Before the NFL draft on April 27th, all 32 teams have the ability to bring in 30 different players of their choice for in person meetings. Here they can work the player out, interview him, and get a better understanding of them. Want to keep track of the players the Eagles have brought in to the NovaCare Complex? Stay here, and we will continue to update.
Alabama State: Tytus Howard | OT | 6'6, 311 lbs | Sr. (Source)
Jeff Stoutland has been banging the table for Howie, Joe Douglas and crew to draft Tytus Howard. Howard was in Philadelphia on Monday March 11th for a meeting with the team, his third so far this offseason.
Current Projection: 3rd-4th Round
Florida: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson | S | 5'11 207 lbs | Jr. (Source)
Johnson is another player that the team brought into Philadelphia on Monday (3/11) for a top-30 visit. The team had did not reportedly met with Johnson at earlier points this offseason, but the fact that he has been brought in for a visit, proves the team has some amount of interest. Gardner-Johnson has proven his ability to play in man coverage and excels in zone. Gardner-Johnson is known as the versatile swiss army knife on the back-end of the defense - a highly coveted skill in Philadelphia.
Current Projection: 2nd Round
Michigan: Karan Higdon | RB | 5'9 206 lbs | Sr (Source)
Karan Higdon is an intriguing running back prospect given his size at only 5'9. Higdon is a no nonsense runner, meaning he consistently gets his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and gets downhill. Higdon runs with authority, and has pretty decent balance (most likely due to his low center of gravity). What will make Higdon fall, other than his size is that he wasn't utilized much out of the backfield other than to block. This isn't to say that Higdon cannot develop into a sufficient pass catcher, he just hasn't shown it during his time at Michigan.
Current Projection: 3rd Round - 4th Round
Old Dominion: Oshane Ximines | EDGE | 6'3 253 lbs (Source)
Ximines is a big body from a small school. Consistently required double teams to keep him out of the backfield, Ximines used his speed and strength to get to the QB. If Ximines wasn't able to get to the QB, his hands were up. One play against Marshall, he batted the ball with one hand, and caught it for an interception with the other. Oshane flashes great pass rush moves, but sometimes gets off of his feet; something he will need to work on in the pros.
Current Projection: 3rd Round - 4th Round
TCU: L.J. Collier | DE | 6'4 276 lbs (Source)
You can never have too much depth on the defensive line. Collier's stature gives him the ability to remain on the outside, or transition to an interior linemen. He was the football IQ to adjust to any in-game scenario. A strong pro day has allowed him the chance to possibly be drafted at the end of the first round.
Current Projection: 1st-2nd Round
Ole Miss: A.J. Brown | WR | 6'1 230 lbs (Source)
With the addition of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles don't really have a pressing need for a wide receiver for 2019. Although if they decided to draft Brown, they would almost certainly have the best/deepest wide receiver group in the NFL. Drafting Brown in April could also mean that the team expects 2019 to be Nelson Agholor's last season in Philadelphia, as Brown projects to be a slot receiver in the NFL.
Current Projection: 1st Round
We mentioned Ford's name in the past as a player to watch during the CFB final four. Ford had a tough match-up against an Alabama front that embarrassed offensive lines all year. Against Alabama, Ford started off the game shaky, but finished with authority and showed why he could end up being a day one selection. Many project Ford to move inside to guard in the NFL. Interesting to note: Lance Zierlein of NFL.com has compared Ford to a current Eagles guard, Brandon Brooks. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland also had a close look at Ford at his pro day.
Current Projection: 1st Round
Arkansas: Hjalte Froholdt | C/G | 6'5 315 lbs (Source)
Froholdt has experience at left guard and center, which are both areas of concern for the Eagles offensive line (especially with Jason Kelce contemplating retirement at the end of each year). His versatility could be a key reason the Eagles have interest in him, as they'll be looking to replace Stefen Wisniewski'sversatility for 2019 and beyond.
Current Projection: 4th-5th Round
Penn State: Amani Oruwariye | CB | 6'1 203 lbs (Source)
This could wind up being a smokescreen, as cornerback isn't necessarily a need for the Eagles at this point. However, if there is some serious interest it is well-founded. Oruwariye can match up with any receiver and not be overmatched. The Eagles would need to invest one of their early draft picks if they want Oruwariye in midnight green.
