Which player will the Eagles take in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft tonight?
Despite picking Jalen Reagor in the first round last year, it seems likely the Eagles will look at selecting a wide receiver with the No. 12 pick (if they don’t trade up or out of the first round) in tonight’s draft, which begins at 8 p.m. on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network.
ESPN’s Todd McShay and the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah both think the Eagles will select Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, this year’s Heisman Trophy winner and a former teammate of quarterback Jalen Hurts. But ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. thinks the Birds will focus on defense and select South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.
It’s worth pointing out than Kiper, McShay, and Jeremiah did not have the Eagles selecting Reagor in their final mock drafts last year (but NBC Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth did).
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Eagles beat writers Paul Domowitch, Jeff McLane, and EJ Smith also think the Birds will nab a receiver in the first round, but differ on who it will be. McLane and Smith both think the Eagles will grab Smith, while Domowitch thinks the team will take a different Alabama wide receiver: Jaylen Waddle. Les Bowen agrees with Kiper and thinks the team will bolster its defense by taking Horn.
Here is a roundup of the players national-media pundits think the Eagles could end up selecting in the first round:
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Mel Kiper, ESPN: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Philadelphia can get an instant starter for a secondary that really struggled last season. If Jaylen Waddle or DeVonta Smith make it to No. 12, they could be tough to pass up.
Todd McShay, ESPN: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
The Eagles, who have the most picks in the draft (11), land the Heisman winner and a dynamic route runner here to address their WR need. They are currently relying on Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward and Travis Fulgham, but Smith will give Jalen Hurts an explosive difference-maker. And remember, Hurts and Smith hooked up for 12 catches back in 2017-18 when Hurts was at Alabama.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Ideally, you don’t pick a wide receiver in the first round in consecutive years, but Smith is too good to pass up at No. 12. He gives the Eagles the true No. 1 WR they’re lacking.
Peter King, NBC Sports: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Horn is my pick here because corner’s a significant need; the Eagles’ best (and priciest) corner, Darius Slay, gave up 77-percent completions last year, per Pro Football Focus, and there’s no other long-term solutions, at least not one who has played to that level, on the roster now. Horn’s a three-year starter in a throwing league, and the book on him is he’s uber-competitive and feisty. Sounds like a Philly guy already.
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
The Eagles have sniffed around on moving up, in front of Dallas, for a corner—so I think this would be a really nice scenario for GM Howie Roseman, and a gift to new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, whose roots in Mike Zimmer’s aggressive scheme could come back to life with a top bookend for Darius Slay.
Charles Davis, NFL.com: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Of course the Eagles would also like a top WR, but CB Darius Slay needs a counterpart on the other side, and Surtain is terrific.
Charley Casserly, NFL.com: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
The Eagles fill a longtime need by nabbing a top CB prospect. They can add a receiving weapon on Day 2 or 3.
Will Brinson, CBS Sports: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
I went through 14 different iterations of this mock draft just because this outcome is SO implausible. This team wants to give Jalen Hurts a year and draft a North Dakota State quarterback to potentially steal his spot? The upside is huge here and Howie Roseman loves to talk about Philly being a “quarterback factory.” He would need to be right here or else he’s hurtling towards “quarterback landfill.”
John Clayton, Washington Post: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
They could draft a cornerback here, possibly South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, but Waddle dropping to them at this spot would be a gift. He is a player they might have drafted with the sixth pick, before their trade with Miami that netted them a 2022 first-round pick.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Surtain would be a great addition, bringing length, athleticism, and natural coverage instincts to Philly’s secondary.
Walter Cherepinsky, WalterFootball.com: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
The Eagles won’t get a blue-chip player unless one of the receivers falls to them. However, with five quarterbacks possibly being drafted in the top 11, there’s a chance that will happen... Jalen Hurts was asked which of his former Alabama teammates would be the best pro, and he answered Jaylen Waddle.
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