Eagles NFL scouting combine primer: A player at each position to watch during athletic testing

Things surrounding the NFL draft are about to get much clearer.

With the scouting combine set to begin on Tuesday, the variance in which we’ve discussed draft prospects to this point is about to narrow. The combination of athletic testing, medical checks, and in-person interviews with prospects and organization decision-makers will cause plenty of shuffling in draft projections by the end of the week.

Here’s a player from each position with a lot riding on this week, with an Eagles focus mixed in:

In a senior-heavy quarterback class, Corral is the only first-round hopeful in the group that wasn’t in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl.

He still has a chance to be the first quarterback off the board, but he has some ground to make up on Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, and perhaps even Desmond Ridder. Willis was one of the standouts at the Senior Bowl, which helped his stock. There’s still some unknowns around Corral.

If Corral flashes the accuracy and athleticism he showed in college, it will go a long way in boosting his draft stock. The off-field interviews with teams will also have great significance, which is why he’s my quarterback to watch.

Pierce helped himself at the Senior Bowl and he’d be a seamless fit in the Eagles running back room for the next few years.

He had a limited role at Florida, tallying just 206 carries in the last two seasons — plenty of the top running backs in this class had more than 200 just last season — but there’s upside for him as a power back in the league. Unlike most power backs, though, Pierce should be able to stay on the field on third downs without being a liability.

He had a few nice catches out of the backfield during the Senior Bowl and showed a capability of pass-blocking, meaning whoever drafts him doesn’t have to worry about being predictable when he’s on the field.

Is London JJ Arcega-Whiteside 2.0?

Don’t count me among those who expect the Eagles to take a wide receiver in the first round for a third year in a row, but London would be one of the best pairings with DeVonta Smith at the top of the draft. Treylon Burks would also fit the bill as a bigger, physical receiver, but the rest of the top guys are smaller wideouts.

But London’s 40-yard-dash time will be one of the most important measurements in the combine overall. If he runs slow, there will be concerns about his ability to separate against better competition. If he runs fast, he’ll quiet the doubters who point at the Pac-12 as the reason why he finished last year with 88 catches, 1,084 yards, and seven touchdowns.

This year’s draft has a solid group of mid-round tight-end prospects, but there isn’t a consensus TE1 going into Indy.

McBride has a chance to be the first one off the board, as does Texas A&M’s Jalen Wydermyer, and perhaps even Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert. With how close things are, McBride could do well for himself by running fast.

This has been a pro-Parham draft series practically since its inception.

He’s billed as an undersized but athletic interior lineman who could be a starting center in the league in due time. He’s going to have to prove he’s got the athleticism to validate the projection, though. Parham and Boston College’s Zion Johnson were two center converts that piqued interest during the Senior Bowl, but Parham projects as a cleaner Jason Kelce heir apparent than Johnson.

The Eagles probably aren’t looking for a Day 2 offensive tackle, but Faalele is just an intriguing player this week in general.

At 6-foot-8, 387 pounds, the big question is if he’ll have the requisite athleticism to compete against faster edge rushers. Beyond that, watching a man that large run a 40-yard dash faster than most common folk will be something to behold.

Davis (6-6, 340) is the pick for the same reasons as Faalele. Who doesn’t love a big-man 40?

If defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon feels like he’s missing a gap-plugging nose, Davis is an talented one, but Javon Hargrave excelled as a one-technique last year and has much more versatility than someone like Davis, who is exclusively a nose tackle.

Along with London, Walker has a lot riding on his combine results. He has played multiple positions and has weighed anywhere between 270 pounds and 300-plus to accommodate those switches across the defensive front.

If he weighs in around 265 and puts up freaky numbers, teams will view him as a twitchy edge rusher. If he doesn’t test well or comes in heavier, he might be projected more as a 5-technique defensive end or even possibly a defensive tackle for some teams.

Walker has steadily risen up draft boards in the last month or so. He could cement himself into the top-10 picks if he tests well.

Noticing a trend?

Walker has a lot in common with Eagles linebacker Davion Taylor at first blush. He has elite athleticism but limited college playing time. He’s probably more of a project, but if a team can develop him, he has the traits to be a difference-maker. Those traits will be on display this week.

Stingley is still recovering from a Lisfranc foot injury, but his medical testing and interviews will be pivotal for his draft stock.

He went into this draft cycle as a consensus top-3 pick, but has started slipping as the process wears on. His best play came in 2019 with a slight regression the following year. He missed all but three games last season with the foot injury, so his medicals will be decisive for most teams.

If his physicals with teams don’t come back clean, he could slide even further. Still, he’s one of the most talented players in the draft when healthy.

There are plenty of intriguing safeties, especially Day 2 guys, that should pique the Eagles’ interest.

Brisker is the pick mostly because he’s the best fit for what the Eagles do defensively, although he might not be the best tester out of the group. If the Eagles are truly looking for a post-safety who can play over the top and take away half the field, Brisker fits the bill about as well as anyone.