After getting Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Eagles could target offensive line, secondary depth on Day 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Eagles somehow ended up with two players who were a pipe-dream at their respective drafting positions (no. 9 and 30) as recent as last month following the NFL combine.

Jalen Carter at one point seemed like he was headed to Chicago, while Nolan Smith posted eye-popping testing numbers in Indianapolis that seemed to propel him into top 15 consideration.

Yet by the time round one ended, the Eagles ended up with two high upside football players oozing with versatility and athleticism.

After giving Jalen Hurts a big contract, the Eagles have an opportunity to re-tool and build depth on a team that’s hungry to return to the Super Bowl. With plenty of versatile offensive linemen on the board entering rounds two and three, along with a variety of defensive backs and safeties, the Birds have a chance to add more talent, with pick no. 66 now in tow from the Arizona Cardinals.

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Five tackles were drafted in the first round on Thursday night, which was expected coming into the night. After those top five players, we could be waiting a while before the next one comes off the board on day two of the draft.

As it stands, Cam Jurgens is penciled in as the starter at right guard next season after Issac Seumalo left for the Steelers in free agency. If the Eagles want to add more talent to the position that were purely interior offensive linemen in college, TCU’s Steve Avila could interest the Birds, a sturdy, powerful player with a big frame (6-3, 332) and ability to displace defensive linemen in the run game.

If the Eagles are open to more versatile options, attaining players like Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron or North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch are viable candidates to play guard early in their careers, and kicking out at tackle whenever Lane Johnson hangs up his cleats. Bergeron, who shows impressive foot speed, grip strength and ability to reset his hands in pass protection, played both guard and tackle at the Senior Bowl and has the athleticism and power to be a high-upside offensive lineman. Meanwhile, Mauch was a star at the Senior Bowl as well, taking snaps at all five positions, possessing physicality as a run-blocker with the athleticism to block on the perimeter and pull down the line of scrimmage to kick out the end man.

For purely tackle options, Ohio State’s Dawand Jones, a massive player (6-8, 374) who overwhelms defenders with his powerful initial punch and upper-body strength in run game, while using his massive size to mirror and mitigate pass rushers, may intrigue the Birds, along with Oklahoma tackle Wanya Morris, who has excellent athleticism and recovery ability in pass protection and was utilized as a lead blocker on the perimeter, allowing him to block in space. He also played both tackle positions in college.

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Darius Slay and James Bradberry are around for the next few years, but the depth behind either player, along with question marks at safety after losing Marcus Epps and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency, using one of the Eagles’ two second day picks to bolster their future of their secondary.

While Alabama’s Brian Branch would be a dream-like fit as a versatile nickel and safety hybrid player, he’s likely off the board by the end of the second round. If the Eagles want to target another nickel hybrid player, Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin fits the bill, wearing several hats for the Fighting Illini defense, playing primarily as a nickel corner and spending some time rotating into the deep thirds as the deep safety. Martin tackles well in space, and can cover shiftier slot receivers on deeper routes, with the ability to turn and find the football in the air.

Defensive back wise, Kansas State corner Julius Brents, who has an 82 7/8-inch wingspan at 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, has the elite change-of-direction ability and size to take the NFL by storm early in his career. As a scheme-versatile player, the Kansas State defensive back excels at making plays on the ball in man and zone coverages, and can be a nice developmental option. South Carolina’s Darius Rush, an anticipatory defensive back who is smooth in his transitions and collected two interceptions in final season of collegiate ball, would be another viable option with starter level upside in a couple seasons.

A position that is robust with talent, just one tight end came off the board in round one, with Utah standout Dalton Kincaid heading to the Buffalo Bills. Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer didn’t hear his named called on Thursday night, although most projections saw him coming off the board late in round one.

Mayer is unlikely to be in the Eagles range by the time pick number 62 rolls around, but there’s potential that players like Georgia’s Darnell Washington and South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft will be around by the time. Washington, another Bulldogs prospect as the Eagles have now selected at least two Georgia players in the last two drafts, is a physical player who boasts the ability to reset the line of scrimmage in the trenches at 6-7, 270, finishing every block he makes with bad intentions. Along with his blocking prowess, he’s a mismatch weapon, particularly in the red zone and in jump-ball scenarios where he can box out defenders.

Kraft, on the other hand, is a yards after catch savant who is difficult to bring down in the open field with the speed to threaten down the seam while playing above the rim at 6-5, 254 pounds. His nasty demeanor as a blocker, specifically rooting out defensive ends or in space against linebackers, allows him to drive them out of the play and into the ground, allowing him to be on the field in both running and passing situations.

» READ MORE: TE Tucker Kraft speaks on how Dallas Goedert, "paved the way"

If the Eagles want to take a swing at pure vertical options to add to their already lethal passing game, Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave or Iowa’s Sam LaPorta could be viable options. While Musgrave has smooth ability to throttle in and out of routes and ability to track the football down the field, LaPorta excels attacking over the middle of the field, showcasing high-level feel for soft spots in zone coverages.