While Eagles fans are almost universally over the moon with last night’s selections of Jalen Carter (perhaps the number one pick talent-wise who slipped due to the off-field concerns) and then Nolan Smith, who unexpectedly slipped himself.
Despite that hall, the Eagles are still set to pick at both 62 and 66 in the second day of the draft and there are plenty of impact players available.
While certainly not all of them, some names that remain on the board at this point include:
Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
With 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Mayer is easily considered one of the top two tight ends in this draft and may not make it down to the Eagles in the 60’s. He would be a pick similar to when the Eagles selected Dallas Goedert – he’s a pass catching specialist at the position who is lacking a bit in experience in the blocking game. If the Eagles are concerned about having a second productive tight end in the passing game, Mayer is a pick they have to consider.
Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
The Eagles could choose to dip back into the Georgia pull for a second tight end if they so choose. Almost the flip side to Mayer, Washington’s college career was mainly served as almost a sixth offensive lineman. Certainly a skill-set that would fit the Eagles schemes for pass protection and running the ball, the concern is how well and how quickly the 21-year-old would be able to develop in the passing game. He has the tools that it should be possible, he just wasn’t used in that capacity much in college (774 yards over three years).
O’Cyprus Torrence, OL, Florida
Torrence is widely considered to be a day-one starter for an NFL team and so he should see his name called by the end of Friday night. He is a 330lb player who played both left and right guard for the Gators over the past four seasons (starting almost every game). His struggles per scouts are with pulling and getting to the second level quick enough, which is a skill set the Eagles are certainly reliant on with their rushing. If Jeff Stoutland thinks he can teach it to Torrence, however, then there’s no reason to question the pick.
Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State
Mauch, a five-year player at North Dakota State who converted from DL/TE, has experience starting at both right and left tackle. He’s 300lbs, but he has great quickness and athleticism that may draw the eyes of the Eagles coaches and scouts. His pros should fit well into the type of run blocking in particular that the Eagles like to lean into. His downsides include shorter arms and some technique issues that should be possible for the Eagles OL coaches to work on.
Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
A first-round talent, NFC East rivals Washington and New York reached down the corner rankings for players that, I suppose, they valued more highly. The end result is that one of the top three corners in the draft is still available entering day two. With Pittsburgh holding the first pick in round two, he may not last long but the Eagles will certainly be watching his status.
Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
If the Eagles want to continue to just rebuild the Georgia defense that just won two National Championships, Ringo would be next on their list. A starter each of the last two years, Ringo is a gifted athlete that has hinted at the ability to play at an elite level but has simply not gotten there. He needs some work on technique, but his main area of focus will be on his anticipation and understanding of the plays before they happen – if he gets that down, he should be a top NFL corner. The Eagles would have the luxury to start him off as a depth piece and allow him to learn from some of the top corners in the league today, so this could be a viable pick for this team.
Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State
Brown is a more slept upon player in many mock this year. Similar to Jaquan Brisker last season coming out of Penn State, he could be a starter come day one if needed. He hasn’t had the same propensity for interceptions in his career at Penn State but he’s still able to create turnovers and has shown good coverage against some of the NCAA’s top teams while being unafraid of supporting the run game.
Nick Herbig, LB, Wisconsin
Another brother of an Eagles pickup, this time of Nate (Eagles OL 2019-21, ’22 with Giants), Nick Herbig plays on the other side of the ball. He is not very experienced in coverage, but he is a violent hitter who has a history of successfully getting upfield (30 TFL and 11 sacks with 4 forced fumbles over the past two seasons). If the Eagles believe they can work with him on his technique and make some advancements in coverage, he has the attitude and work ethic that should allow him to succeed in a manner similar to another former Wisconsin linebacker and team captain that the team just lost in free agency.
Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC
With an incredible 22 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks (two forced fumbles and three batted passes) in just the 2022 season, Tuipulotu was a lock for Pac-12 defenive player of the year. The brother of current Eagles defensive tackle Marlon, the Eagles probably have someone insight and someone whispering in their ear about Tuli already. Despite the high production, he still has some technique issues he could work out to be even better. If the Eagles want to get even more young defensive linemen into their lineup, adding another Tuipulotu to their locker room may be the way to do that.
Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
With 14.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks over the last two seasons, Hall has made a name as one of the more effective rushers in college. Hall is a high-motor guy that relies on power rushing rather than speed rushing. Hall figures to be a plug and play player, probably in year one, so with the Eagles having added two pass rushers already, there may be teams more willing to reach for him to play this year whereas he’d figure to be more of a depth piece in the Eagles rotation.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern
The heaviest player to register a 40-yard dash under 4.5 seconds at the combine all time, Adebawore was perhaps the most impressive player on the front for Northwestern over the past two seasons. He recorded 17.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks from the defensive tackle position, largely as a player that opposing offenses focused on. One of his biggest knocks is his being affected by chip blocks and double teams, something that the Eagles could look to solve by pairing him with the likes of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis if they want to add even more depth to the position.
