Kendricks' brother an option for Birds at linebacker

INDIANAPOLIS - Mychal Kendricks and Eric Kendricks played together at Hoover High School in Fresno, Calif., before Mychal starred at Cal and become a second-round pick and Day 1 starter with the Eagles.

Eric did not follow his brother to Berkeley, instead going to UCLA, where he won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker last season. Now that Eric is one of the top linebackers in the NFL draft, there's a chance that the brothers could be teammates again.

"That'd be crazy," Eric said Friday at the NFL scouting combine. "I played with him in high school and I think I took it for granted at the time, as far as how cool it was. But that would be unreal, to say the least."

Mychal Kendricks appears to be the type of player the Eagles can build around on defense, but there is more uncertainty about the inside-linebacker spot next to his.

DeMeco Ryans is coming off his second ruptured Achilles tendon and will be 31 next season. Najee Goode, who was supposed to be the top backup, tore his pectoral muscle in the season opener and missed the remaining 15 games. And Travis Long, who played at inside linebacker during the preseason, missed the entire regular season with his second torn ACL.

With little depth at that spot, the Eagles were forced to use Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho. Coach Chip Kelly could look to the draft - and perhaps find a future starter to pair with Mychal Kendricks.

Eric Kendricks will be an option. He met with the Eagles at the combine this week, and is expected to be drafted in the first two rounds. At 6 feet and 230 pounds, Eric faces knocks on his size like his brother did. But his production can override the size concerns: Eric led the NCAA with 93 solo tackles and is the all-time leading tackler in UCLA history.

"My ability to track down the ballcarrier wherever he's at and however I have to get there, I think it's uncommon," he said. "I can't even explain how I do it."

He added that he would like to improve his blitzing skills because he did not blitz often in college. He also thinks he can play any linebacker position, like Mychal, who went from outside linebacker in the 4-3 with the Eagles to inside linebacker in the 3-4.

"I love to be behind the ball in the middle running both ways for the run," Eric said. "And I love to be out wide for the pass. I don't mind it at all and I think I have the athletic skill to do everything."

Another undersize inside linebacker who will receive interest in the first two rounds is Miami's Denzel Perryman, a well-regarded prospect even though he's listed at 6 feet and 242 pounds - and he said he was 5-foot-11. Perryman is a hard hitter who must improve his pass-coverage skills. Perryman met with Eagles inside-linebackers coach Rick Minter on Thursday.

"I've been pretty much getting knocked for my height since I got to high school, getting recruited," Perryman said. "My play makes up for my height. I don't play like I'm 5-11."

One prospect who does not need to worry about being undersize is Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney, a 6-5, 249-pound force who is only the second player from the Bulldogs to become an early entrant for the draft. The other was Fletcher Cox, and that turned out well for the Eagles. McKinney would bring size that the Eagles lack at inside linebacker.

"It helps me quite a lot," McKinney said. "Looking over the line of scrimmage, me being long, the long wingspan [helps] get off the tall offensive linemen with my hands. It's a big advantage."

Texas Christian's Paul Dawson is another inside linebacker expected to go in the first two rounds. The Eagles lacked depth last year, and Ryans' uncertain future makes it a position the Eagles must address. They've already had success drafting one Kendricks in the second round. They could go that route again.

"We bring a lot of the same characteristics to the game," Eric said. "We can do a lot of things that a lot of people can't do. Flexibility, speed, collision at the point of attack. Those are things we both bring to the table."