Eagles 1st Round Targets: Part III

 

By: Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly Staff 

As pro days come to an end, and individual workouts begin to ramp up, we continue our weekly look at potential draft targets for the Eagles.

Last week we looked at Michigan's Taco Charlton, Michigan State's Malik McDowell, and LSU's Leonard Fournette

The attention will remain on defense, mainly because of the sheer depth on that side of the ball in this draft as well as the Eagles' ample needs at various defensive positions. 

This week we look at two defensive prospects from the Southeastern Conference and a small school wide receiver who could be the best receiver in the draft. 

DT Caleb Brantley, Florida

6'3", 307lbs, 5.14 40 yard dash, 27" vertical, 21 bench reps

Caleb Brantley is arguably the best defensive tackle in the country, and according to himself, it is not an argument. "I think I'm the best D-lineman in the country," Brantley said prior to his final season at Florida.

Brantley put pressure on himself before he even set foot on the field, and he certainly did not collapse under the weight of his statement.

In his final season, he registered 2.5 sacks and a team leading 8.5 tackles for loss in 10 games. Brantley was a consistent player at Florida, with 6.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in 2015 across 10 games and 21 tackles with four for loss in his freshman season at Florida. 

Brantley is quick at getting a jump on the ball, and has the strength to out-muscle offensive linemen. He showed an ability to rush the passer at Florida along with his ability to clog holes. 

Scouts feel that Brantley is a slightly undersized and that he will need to put on some more weight to be a truly impactful player at the NFL level.

Brantley is good at getting upfield in passing situations and quick enough to get off of blocks in the running game. Jim Schwartz will like both of those characteristics to join his defensive line and fill the shoes of the recently departed Bennie Logan next to Fletcher Cox on the line.

WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan

6'3", 209, did not participate in combine

The only knock against Corey Davis is his level of competition. But that should not matter for Eagles fans, since their franchise quarterback made that argument invalid. If you can play, you can play, and Corey Davis certainly can. 

The receivers in this year's NFL draft are headlined by Mike Williams, John Ross, and Davis. If you read mock drafts, you will know that there is no clear consensus among the draft "experts" on which receiver will be the first one off of the board. 

Honestly, If Davis played in a major conference, there would not be an argument. 

He has the size that you want. Corey Davis is reminiscent of Terrell Owens physically, a tall receiver with a defined muscular body and breakaway speed, but so what? Dorial Green-Beckham was compared to Randy Moss based on measurables and that comparison has proven to be very inaccurate.

The difference between Davis and DGB is on film. There were concerns about DGB's work ethic and polish coming out of school. With Davis the film shows a complete receiver. Davis catches anything within his radius, and he is maybe the best route runner in the best route runner in the nation.

These traits alone are good enough to make him a first round pick, but what makes Davis truly special is his ability with the ball in his hands. Davis makes defenders miss, and has the vision to identify exactly which lane to take after completing a catch. Every time he catches the ball he is a threat to go to the end zone. 

Davis will leave Western Michigan as the all-time leader in receiving yards in major college football history. The Eagles may have acquired Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith to upgrade the receiving core, but a talent as special as Davis might be too good to pass up.

CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama

6'0", 197lbs, 4.41 40 yard dash, did not take part in vertical, 10 bench reps

The pundits have been rotating their lists of top cornerback prospects throughout the year, but one name has stayed near the top of them consistently, and that is Marlon Humphrey.

The first think to talk about with Humphrey is his athletic pedigree. His father was a running back for Alabama, and Marlon was a state champion sprinter and hurdler and a national All-American in football in high school. 

In his final season in Tuscaloosa Humphrey showed off his coverage ability and ball skills, finishing with two interceptions and five pass breakups. He is comfortable playing man-to-man or zone coverage schemes, and he is aggressive and difficult to block in run support.

Humphrey also has the athleticism to accompany his technique, posting an impressive 4.41 40 yard dash time at the NFL Combine.

It is hard to imagine that at least a part of Humphrey's game will not translate to the NFL, and it is likely that all of his game translates, as there is a reason that he is at the top of maybe the deepest cornerback class ever. 

The Eagles have a major need at cornerback, with only Jalen Mills and Ron Brooks as the only cornerbacks with significant NFL experience returning from last season, and Aaron Grymes and C.J. Smith as the only other corners, who are on futures contracts. 

Humphrey does worry scouts with some inconsistent technique, but he has all of the tools and the worries that scouts have should be easy to correct. The mission with Humphrey is to make his athleticism mesh with his technique. Once that happens, Humphrey could be a true lockdown cornerback for years to come.

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