other than wide receiver that the Eagles could consider using their first-round pick on, this is the position that makes the most sense to me. Enough with giving up big plays, forcing the offense to work from behind. Trade acquisition Darius Slay is one guy, and he doesn’t project as a long-term solution. Henderson has lots of upside; he can be a Pro Bowl-type corner. He also needs to get better at a few things to reach that level. I don’t mind a guy like that — your coaching staff should be able to teach — as long as there is no issue with intelligence or work ethic. Runs a 4.39 40 at 6-1, 204. He can play different coverages, has good ball skills. I doubt Henderson will be there at 21. If the Eagles are going to trade up, I would rather it be for a wideout.

Draft meter: 5

The Eagles haven’t drafted a safety in the first round since Ben Smith in 1990, and Smith actually ended up playing cornerback in the NFL. But safety is an important position in today’s NFL, with all the tight end and slot production. McKinney is a versatile strong or free safety who can also play nickel corner. That’s the sort of thing that gets Jim Schwartz’s attention. He’s said to have a high football IQ. The Eagles absolutely should be in the market for a top safety prospect. But as with just about any player they would take in the first round who isn’t a wide receiver, this would make me nervous until I see how they address that need.

Draft meter: 2

Taking into account skill set, makeup and availability, the educated guess here is that Ruggs is the receiver the Eagles would be most inclined to move up for in a trade. CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, by most estimates, will be the first two off the board, but all it takes is one team to love one prospect over the others to alter expectations. A run on tackles could drop a receiver or two. If Ruggs falls into the late teens, I could see Howie Roseman making a play. The Eagles GM loves to make a splash and has traded up in the first round in four of the nine drafts he’s run.

Draft meter: 7

Of the top four receivers, Jefferson seems the most inclined to be there at No. 21. I’m sure there are teams that have other receivers rated ahead of Lamb, Jeudy, Ruggs and Jefferson. The Eagles could be one. But Jefferson would be hard to pass on. He played mostly in the slot in college, but seemingly has the ability to play outside in the NFL. If the Eagles view him as strictly as an inside receiver, I wouldn’t pull the trigger here.

Draft meter: 7

He’s a fine receiver, but does he have enough of an upside to draft in the first round? If you’re trading back, there are a handful of other possibilities. Aiyuk also had recent core muscle surgery, which could be a deterrent. He’s not among the 10 prospects listed here, but I could see the Eagles having interest in TCU’s Jalen Reagor. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine, which is fast, but not as fast as some had been expecting. Roseman has traded back in the first round twice before.

Draft meter: 5

Mims has done a lot of recent interviews saying that the Eagles are among the teams who have expressed interest. While I don’t doubt the verity of his claims, it doesn’t necessarily mean he will be the choice at No. 21. Mims has good size (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) and speed (a 4.38 40-yard dash) and would quality as a safe pick, I guess. He expressed his initial hesitation of visiting a big city like Philadelphia, which would give me pause if I were the Eagles. Tee Higgins is another comparable receiver you can’t rule out.

Draft meter: 4

As noted elsewhere, the Eagles haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since 1979. While the first twenty years of that span had little bearing on the team’s recent devaluing of the position, there has been only linebacker — Mychal Kendricks — chosen in the third round or higher in the drafts Roseman has helmed. The Eagles are light at the position, and there have been analysts projecting Murray to Philly, but I question whether Roseman will go against some of his long-standing beliefs.

Draft meter: 3

Murray is bigger, and would give the Eagles a thumper in the middle, but I think Queen would be a better fit in Jim Schwartz’s scheme. His speed and athletic measurables are off the charts and make him conceivably a three-down linebacker who could cover tight ends and running backs in the NFL. But, again, he plays a position the Eagles don’t value.

Draft meter: 4

Chaisson has a lot of the same characteristics of Derek Barnett. He’s not huge at 6-3, 255, but he has the bend to be an elite edge rusher at the next level. If there’s a significant difference it’s that Chaisson didn’t have the same production in college. He missed most of his second season with a torn ACL and was granted a redshirt season. He bounced back last year in LSU’s championship-winning season and wore the famed No. 18 jersey as a player of strong character. You can never rule out the Eagles taking a lineman in the first round, and if they can’t get a receiver at 21 and they they don’t see the value of moving back, Chaisson might make sense if he’s there.