Current Projection: 2nd Round
Boston College: Chris Lindstrom | OL | 6'4 310 lbs (Source)
Lindstrom is considered one of the best interior offensive line prospects in this year's draft. He has no major flaws, and has solidified all of the necessary skills needed to become a starting offensive linemen in the NFL. He will be able to jump right in and start right away for the Eagles if Howie Roseman wants to draft him to help protect Carson Wentz.
Current Projection: 2nd Round
Coming into the 2018 season, Oliver was widely regarded as the possible number one overall draft pick for the 2019 draft. His final collegiate season didn't go as well as many expected, and a fight on the sidelines with one of his coaches became a brief talking point for Oliver's NFL future. Since the conclusion of the college football season, Oliver has been slowly falling down draft boards and mock drafts, but is still unanimously being predicted to be a 1st-rounder. With the Eagles sitting at 25th overall, it's hard to see Oliver falling that far down, but if Oliver is there the Eagles will run their draft card up to Roger Goodell to pick Oliver and claim the rights to the best defensive line in the NFL. Oliver would rotate with Malik Jackson next to Fletcher Cox, and provide mass chaos up the middle for opposing quarterbacks.
Current Projection: 1st Round
Houston: Isaiah Johnson | CB | 6'4, 203 lbs | Sr. (Source)
Johnson can perform both on defense and on special teams. In his senior season, he compiled 66 tackles (2 for loss), 7 passes defended and 2 interceptions. He also has the length to compete against the tallest receivers around. The cornerback position isn't a need for the Eagles, but you never know if Howie Roseman is planning on any wheeling and dealing.
Current Projection: 4th-5th Round
Virginia: Juan Thornhill | S | 6'0, 210 lbs | Sr. (Source)
Regarded as one of the best safeties in this year's draft, Thornhill accumulated a host of accolades in 2018:
College Football News All-America (HM)
All-ACC (1st)Associated Press
All-Bowl GamePro Football Focus All-ACC (2nd)
Athlon Sports All-ACC (2nd)
With the Eagles needing three solid safeties for their defense to be successful, it seems likely the team is willing to spend on of their top picks on a defensive back. Thornhill will be a starter in the NFL, and with Rodney McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins getting older, the team also needs to prepare for life after those two safeties hit the wall.
Current Projection: 2nd Round
Mississippi State: Montez Sweat| DE | 6’6 245lbs | Sr. (source)
Sweat racked up tons of accolades in his senior season:
2018 First-Team All-American (FWAA, Sporting News, Phil Steele)
2018 Second-Team All-American (Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports)
First-Team All-SEC (Associated Press, Coaches)
2018 Bednarik Award Semifinalist
Finished second in the SEC and tied for sixth nationally in sacks after leading the league as a junior
The defensive end position isn't a "need" anymore since the team decided to re-sign Brandon Graham, but Howie Roseman has made it known he wants the Eagles to have extreme depth on both the defensive line and offensive line. Sweat isn't projected to be there by the time the Eagles pick 25th overall, but stranger things have happened. Roseman could also decide to trade up to grab one of the best pass rushers in this year's draft.
Current Projection: Early 1st Round
Washington: Kaleb McGary | OT | 6’8 324lbs | Sr. (source)
A two-time All-Pac-12 First Team member, McGary excelled in the college game. He was also the winner of the 2018 Morris Trophy (voted by opposing team players) as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12. He spent all of his time at right tackle, but some believe he could make a transition to the guard position in the pros. Obviously that transition would mean he needs time to adjust, so McGary might not contribute right away to the Eagles if Howie Roseman selected him.
Current Projection: 2nd-3rd Round
Georgia: DeAndre Baker | CB | 5’11 185lbs | Sr. (source)
Considered a top five cornerback in this draft, it's curious that the Eagles are bringing him in even after signing Ronald Darby back for another year. This could just end up being a smokescreen, or they want to know more about Baker if they feel he has a decent chance of ending up in the NFC East or in the NFC in general. It's likely he's on the board still when the Eagles are on the clock in the 1st-round, but I just can't see them pulling the trigger on him when there are other priorities.
