John McMullen's Final Eagles-Only Mock Draft

The Eagles could trade up to target a player like Georgia's Jordan Davis or let things fall to them

A little bit of a different exercise this year with two projections in the all-important first round: a targeted trade-up for talented Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis and the stand-pat version where Howie Roseman lets the draft fall to him.

The presumption here is that the Eagles are going to have to jump Baltimore at No. 14 if they really want Davis, the massive Georgia star who fits exactly what Jonathan Gannon wants up front, a natural zero- or one-technique at nose tackle who can free up the talents of Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Milton Williams.

The presence of Davis in theory would also allow Gannon to use the multiple fronts he wants without forcing a safety to help with run fits because of his DTs being able to engage multiple blockers.

Houston has already indicated a willingness to trade out from No. 13 and the difference in moving up two picks isn't all that great from a trade-chart perspective.

An early fourth-round pick would typically get it done but the Eagles' No. 124 overall may not be enough which would mean defaulting to the end of Round 3 at No. 101 overall, a small price to pay for a difference-maker you really like.

The domino of moving up slightly to get Davis would also shift the thinking of the No. 18 selection to wide receiver where it's unlikely you will be able to get any of the top four available at the position (Jameson Williams, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Drake London).

From there, Treylon Burks is a little too raw for what this team needs right now so the best player available route would turn toward cornerback Trent McDuffie.

If the Eagles stand pat it looks like London is Atlanta's favorite at WR and Olave is Washington's so that would send Wilson tumbling to the Eagles at 15.

The board would also shake out with McDuffie available to Philadelphia at No. 18 as explained in my 1.0 and only first-round mock draft.

Here's an educated guess on the Eagles' picks:

Round 1, No. 13 (the trade-up version - Nos. 15 and 101 overall to Houston for No. 13) - DT Jordan Davis, Georgia

See above.

Round 1, No. 15 (the stand-pat version) - WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

See above.

Round 1, No. 18 - CB Trent McDuffie, Washington

See above.

Round 2, No. 51 - C Cam Jurgens, Nebraska

The Eagles have to start thinking about life after Jason Kelce and they are keen on Jurgens, who is regarded by most as the No. 2 OC in the draft behind Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum.

Jurgens is a lot like Linderbaum in that he's an athlete first but is a bit undersized, although a little bigger than the Iowa star with the frame that can support even more weight. 

Snaring Jergens as the Kelce heir apparent would also allow Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo to settle in at the guard positions without worrying about a potential move down the road.

Round 3, No. 83 - Edge Rusher Alex Wright, UAB

The David Ojabo injury had a ripple effect when it comes to the Eagles and edge rushers with the top four (Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Jermaine Johnson) seemingly out of reach. The Eagles haven't foreshadowed a ton of interest in Purdue's George Karlaftis and Ojabo, who tore his Achilles' at Michigan's pro day, is likely going to wind up in the no man's land between 19 and 51.

There should be some nice developmental options here and Wright gets the edge from me over Western Kentucky's D'Angelo Malone, and Miami-Ohio's Dominique Robinson for a couple of reasons: his prototypical size at 6-foot-5 and 271 pounds with 34-inch arms and his age at just 21. 

Malone has great production at WKU but is just 6-3 and 243 while Robinson is already nearly 24 years old.

Round 3, No. 101 - CB/KR Marcus Jones, Houston (note: this pick disappears if the Eagles move up for Jordan Davis).

The Eagles aren't really in need of a slot cornerback with Avonte Maddox around but one that doubles as perhaps the most explosive returner in the nation is intriguing.

Field position was one of Philadelphia's hidden issues in 2021 due to the punting, coverage, and the return game. In one fell swoop, you can fix that latter with Jones because he is a home-run hitter on both kickoff and punt returns.

Furthermore, Jones would serve as a potential upgrade over Josiah Scott as Maddox's back up and he's so dynamic that Houston even gave him the ball occasionally on offense.

You might think No. 101 is a bit rich for something that has been devalued as much as returners but if you try to get Jones in the fourth round he might be gone and the Eagles' 2021 tape confirms you still need at least competency in the return game.

Round 4, No. 124 - TE Charlie Kolar, Iowa State

Jack Stoll did a nice job as an undrafted free agent last season and the Eagles really like Tyree Jackson as a developmental project while J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is making the move to tight end.

None of that, however, is what you want as the backup to Dallas Goedert. Stoll is limited, Jackson won't have an offseason as a developing player after tearing his ACL in Week 18 and JJAW is a longshot to make a smooth transition at this stage of his career.

Kolar is a Kyle Rudolph-like ready-made TE2 who understands how to use his body and has excellent hands.

Round 5, No. 154 - LB Brandon Smith, Penn State

Smith is a nice Day 3 pick because he's a tremendous athlete who never lived up to his promise at Penn State. When you factor in his size (6-3, 245), athleticism, and upside, however, he is a worthy lottery ticket in Round 5. He's also very young at just over 21 and has some potential as an edge rusher as well, sort of a poor man's Micah Parsons.

Round 5, No. 162 - S Verone McKinley, Oregon

The Eagles obviously need a safety but the board hasn't fallen their way early, much like last year at cornerback when Zech McPhearson wasn't taken until the fourth round.

In this exercise, it's Round 5, and McKinley, who is a bit like Marcus Epps, is a value pick. He's a bit undersized (5-10, 198) and not the best athlete but a very instinctive coverage player who led the nation with six interceptions.

Round 5, No. 166 - RB Hassan Haskins, Michigan

At nearly 230 pounds, Haskins is a younger, less banged-up version of a Jordan Howard-like chain mover and he should be on the board this late because of the NFL's devaluing of the position as a whole.

Round 7, No. 237 - OT Obinna Eze, TCU

Jeff Stoutland has proved his chops again and again as both a talent evaluator and a developmental coach so why not give him a flyer in the seventh round with a traits-based prospect from TCU where the Eagles have gone recently with Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Matt Pryor?

At 6-foot-7 with arms that reach over 36 inches, Eze will give Stoutland the opportunity to keep the OT train moving as insurance for Lane Johnson getting older and Andre Dillard potentially being moved.

Eze's technique isn't up to snuff, but if anyone can tap into the physical gifts, it's the Eagles' O-line coach.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen