Monday mock draft roundup: Post-free agency overreactions

Secondary need in the first round

The bulk of NFL free agency has come and gone. So we can finally start to properly overreact to mock drafts! The Eagles have locked themselves into drafting a cornerback at some point in the draft. Most everyone agrees that will be in the 1st.

Charles Robinson and Nate Tice, Yahoo

31st via trade with the 49ers

CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

Another Georgia cornerback for Howie Roseman to obsess over. Hopefully, this one is a hit because the Eagles really need an infusion of young, quality talent at cornerback.

Great write up. “Hopefully this one is a hit” what, do they hope that some of the other picks aren’t hits?

The Eagles do need a quality young CB… but Lassiter in the 1st round, no. Some people are high on him, but I am not, though I do like him. Day two, fine, but the 1st round is a reach. Reaches are a theme for this draft: JJ McCarthy 3rd, Michael Penix 13th, Adonai Mitchell 17th, Patrick Paul 32nd. The Yahoo team has been entertaining all offseason, keep up the content fellas.

Ian Valentino, The 33rd Team

CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Midway through the 2023 season, it became apparent that the Philadelphia Eagles made a mistake bringing James Bradberry and Darius Slay back on big contracts. Both players looked slow and old suddenly, so adding fresh legs to the cornerback room is critical. The best pure cover man in this draft is Kool-Aid McKinstry.

McKinstry doesn’t have Mitchell’s elite burst or Arnold’s versatility, but he can mirror a receiver with quick feet, terrific instincts and great timing. He’s someone who will be a high-floor player right away.

After the inability to work out at the Combine dropped McKinstry into the late 20s or out of the 1st round entirely in most mocks, a good pro day by McKinstry predictably has him back into the early 20s in most mock drafts. Welcome back to where you always were Kool-Aid!

In this mock Cooper DeJean is also on the board. We’re still five weeks away from the draft, but picking between those two feels like a very realistic scenario for the Eagles. So watch them have both on the board but draft an offensive tackle (which I would be fine with).

Will Brinson, CBS

WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia

If there’s a quality UGA prospect available you can bet Howie Roseman will consider drafting him.

Not happening. I think Will ran out of Fs to give about this mock. When you have to churn out the volume of mocks he does, it’s understandable.

Josh Edwards, CBS

EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State

It feels like Philadelphia is motivated to move on from Josh Sweat this offseason, which is a curious move unless the Eagles have a plan to bring in someone else. Bryce Huff, Haason Reddick and Nolan Smith are not exactly expected to hold up against the run.

Uhh Josh you got it backwards, they’re keeping Sweat, if anyone moves it’s Reddick. Which would open up a place in the draft for a stand up edge rusher. If the Eagles are going edge in the 1st, I’m down with Verse.

Mel Kiper, ESPN

CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson

This has been an offseason of change for the Eagles, who have new coordinators on both sides of the ball and have seen two stalwarts retire in center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. And after a rough end to their season, coach Nick Sirianni finds himself with a few holes on his roster. I almost slotted in a receiver to add to Jalen Hurts’ fantastic set of skill-position talent — how about Xavier Worthy (Texas)? — but I see defense as the bigger problem.

Philadelphia ranked 30th in both points allowed per game (25.2) and QBR allowed (55.7), and it was 31st in passing yards allowed to receivers (3,125). Veteran starting corners Darius Slay and James Bradberry are each on the wrong side of 30. Wiggins could step in and play a huge role for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. At 6-foot-1, 173 pounds, he’s slender, but he has elite speed. He ran a blazing 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

Mel, the Eagles are not taking Xavier Worthy in the 1st round.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL

Nate Wiggins

The Eagles’ pass defense was atrocious last season. Wiggins is the most natural cover man in this year’s draft.

Points for brevity?

Also on the board in Kiper’s mock is Cooper DeJean, in Jeremiah’s both DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry are available as well.

Wiggins might be “the most natural cover man in this year’s draft” but that only gets you so far in the NFL when you weigh 175 lbs. I’d rather let someone else take the risk on Wiggins. If three tier 1 CBs are on the board, I’d look to trade back and add a pick between 53 and 120. Speaking of that…

Chris Trapasso, CBS

27 via trade with the Cardinals, Eagles add 71

Kool-Aid McKinstry

McKinstry has hummed under the radar in this pre-draft process but had two strong seasons back-to-back at Alabama, and the Eagles need more cornerback help.

