Eagles Mock Draft Week Starts with a Bang from Zack Patraw
It’s mock draft week 1.0 here at SI.com’s Eagle Maven, and it starts with a bang.
Zack Patraw, president of NFL Draft Bible, a channel on the SI.com network, released his three-round mock on Monday and he has the Eagles taking five players in the first two days.
Scheduled to take four after trading quarterback Carson Wentz to the Colts and getting Indianapolis’s third-round pick in return, the Eagles are looking at adding another selection per Patraw, who has another trade brewing in his mock.
Coming Tuesday, Conor Myles will release his mock draft covering the first three rounds.
On Wednesday, it will be John McMullen’s turn to do the same.
I’ll wrap up the week on Thursday with my three-round Eagle-centric mock.
Patraw’s is different than what the other three of ours will look like in that he did his picks for all 32 teams over all three rounds, a massive undertaking you don't want to miss
SEE IT HERE: 2021 NFL Mock Draft Monday: Three-round mock draft with ...
The Eagle Maven will do just the Eagles’ picks.
Here is Patraw’s Eagles-centric mock:
FIRST ROUND (No. 6 overall)
Trade. The Eagles drop two spots to No. 8, swapping places with the Carolina Panthers and acquiring the Panthers’ third-round pick, No. 73 overall. The Eagles already own two picks in the third – Nos. 70 and 84.
With the pick at 8, Patraw has the Eagles taking:
DEVONTA SMITH, WR ALABAMA
Patraw said he gave some thought to the Eagles taking North Dakota State’s Trey Lance at No. 6, but believes they are committed to riding with Jalen Hurts to see what he can do in 2021.
“The kid’s a stud,” said Patraw of Smith. “They need to find somebody who can separate. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, unfortunately, hasn’t shown the ability to make the nest step at the next level, Jalen Reagor has a lot of potential, Quez Watkins, but you need that alpha dog, you need that number one guy. … He has the intangibles you look for in an NFL wide receiver.”
Smith, of course, won the Heisman Trophy this past season.
SECOND ROUND (No. 37)
ZAVEN COLLINS, LB TULSA
After going offense in the first round, Patraw turns his attention to an Eagles defense that needs help. This is the first of three straight defensive picks he has the Eagles making.
Collins is a load who can cover and hit.
“This ended up being an absolute steal for the Eagles,” said Patraw. “He’s one of the best linebackers in the class…he can play Will for you and I think he can move over to Sam as well. Just a tremendous talent, one of the best tacklers, one of the best athletes at linebacker.”
The last time the Eagles took a linebacker as early as the second round was in 2012 when they made Mychal Kendricks the 44th overall pick.
THIRD ROUND (No. 70)
AR’DARIUS WASHINGTON, FS TCU
There’s no question the Eagles need help on the back end, and safety is a concern, without much depth.
The Eagles have tapped TCU in recent drafts, taking WR Jalen Reagor in the first round last year, OL Matt Pryor in the sixth round of 2018, and OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai in the fifth round of 2016.
“Some people might say it’s a little early, but I’ll tell you right now he reminds me a little of a Honey Badger type player (Tyrann Mathieu)," said Patraw. "For his size (5-8. 180) he can hit. He has some power behind his hits, not afraid to get in there and mix it up.”
(No. 73 FROM CAROLINA)
MARLON TUIPULOTU, DT USC
A strong Senior Bowl pushed his stock up. He’s a three-year starter for the Trojans who totaled 104 tackles, 15 for loss, 8.5 sacks, and three passes defended in those three seasons.
“With Fletcher Cox, he’s getting up there in age, you need somebody to step in and maybe fill that role, maybe rotate in once in a while, and if Fletcher decides to hang them up in the next couple years, I like Marlon to step in and be that potential starting defensive tackle,” said Patraw.
(No. 84 FROM INDIANAPOLIS)
DAVIS MILLS, QB STANFORD
It stands to reason that the Eagles are going to take a quarterback somewhere along the way in this draft, and with three third-round picks, at least in Patraw’s scenario after the first-round trade back, it may make sense to use one on a developmental quarterback.
Mills has the size, at 6-4, 225, that the Eagles tend to like in their quarterbacks, and Stanford is another of those “connection” schools the Eagles have similar to TCU.
In previous drafts, they have taken former Stanford players Zach Ertz, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and Casey Toohill.
“Our director of scouting, Ryan Roberts, loves this kid, thinks he’s a round-two talent, he has him, I want to say, his fourth overall quarterback,” said Patraw. “I think you could sit him behind Jalen Hurts for the first year (and) if he doesn’t pan out, you stick in Davis Mills and see what he can do.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
