Eagles draft preview: Which Day 2 prospects are being connected to them | Early Birds

Good morning, Eagles fans! Welcome to another edition of the offseason newsletter. We are still in the thick of NFL draft preparation, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest you take some time out of your morning routine to check out Nick Sirianni breaking down film on the Eagles’ website here.

In the video, the new Eagles head coach explains some of the foundational offensive concepts and principles he’s used. Sirianni clearly values receivers who can run precise routes and capitalize on space after the catch. Most coaches would emphasize the importance of creating explosive plays, but Sirianni clearly prioritizes scheming up looks that generate opportunities downfield, perhaps a little more than the Eagles have in years past.

When you listen to Sirianni talk about the receivers’ roles in his previous offenses, it’s hard to imagine the team is content with the group it has ahead of the draft later this month.

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— EJ Smith (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

Last week, we went through the draft prospects being linked to the Eagles most frequently in the first round of the draft. This week, we’ll look at the guys most connected with the Birds at the start of the second day of the draft.

The Eagles have the 37th pick, in the second round, and two third-rounders, No. 70 and No. 84. Whether they address wide receiver, cornerback, or another position in the first round will obviously impact what direction they go in the second, but here are a few names to know:

Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida St.

If the Eagles don’t end up with one of the top cornerbacks in the first round, Samuel would be an excellent Day 2 addition. Samuel shares ball skills and instincts with his father, Asante Sr., who played 11 years in the NFL including four seasons with the Eagles. Samuel Jr. projects as a solid outside cornerback even though he’s just 5-foot-11.

Unlike his father, Samuel has a track record as not only a willing tackler, but also a capable one. With the Eagles expected to employ more two-high-safety zone coverages under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Samuel would be a good fit as a twitchy and instinctive cover corner tasked with taking away underneath routes.

Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

If the Eagles don’t address wide receiver in the first round, they’d likely be ecstatic if Moore slid to them. There’s a chance the 5-7, 180-pound receiver goes in the back half of the first round, but his small stature could leave him off several teams’ draft boards and lead to him being available for the Eagles.

His role in the league will be somewhat tricky because of his height, but he’s one of the best athletes in the class. Like Darren Sproles during his career, Moore has shown an ability to use his strength to offset some of the limitations his size brings and he routinely breaks tackles either with quickness or power. Moore has major durability concerns after playing just seven games in the last two seasons because of injury, but the talent level might outweigh the risk if he makes it into the second round.

Ronnie Perkins, Edge, Oklahoma

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said last month that he’d be surprised if the Eagles didn’t get a “big” with one of their first two picks. Assuming a guy such as Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater or another lineman isn’t headed to Philadelphia by the end of Thursday night’s first round, Perkins could fulfill that prophecy.

The Oklahoma edge rusher would be a solid rotational edge next season, especially if the Eagles defensive front continues to ask its linemen to focus on getting upfield in a one-gap system under Gannon. One of Perkins’ biggest knocks is his undisciplined play in the run game, which wouldn’t be as damning for the Eagles. If they draft him, it would likely be as a spot rusher with the upside to become a full-time defensive end down the road.

If this team had to put 3 players on a billboard to excite the fans right now who would it be? — from Philly444 (@Philly4442) on Twitter

Fun question! I know half the Eagles’ fan base was clamoring for one of the first-round quarterback prospects, but Jalen Hurts would still be front-and-center on any billboards right now. He’s a household name, is well-liked by most fans even if they don’t believe in his ceiling, and he’ll be the starter next season. He’s my first pick for the billboard and the only shoo-in.

For the other two spots, the finalists are, in no particular order: Jason Kelce, Miles Sanders, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Darius Slay, and Anthony Harris.

Of that group, I’d say two of Cox, Kelce, Johnson, and Sanders make the final cut. I’m not sure Kelce has much interest in being on a billboard, so I’ll go with Cox and Sanders. Cox is another household name, he’s in commercials, and he can still make the case that he’s one of the best interior rushers in the league when he’s playing well.

Sanders doesn’t have the resume that most of the other candidates have, but he plays a flashier position and went to Penn State, for whatever that’s worth. If we’re talking about marketability, Sanders edges out most of these guys. If the Eagles draft DeVonta Smith in a few weeks, he’d probably take Sanders’ spot on the billboard, though.