2011 Philadelphia Eagles Draft Needs
Written by Jack Jones
The Philadelphia Eagles appeared poised to make a run in the playoffs in 2010 after erasing a 28-point fourth quarter lead to beat the New York Giants in Week 15. They never capitalized on the momentum gained from that victory, losing their final three games, including a first-round loss to the eventual champion Green Bay Packers.
Their disastrous finish was mostly due to poor play defensively. The offense put up points at will behind the great comeback story of Michael Vick, who spread the ball around to his plethora of weapons. The one concern offensively is up front, as Vick was hurried way too much.
Philly received solid production from their 2010 draft class. DE Brandon Graham, FS Nate Allen, TE Clay Harbor, WR Riley Cooper, ILB Jamar Chaney and FS Kurt Coleman all played in at least nine games and made significant contributions. The Eagles are set up well to improve their team in the 2011 NFL Draft with 10 selections overall, starting with the No. 23 pick in the first round. I preview their needs below, and if you want to see who they’ll likely take in the first round then check out our 2011 NFL Mock Draft.
Top 5 Team Needs
1.) Cornerback – Asante Samuel did his thing with seven interceptions last season despite sitting out a few games due to injury. Even CB Joselio Hanson was solid in his role at nickel. RCB Ellis Hobbs went out with a career-threatening injury, and their depth became a glaring weakness when Dimitri Patterson filled in his place. Patterson barely made the team out of training came, and he was a converted safety. Rookie Trevard Lindley only played due to injuries, and he is not starting material going forward. Philly needs to find a starting corner opposite Samuel via the draft.
2.) Offensive Line – The Eagles could use several new starters along the offensive line. OLT Jason Peters and OLG Todd Herremans are solid along the left side. C Mike McGlynn did not play well when having to replacing the injured Jamaal Jackson, and the right guard position was never stable as the Eagles had to use a rotation there. ORT Winston Justice needs to return to his 2009 form if he wants to retain the starting job after taking a step back last year. Head coach Andy Reid has a niche for finding big road graders along the offensive line. Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi is a potential target in the first round.
3.) Outside Linebacker – Steward Bradley is likely to move to the strong side this season with how well rookie MLB Jamar Chaney played in his place in 2010. Moise Fokou is no more than serviceable outside, and Ernie Sims proved to be a huge disappointment after the Eagles traded for him. Adding another playmakers on the outside would help Philly with personnel groupings and blitz packages.
4.) Defensive End – Rookie DE Brandon Graham was just starting to come into his own when he went down with a season-ending ACL injury last December. Juqua Parker and Trent Cole were left as pass-rushers, and the Eagles were unable to blitz with a beat up secondary. The Eagles have needed a bookend pass rusher to compliment Cole for quite some time, and Graham may be that guy. Parker turns 33 this year, and with the Eagles love for rotating in d-linemen reinforcement are needed.
5.) Quarterback – If the Eagles trade Kevin Kolb, then a signal caller will be needed. The Eagles have the luxury of asking a high price for Kolb because of the lack of talent among free agent quarterbacks. He is the clear-cut best option and will be the most-heavily pursued of any backups. Michael Vick couldn’t have done more for his team than he did last season, but he will turn 31 this year and takes a ton of punishment. No. 3 QB Mike Kafka actually looks to be worth grooming for the long-term, though.
Individual NFL Team Mock Drafts
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