Current Projection: 1st Round
Alabama: Josh Jacobs | RB | 5'10, 216 lbs| Jr. (source)
Jacobs is a perfect fit for the Eagles offense. A three-down back that can catch the ball out of the backfield, run over a defender in between the tackles, or make a man miss in the open field. The Eagles addressed part of their need at running back with Jordan Howard, but the team still could decide on drafting Jacobs and having a dynamic 1-2 punch in Howard and Jacobs.
Current Projection: 1st-2nd Round
Arizona State: N’Keal Harry| WR | 6’4 213lbs (source)
Harry has all the tools you want your outside receiver to have. His size allows him to be a redzone target, and his 22 career receiving touchdowns shows he knows how to get into the endzone. He also has a trademarked “Philly toughness” to him, and is an excellent blocker downfield. The team has had interest in him for a while - they were at his pro day last month and also were scouting him way back in September.
Wide receiver isn’t a need for the 2019 Eagles, but no one knows what the future holds for Nelson Agholor at the moment, and no one knows when DeSean Jackson will lose his step and not be an effective deep threat anymore. So the Eagles might be thinking to find a replacement now so there isn’t a significant drop in 2020 if one of those two receivers leaves. If they go wide receiver early they better fill out the rest of their holes in days two and three of the draft.
Current Projection: 1st Round
Lousiana Tech: Jaylon Ferguson| DE | 6'5 262lbs (source)
Ferguson, albeit a small school product, led the nation in sacks with 17.5 in 2018. Ferguson displays an elite bull rush, and leverages it to set up his other moves. While many say that Jaylon's achievements are due to the small school competition, he also threw around LSU tackles.
Ferguson simply has the power and burst off the line of scrimmage to exceed at the NFL level. To add, Ferguson is being compared to Marcus Davenport, the DE drafted in the middle of the 2018 first round by New Orleans. The Eagles also had a scout at his pro day, so the interest is real.
Current Projection: 1st Round
UCF: Trysten Hill | DT | 6’2 315lbs (source)
Hill is entering the NFL coming off a career-high 36 tackles and 3 sacks last season. He also has some experience carrying the ball on offense, getting two rushes last season and getting into the endzone once. The Eagles do need interior defensive line help, so we'll just need to wait and see if the team addresses the need in the first round, or wait to snag hill on day two. The Eagles had a scout at his pro day, so he is on the team's radar.
Current Projection: 2nd-4th Round
Ohio State: Parris Campbell | WR | 6'0 205lbs (source)
Campbell is a burner. With 4.31 speed (40-yard dash) one would think of Campbell as a consistent deep threat. Surprisingly enough, his average depth of target, or aDOT, in 2018 was a whopping 4.5 yards. The NFL average in the same year: 5.7 yards. Campbell tortured defenses with his shallow crosses and ability to make defenders miss, but he will need to prove that he can run crisp enough routes to take the top off defenses.
The great thing about Campbell is that he was asked to do it all, similar to Percy Harvin coming out of Florida (Urban Meyer has a certain type of player). As long as he can develop his route tree in the NFL, Campbell can become a sure-fire starter in today's NFL. The Eagles had a scout at Ohio State's pro daya few weeks back to get a look at him then.
Current Projection: 2nd-3rd Round
Clemson: Christian Wilkins | DT | 6'4, 300 lbs (Source)
Wilkins is a large part of Clemson’s success on defense over the past few years (no pun intended). However, PFF did not grade him well and had some harsh words on his pass rush abilities stating:
“Wilkins has never had the production truly match the first-round hype, but he’s been productive in multiple roles in Clemson’s defense. He must improve upon his pass-rush productivity of 5.4 that ranked 119th among interior defensive linemen.”
Fletcher Cox is getting older, and with not much depth at the position after Cox and Malik Jackson the Eagles may want to take a look into drafting a DT early in the draft. Keep an eye on Wilkins to the Eagles, as they were scouting him back in October and November as well as at the combine.
