PHILADELPHIA – The good news for the Eagles is that they addressed two major areas of need in the first round by drafting defensive tackle Jordan Davis and trading with the Tennessee Titans for wide receiver A.J. Brown.
The bad news is the Eagles still need a cornerback and a safety, and they have fewer picks to work with. The Eagles began the draft with 10 picks. But they’re down to five total after trading four of their picks – No. 15, No. 124, No. 162 and No. 166 – to get Davis, and two more – No. 18 and No. 101 – to get Brown.
That leaves the Eagles with two picks on Friday, a second-round pick at No. 51 and a third-round pick at No. 83.
Here are eight players they could target with those picks:
Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
The Eagles are picking towards the end of the second round, so there’s a better chance that McCreary will be available after fellow cornerbacks Andrew Booth and Kyler Gordon were not drafted in the first round.
Booth and Gordon should go early in the second round. McCreary is 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, and led the SEC with 14 pass breakups in 2021 along with 2 interceptions. The Eagles need a starter at cornerback, and McCreary should be battle tested from playing in the SEC.
Jaquan Brisker, Safety, Penn State
The Eagles should be OK with Anthony Harris and Marcus Epps as the starters. But they do need a long-term starter with Harris on a one-year contract and Epps not established as a starter.
Brisker, at 6-1, 199 pounds, has good size for a safety, and he was known at Penn State for his toughness and versatility, both traits that the Eagles crave from a safety. Brisker had 2 interceptions last season to go along with 63 tackles.
Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati
Yes, Bryant was named after the NBA legend Kobe Bryant. And if the Eagles get him in the third round, he was battle-tested enough at Cincinnati to step in and play. That’s because opponents often threw his way rather than testing the other cornerback, Sauce Gardner, who went No. 4 to the Jets.
That would clearly be the case with Darius Slay on the other side for the Eagles.
Bryant led the Bearcats with 11 pass breakups. He also had 45 tackles, three interceptions and three forced fumbles. At 6-1, 193 pounds, he has the size to battle taller receivers. But his 4.54 in the 40 could be a concern.
Jalen Pitre, Safety, Baylor
Pitre could fit what the Eagles are looking for as a safety because of his versatility. He began his college career as a linebacker before moving to a hybrid safety.
At 5-11, 198 pounds, Pitre led the Bears with 18 tackles for loss. He also had three sacks, 76 total tackles, intercepted 2 passes and had 3 fumble recoveries. Pitre was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.
Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
It’s very possible that the Eagles could target a running back in the third round.
Miles Sanders is entering the final year of his contract. If he has a great season, he could price himself out of returning. And if he can’t stay healthy – he has missed nine games in the last two seasons – the Eagles will need someone who can replace him.
Spiller, at 6-0, 217 pounds, had 1,011 yards rushing last season. He’s not as accomplished a receiver as Sanders, but the Eagles have Kenny Gainwell for those third-down situations.
Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska
Jason Kelce has contemplated retirement in each of the last four offseasons, so it would behoove the Eagles to have a replacement on the roster if this, in fact, is Kelce’s final season.
That way, the player can spend this season learning from one of the greatest centers in Eagles history. Sure, the Eagles could also move either guards Landon Dickerson or Isaac Seumalo there. But Jurgens, like Kelce, is a good athlete, and he played center his entire career at Nebraska.
Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia
It’s hard to gauge if Tindall’s stats last season were a result of his burgeoning talent or benefitting from a great Georgia defensive line that included Eagles’ first-round pick Jordan Davis.
Either way, Tindall didn’t start a game last season, but still ranked third on the Bulldogs with 67 tackles, in addition to 5.5 sacks. Tindall, however, has good size and speed for an inside linebacker at 6-2, 230 pounds with a 4.47 in the 40.
That would be enticing to Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gann
Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
The Eagles wouldn’t dare take a quarterback in the second or third round, would they? Well, who thought they would take Jalen Hurts in the second round in 2020 when they had Carson Wentz?
Ridder could fall to the Eagles in the second round considering that Kenny Pickett was the only QB to go in the first round. At 6-3, 211 pounds, Ridder ran a 4.52 in the 40. Ridder was a four-year starter for the Bearcats and got better each season. In 2021, he threw for 3,334 yards and 30 TDs against just 8 interceptions. He also ran for 365 yards and 8 TDs.
If Hurts doesn’t prove that he’s the QB beyond this season, the Eagles can take a chance with Ridder.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
