Eagles will draft defense first

April 11 , 2007 | By Mike Santa Barbara | Discuss

April 28th is circled on every gridiron fan’s calendar, the NFL Draft. Very few drafts in sports are broken down and analyzed quite like the NFL draft. In short the NFL draft is a big deal, a very big deal. Especially in Philadelphia where most fans are hoping the Eagles don’t take another Defensive Tackle or Offensive Lineman with their first pick. The Eagles have some obvious needs especially on the defensive side of the ball. Needs which can be addressed with the 26th pick overall which happens to be where the Eagles pick first. The Birds are thin at Defensive End as well at Tackle and linebacker. However, Looking closely they are very thin in the Secondary, which is the position they will draft in the first round.

Going into the Draft the Birds Secondary looks like this:

Cornerback	Safety
Sheldon Brown Lito Sheppard William James Joselio Hanson Dustin Fox	Brian Dawkins Sean Considine Quintin Mikell

The Eagles are always looking towards the future. We all know that Brian Dawkins may have only one good season in him left. Sean Considine still lacks the coverage skills and size to be a legitimate starter at Safety. Quintin Mikell is a nice player in certain situations and a great special teams player but that’s it. Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard have been here for five seasons and are not getting any younger. And some would argue that Roderick Hood may be a better player then both Lito and Sheldon but he’s off to Arizona. William James is only here for one more season playing only for the possibility of a big free agent contract next off-season. A big free agent contract that we all know he will not be getting from the Eagles. Joselio Hanson showed some heart last season but lacks the talent to be an everyday corner. And Dustin Fox may have gotten on the field twice last season on special teams in between getting cut every other week, strictly a special teams or practice squad player.

So looking at this more deeply the Eagles Secondary looks very thin. Thankfully, For the Eagles, The upcoming draft is very deep at Cornerback and Safety. Below are some possible players that could be
wearing mid-night green:

Chris Houston- CB- Arkansas

5”ll 185lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Speedy Great Closing Speed Good Cover Guy Gets Off Blocks Well	Sub Par Against the Run Does Not Anticipate Routes Well Not a Big Hitter	4.32 40-Yard Dash 36-Inch Vertical 225lbs (27 Reps) Bench Press	Likely to go late 1st Rd early 2nd Will be on the board when Eagles select

Marcus McCauley- CB- Fresno State

6”1 200lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Gap Filler Good Tackler Anticipates Routes Well Gets Off Blocks Well	Sometimes Gambles too Much Play Regressed During Senior Season	4.48 40-Yard Dash 36-Inch Vertical 225lbs (17 Reps) Bench Press	Likely a Late 1st Rd Pick Early 2nd Will be on the board when Eagles select

Brandon Meriweather- S- Miami

5”11 192lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Big Hitter Very Aggressive Good Cover Guy Not Afraid to Plug Holes	Size Could Be a Problem , Needs to Bulk up to last in the NFL	4.56 40-Yard Dash 35-Inch Vertical 225lbs (11 Reps) Bench Press	Late 1st Rd Pick Will be on the board when Eagles select

Reggie Nelson- FS- Florida
6”0 193lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Big Hitter Speedy Solid Cover guy	Sometimes Gets to Aggressive Sometimes Goes For Big Hits At the Wrong Times	(Campus Combine) 4.37 40-Yard Dash 39-Inch Vertical 325lb Bench Press	Mid to late 1st Rd Likely gone by the time the Eagles select

Leon Hall-CB-Michigan

5”11 193lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Smart Defender Big Hitter Takes Good Angles Toward the Ball Works Well Off Blocks	Lacks Explosive “NFL” Speed Not Good In Man Coverage	4.41 40-Yard Dash 371/2-Inch Vertical No Bench Press	Could Go Anywhere in the 1st Rd Most likely off the board when Eagles select

Michael Griffin-FS-Texas
6”0 195lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Great Tackler Good Closing Speed Big Play Potential	Sometimes Too Aggressive Doesn’t Have “NFL” Strength Yet	4.47 40-Yard Dash 36-Inch Vertical 225lbs (16 Reps) Bench Press	Likely to go late 1st Rd Early 2nd Rd Likely to be on the board when Eagles select

Darrelle Revis-CB-Pitt
6”0 197lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Makes Quick Route Reads Big Hitter Tight Coverage Guy	Lacks Explosive Speed Takes Risks Going After Big Hits Tackling Needs Work	(Campus Combine) 4.54 40-Yard Dash 37-Inch Vertical 325lbs Bench Press	Likely a Mid-to Late 1st Rd Pick Most likely off the board when the Eagles select

Aaron Ross-CB-Texas
6”1 192lbs

Positives	Negatives	Combine	Possible Draft Position
Speedy Plays With The Urgency A NFL Player Needs Big Play Ability	Not A Sure Tackler Takes Bad Angles To The Ball Doesn’t Adjust To Routes Well	4.54 40-Yard Dash 34-Inch Vertical 225lbs (17 Reps) Bench Press	Late 1st Rd Pick Most likely on the board when the Eagles select

Eagles will draft defense first

April 11 , 2007 | By Mike Santa Barbara | Discuss

Marcus McCauley- CB- Fresno State

Brandon Meriweather- S- Miami

5”11 192lbs

Negatives