Current Draft Projection: 1st-2nd Round
Memphis: Darrell Henderson | RB | 5’9 200lbs (Source)
Henderson has the talents to eventually become a feature back in an NFL offense. He didn't show much in the passing game out of the back field, but he did end up with 8 receiving touchdowns in his three-year career. His 8.7 yards per touch shows he has big-play abilities, which the Eagles lacked in 2018. With the addition of DeSean Jackson and now possibility Darrell Henderson, the 2019 Eagles could have home run capabilities in both the passing and running game.
Current Projection: 2nd Round
Oklahoma State: Justice Hill | RB | 5’10 198lbs (Source)
Hill finished his junior season gaining 930 rushing yards on 158 attempts, getting into the endzone 9 times. He didn't add much in the receiving game, catching just 13 balls for 68 receiving yards. His biggest weakness is his pass protection, which the Eagles might be needing from their running backs especially with Wentz's health. He could become a mid-round option for the Birds, giving a change of pace and allow Jordan Howard some rest from time to time.
Current Projection: 3rd-4th Round
Baylor: Jalen Hurd | WR | 6'4 217lbs (Source)
Hurd is still learning the wide receiver the position, as he was previously a running back in college. So he is understandably still a raw player, but the talent is there. Hurd has big play abilities that the Eagles could use in the future. He finished the 2018 season ranked 10th nationally with 48 receptions of 10+ yards. With the future at the wide receiver position unclear with the Eagles thanks to Nelson Agholor's contract and DeSean Jackson's age, it'd be smart for the team to look to the future and draft a guy who can potentially develop into an impact receiver if given the time to adjust and learn some more.
Current Projection: 3rd-4th Round
Notre Dame: Jerry Tillery | DT | 6'7 305lbs (Source)
Tillery was a monster in his final season, picking up 8 sacks and 3 forced fumbles with 30 total tackles (10.5 for loss) and 5 QB hurries. The Eagles want someone dominant to pair next to Fletcher Cox for the next half a decade while Cox is still in his prime, and Tillery could very well be that option if he is available at #25 in the draft. We previously mentioned Tillery as an option for the 2019 Eagles back in December.
Current Projection: 1st Round
Georgia : Mecole Hardman | WR | 5'11 183lbs (Source)
This dude has SPEED. Hardman showed off his best trait by running a 4.33 40-yard dash at the Combine. He has some experience with special teams returns - although he didn't get enough returns to qualify, Hardman would have ranked 2nd nationally, first in SEC, in punt returns at 20.1 yards/return. He would be a great transition from Darren Sproles as the team's punt return if he was selected, and he could become DeSean Jackson's protégé and occasionally get some of Jackson's deep threat reps when Jackson needs a breather.
Current Projection: 4th Round
Michigan : Rashan Gary | DT | 6'5 278lbs (Source)
Gary didn't put up eye-popping numbers in his final season (44 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and 3.5 sacks), but he is still widely regarded as one of the top prospects in this year's draft. He isn't expected to make it to the 25th overall pick, but if he drops for some reason the Eagles would run to the podium to call his name. The Eagles are craving to pair a dominant defensive tackle next to Fletcher Cox and Gary would create a monstrous middle of a defensive line.
Current Projection: 1st Round
Toledo : Denote Johnson | WR | 5'11 181lbs (Source)
Drafting Johnson would give the Eagles a dynamic player that would boost not only their offense, but also their special teams. In 2018 he was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year, while also being named First-Team All-MAC as a wide receiver and punt returner and Second-Team All-MAC as a kickoff returner. He would slip right into the slot position in the Eagles offense, giving Nelson Agholor some plays off. He doesn't currently have much competition in the return game and would likely be both the kick and punt returner for the Birds. He would absolutely be worth the late-round commitment.
Current Projection: 5th-6th Round
Clemson : Dexter Lawrence | DT | 6'4 350lbs (Source)
Lawrence has been on the Eagles radar for a while, as the team scouted him back in Octoberand November. He completed his Clemson career with 162 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 43 quarterback pressures, five pass breakups, a caused fumble and three recovered fumbles. Lawrence was named first-team All-American and was also a three-time All-ACC selection. His amazing collegiate carrer will assure him that he is selected in the first-round of the draft. Howie Roseman might end up making him the team's first selection.
Current Projection: 1st Round
