Saturday, April 14, 2018

Eagles Lincs NFL Mock Draft 1.0

In an effort to expedite my first mock draft ahead of the actual 2018 NFL Draft in Dallas on April 26-28, I have decided to jump to the last pick of the first round which is normally reserved for the previous season's Super Bowl Champion.

I have to be honest when it comes to this year's draft. I am woefully behind the curve since the Eagles are picking last in the first round. In previous years, I would normally be immersed in charting all the top prospects, breaking down Philly's biggest needs and grading the players that might be on the board when Howie Roseman and Co. go on the clock. This year, I am still busy watching the replay of Super Bowl LII and pinching myself to let me know that the final score was in the Eagles' favor.

Two years ago, it was classic Roseman wheelin' and dealin' to land Carson Wentz with the second overall pick. If you would go back over my draft posts on this blog for the 2016 proceedings, you would find that I was not too keen on what the Birds gave up to get their franchise quarterback. You would also realize why I am doing what I do and Roseman does what he does.

Last year's draft filled a big hole in the defensive line with the addition of Derek Barnett. He did not win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, but he was instrumental in helping the Eagles win their first Super Bowl title in 52 years. I had Philly taking running back Dalvin Cook with that pick, but he ended up going to Minnesota early in the second round.

Looking ahead to this year's draft, the buzz in town is that the Eagles are taking a very close look at LSU running back Derrius Guise at No. 32. There is a chance he will be off the board by then given that quite a few mock drafts have him going earlier in the round. However, if is is on the board when Philly goes on the clock in Big D with the last pick of the first round, Guise would be my top pick as well.

Last year's amazing Super Bowl run through the top teams in the league proved that you can never have too many backs running the ball. I love Jay Ajayi as the lead back and Corey Clement proved he can play at the next level. We might even see long-time veteran Darren Sproles using his soon-to-be 35-year old legs to make some more plays for the Birds.

The addition of Guise would make an already potent running game that much better considering that Philly was ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards per game last season. Building a team from the inside out on both sides of the ball and churning up the clock with the run are two of the main reasons why Philadelphia is the current NFL Super Bowl Champion. From what I have seen from Guise during his playing days for LSU, he could go a long way towards helping the Eagles stay at the top of the heap in their title defense.

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