Draft meter: 7

Epenesa has about two inches and 20 pounds on Chaisson, which is nice and all, but does that make him suited to be a wide-nine edge rusher? My guess is no. He’s a heck of talent, but the Eagles’ draft grades are weighted based upon their schemes. I could see South Carolina defensive tackle Jevon Kinlaw, if he were to fall because of concerns about his knees, as a more likely get than Epenesa.

Draft meter: 2

The Eagles have struggled to evaluate the cornerback position during Roseman’s tenure, more than even receiver. Henderson has the physical skills and size to lock up against top NFL outside receivers, but there are concerns about his tackling ability. As long as he’s willing, that can be taught at the next level. The Eagles added veterans Darius Slay and Nickel Robey-Coleman this offseason, but that shouldn’t restrict them from drafting a corner if Henderson is their best available prospect.

Draft meter: 4

McKinney’s versatility alone makes him a possible Eagles target. He could, theoretically, replace the departed Malcolm Jenkins. He’s cut from the same cloth. I question whether Roseman would go the safety route in the first round, especially when so many NFL safeties are now former college cornerbacks. There should be opportunities in later rounds.

Draft meter: 4

Ruggs’ fit into the Eagles offense makes enough sense to justify a trade up if he falls in range, which might be needed. A run on tackles and quarterbacks early in the first round would cause Ruggs to slide into the Eagles’ general vicinity, but they’ve boxed themselves in a bit. Everyone and their mom knows the Eagles need a speedy receiver like Ruggs, so they might need to trade up to avoid getting leapfrogged.

Draft meter: 7

Jefferson’s fit isn’t as seamless as Ruggs', but he’s a solid first-round prospect who’s steadily climbed draft boards since he ran a 4.43 second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. He was at his best as a slot receiver in college, but he’s got the speed and capability against press coverage to switch to the outside. If Ruggs is gone by the Eagles’ pick and Jefferson is still there, he’d make a lot of sense.

Draft meter: 8

Aiyuk at 21 would be a reach, but would make sense if the Eagles trade back in the first round. Sorry to those of you who are wary of Pac-12 receivers, but Aiyuk is one of the best athletes in this wideout class. If Jefferson and Ruggs are both donning rival hats, Aiyuk would be one of a handful of receiving prospects the Eagles could go after. Only they know their favorite of the crop.

Draft meter: 5

Mims is an intriguing prospect, and he said he’s had several predraft meetings with the Eagles. Mims is definitely another trade-down option. He fits the Eagles’ mold as a 6-foot-3 receiver who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash. Better yet, he was one of the best testers at the Senior Bowl, showing an expanded route tree and the ability to use his speed in context like Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel did last year.

Draft meter: 6

Daniel Jeremiah knows a lot more about this stuff than me, but I still don’t see this one. The Eagles obviously don’t place a high value on linebackers and Murray isn’t exactly a modern-day three-down guy. He’s definitely capable against the run and was productive in college, but I’d be surprised to see him headed to Philly.

Draft meter: 2

Queen certainly looks like the futuristic coverage linebacker that teams value these days. If the Eagles are going to make a significant investment in the position, Queen seems like the better fit. I still wouldn’t bank on them going linebacker with such an obvious need at receiver, though.

Draft meter: 4

It’s never out of the question that the Eagles will make an early pick to bolster their offensive or defensive fronts. Chaisson is a great athlete with the tools to become a dominant rusher. At 20 years old, he’s green on and off the field. He’s a redshirt sophomore and missed all but one game of his second season with a torn ACL. The Eagles could definitely fall in love with his physical profile, but receiver is still more likely.

Draft meter: 5

It’s easy to see why Epenesa is getting buzz as a first-rounder — he’s a massive defensive end with exceptional strength. The hang-up with Epenesa is his explosiveness, though. Everything that makes Chaisson intriguing makes Epenesa less so. It’s hard to imagine the Eagles taking an end who struggled in his only year as an every-down player, but stranger things have happened.

Draft meter: 3

Henderson is considered one of the better cornerback prospects afterOhio State’s Jeffrey Okudah and the Eagles could add him into a re-imagined secondary across from Darius Slay. But the Falcons have been heavily rumored as the team most interested in Henderson, and they’re picking before the Eagles.

Draft meter: 2

If the Eagles decide to make a significant investment in a defensive back, McKinney seems more likely than Henderson. He’d have to get past the Cowboys at No. 20, but if he does, McKinney could slot into Malcolm Jenkins’ old role as a jack-of-all-trades safety asked to do multiple things. Could his potential convince the Eagles to hold off on receiver until the second round? Maybe.

Draft meter: 6