Philadelphia Eagles vice president Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson where able to address some of the team's biggest needs on offense through free agency with the signing of wide receivers' Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. There is still a glaring need at the running back position; however early indications point towards the Birds using their first round pick of this year's NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball. Taking a cornerback with the 14th overall pick appears to be the general consensus given just how deep this year's draft class is at that position, but there are some rumblings that they may go with a defensive end to add some depth up front with the recent departure of both Bennie Logan and Connor Barwin.
Looking at the big board of any number of mock drafts, the one defensive lineman that could still be available at that 14th spot is former Tennessee standout Derek Barnett. A few other names that could be in the mix if the Eagles decide to go in this direction would be Takkarist McKinley out of UCLA and Alabama's Tim Williams.
Going back to cornerback as Philly's biggest need on defensive, it is probably just wishful thinking that Ohio State's Marshon Lattimore would still be on the board. This means that the Eagles would once again have to trade up to get the player they want, which is not an ideal situation for a team that has quite a few holes to fill in this year's draft. A bit further down the list are another two former Buckeyes at that same position. The first and most likely choice would be Gareon Conley, who has already shown up on NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper's board as the Eagles' top pick. The other prospect from Ohio State would be Malik Hooker, but he could be a bit of a reach this high in the first round.
The best thing about this year's NFL Draft is that it is being held outdoors at the Philadelphia Art Museum from April 27 to April 29. With the draft in our own backyard, the one thing that you can rest assured is that no matter which direction Roseman and Co. take when Philly is on the clock with that 14th overall pick, the home-town crowd will be sure to let them know exactly what they think about the player they select. If you think Donovan McNabb got booed way back in 1999 as the second overall pick in that year's draft, just wait and see how bad things get if the Philly faithful do not like this pick.
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