The 2017 NFL Draft came to a close on Saturday, and the Eagles used the weekend to add eight new players through their selections.
If the pre-draft hype is all about the potential destinations of the top players available, the post-draft hype is about evaluating how a team chose to approach the draft, even if it is way too early to project how a player's future will be or to assign a grade.
That said, the Sports Talk Philly staff attempted to grade the Eagles draft and gave their thoughts on the weekend as a whole for Howie Roseman, Joe Douglas and company.
Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor
Grade: B
A lot of people will rate this as a safe draft for the Eagles or one that didn't feature many exciting picks. Time will tell on how successful these picks really are, but on the surface, this was a solid draft for the Eagles.
They needed to improve at cornerback. Adding Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas on Day 2 aided in that. They needed to get more to help the pass rush. Taking Derek Barnett in the first round will improve that. They needed to add a running back. They traded up in the fourth round to select Donnel Pumphrey. They added two new wide receivers that could mold into potential starters and solid pieces for the future.
All in all, it's not a bad haul for a first-round pick smack in the middle at 14 and a smattering of picks throughout the remaining two days. It may not be the type of group that pays off in the short-term, and that's the hardest thing to take.
Really all of these picks have good upside and are good character picks. If grades were given for potential and upside, this would be an 'A' draft. Since there is so much upside to the picks, but time will tell if they really pan out, I'll give it a solid 'B' and say I'm satisfied with how this draft was approached.
Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer
Grade: B
Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly staff writer
Tom Long, Sports Talk Philly staff writer
Grade: C+
The Eagles made a clear, defined statement in the 2017 Draft: production over potential. The Eagles, to my mind, played it extremely safe. This was first shown by their first-round pick Derek Barnett, and continued to be the theme throughout.
This theme was again showcased in the third round, when the Eagles selected Mack Hollins with the 118th pick. Hollins is a sure-handed, big and strong receiver. After the number of dropped passes last season, this pick makes sense.
Overall, this draft makes sense for the Eagles. Go out, pick up talented players with promise, and avoid draft busts. Not a bad strategy, but I found myself mumbling "eh" with every passing pick.
This draft receives a 'C+' because I didn’t see enough exciting picks. However, it was a productive and effective draft strategy executed well by Roseman and Douglas.