50 – CB TJ Tampa, Iowa State

53 – LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M

71 – S Cole Bishop, Utah

At 22 McKinstry, DeJean, and Wiggins are all on the board, and there’s a trade back!

Moving back and drafting McKinstry at 27, fine, but to then take TJ Tampa at 50 makes no sense. Two CBs in this draft is not an unreasonable, but going outside CB on back to back picks is.

Edgerrin Cooper… give me Payton Wilson, who went at 58, instead. Cole Bishop I like but I’d probably go with a different position in the 3rd round.

Chad Reuter, NFL

16 via trade with Seattle

CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Mitchell’s stock rose throughout his senior year and has continued to ascend during the pre-draft process at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine. General manager Howie Roseman trades up yet again to help the team’s pass defense, swapping a second-rounder for a fourth in the deal.

53 – TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas

102 – C Dylan McMahon, NC State

120 – WR Malik Washington, Virginia

Four rounds of mayhem! Bo Nix, Xavier Worthy, Payton Wilson, Darius Robinson, Patrick Paul, and Max Melton in the 1st round! Blake Corum RB1 and a kicker in the 3rd round! Shoot your shot Chad.

Trading up to 16 for Mitchell is not a move I would take. I wouldn’t trade up for anyone in this draft for the Eagles.

A tight end at 53? Go to lunch Chad. Sit still for 99 picks to then draft a center might not be exciting, but I get it. McMahon had the best RAS of all the centers at the Combine, and the Eagles love high RAS players. Washington is a small slot only receiver who doesn’t offer a downfield threat. There are better fits available in this mock.

My turn

No more 3rd round pick for the Birds, so just two rounds this time. This is all for fun anyway so let’s go with some players I haven’t yet mock drafted and/or profiled.

22 – CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Also on the board: Nate Wiggins, Laiatu Latu, Amarius Mims

Mims I like but have already covered in the past, so he’s out for this. Latu I’m not taking in the 1st round for medical reasons, and NFL teams might not too. So it’s Wiggins or DeJean, and I’m staying clear of Wiggins’ worryingly thin frame that makes him boom or bust, and I’m taking the guy with ability to play outside corner, slot corner, and safety.

50 – LB Payton Wilson, NC State

53 – WR Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Also on the board: Tyler Nubin, Zach Frasier, Javon Bullard, Adisa Isaac, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jermaine Burton, Jonah Elliss, Ruke Orhorhoro, Jonathan Brooks, Kiran Amegadjie, Marshawn Kneeland, Ja’Lynn Polk, Kris Jenkins, Jaden Hicks, Christian Haynes, Jalen McMillian, Junior Colson

Let’s do some process of elimination: Undersized DT isn’t a fit, so cross Orhorhoro and Jenkins off. They just signed an undersized edge rusher, so cross Kneeland, Isaac, and Elliss off as well. Jonathan Brooks is coming off an ACL tear and he’d be stuck behind Saquon Barkley, so he’s eliminated too. Can’t have enough DBs but considering who is still out there in free agency and the team bringing back CJGJ, I’m not going safety in the 2nd round, so scratch Nubin, Bullard, and Hicks off. If I’m going OL in the 2nd it’s for a T/G player, not a pure guard so Haynes is out, or a center so Frasier is out too. TE in the 2nd is bad value for the Eagles, so no to Sanders.

So give me Wilson and Pearsall.

Wilson is old (24 when the season starts) and averages over two surgeries per limb, so in April I can see him being available on day three because teams are so scared of the medicals. But in this mock draft I don’t care, he’s a hell of a player.

I am in the camp of Wilson being the only tier 1 LB. The injury concerns are real and may push him into the 3rd round in April. But he didn’t miss a game this year due to injury, only missing the bowl game by opting out. Wilson has all the measurables you want, a great motor, a high football IQ, and is a playmaker. He does everything, and he does it at 100 mph, sometimes to his detriment.

I’ve said before that despite his size Pearsall plays on film to me like a small slot receiver. Watching more of him, that was a little harsh, though he doesn’t play as fast as he tested. He’s also a willing and able blocker. You can’t teach size, speed, hands, and Pearsall has all three. Like Wilson, this might be too high for Pearsall in April.

With no picks between 53 and 120, I’d prefer to trade down in the 2nd, but that’s no fun.