Eagles Draft Preview: The CBs - Add to 'Best Trio in Football' at No. 10?
PHILADELPHIA - Ostensibly, the Philadelphia Eagles don’t need a cornerback.
After working things out with both Darius Slay and James Bradberry in the offseason, Philadelphia will again be in the conversation for having the best trio in football at the position when you factor in slot option Avonte Maddox.
Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman even added a talented “lottery ticket” in Greedy Williams, a 2019 second-round pick in Cleveland and a worthy reclamation project when you consider the player’s traits and the fact he will now get to learn behind two of the savviest outside cornerbacks in the game.
Even the fit makes sense if Williams starts to get it because at 6-foot-2 he’s a natural outside-the-numbers option as depth something that could enable newly-elevated secondary coach D.K. McDonald and his assistants, Taver Johnson and Ronell Williams, the Eagles’ first-ever nickels coach, to kick Zech McPhearson inside as better depth for Maddox, who missed plenty of time last season with various injuries.
The developmental depth is also pretty solid with Josh Jobe on the outside and Josiah Scott and Mario Goodrich as slot options.
Scott got a decent amount of work during Maddox’s multiple absences last season and had his ups and downs but proved to be competent. Jobe and Goodrich were 2022 undrafted free agents and the former caught the eye of ex-defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and was good enough to stick on the 53 for the entire season.
As nice as it all seems on paper, though, Slay is 32 and nearly left for Baltimore before an extension and a little added guaranteed money rescued the situation. Bradberry, meanwhile, is set to turn 30 in August.
While fans are often beholden to the moment, Roseman thinks about drafting from a larger perspective that could be two or even three years down the road.
Although the defensive and offensive lines (in that order) should be the two betting favorites for the Eagles with their top pick, cornerback is the wild card because there are two players – Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez and Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon – worthy of being in the conversation at No. 10 and it’s also a valued position in Philadelphia.
DRAFT DAY BOTTOM LINE: If Gonzalez drops to No. 10, which seems unlikely at this point, it would be a difficult conversation for Roseman in his staff which would typically default to the linemen first. A scenario like that might trigger the want for a targeted trade down with the Eagles being comfortable with a group of players.
EAGLES CORNERBACK DEPTH CHART:
LC - Darius Slay; Greedy Williams
RC - James Bradberry; Zech McPhearson; Josh Jobe
SC - Avonte Maddox; Zech McPhearson; Josiah Scott; Mario Goodrich
EAGLES TODAY TOP 10 (we asked three former NFL scouts for their top 10 at the position and came up with a cumulative list):
1. Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
2. Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
3. Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
4. Deonte Banks, Maryland
5. Kelee Ringo, Georgia
6. Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
7. Cam Smith, South Carolina
8. Clark Phillips, Utah
9. Tyrique Stevenson, Miami
10. Julius Brents, Kansas State
Sleeper - Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
Boom-or-Bust - Kelee Ringo, Georgia
BUILDING THE PERFECT CORNERBACK
Press coverage - Joey Porter Jr., Penn State - Porter has the length you want outside and the physicality to disrupt the timing of routes off the ball.
Ball skills - Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State - Forbes was a playmaking machine in college with 14 interceptions. If he’s in a position to make a play Forbes is taking advantage of it.
Technique - D.J. Turner, Michigan - Turner may not have the length coveted in the modern game forcing a move inside but he’s savvy with speed and that’s a nice combination.
Run Support - Tyrique Stevenson, Miami - Stevenson looks like a safety and plays like it when it comes to helping on the edge.
Zone/man transition - Christian Gonzalez, Oregon - With so many man concepts in zone coverages these days it helps to find a cornerback adept and comfortable in both settings and that defines Gonzalez and why he’s the best cornerback prospect in the draft. This is not a scheme-dependent player.
PRE-DRAFT PROCESS NOTES:
- The Eagles did plenty of homework at the position with the focus on No. 30 it seems. Players who figure to fit in that area or a potential trade bought in for top-30 visits include Georgia speedster Kelee Ringo and Mississippi State playmaker Emmanuel Forbes. Two players who might be in no man’s land between 10 and 30 are Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. and Maryland’s Deonte Banks. Christian Gonzalez is such a clean prospect no extra work was needed.
As far as down the draft keep an eye on Kansas Stae’s Julius Brents in the third round if nothing happens early while UAB’s Starling Thomas and Western Kentucky’s Kahlef Hailassie are on the radar for Day 3.
EAGLES POTENTIAL PICKS:
Day 1 - Christian Gonzalez, Oregon; Kelee Ringo, Georgia; Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State; Joey Porter Jr., Penn State; Deonte Banks, Maryland
- Much of this is dependent on players falling farther than expected with Gonzalez the only conversation starter at No. 10. Porter and Banks seem like they are in no man’s land, not good enough for No. 10 and too good for No. 30. Ringo and Forbes would be in the mix at 30 but the guess here is that the Eagles would like to drop down to early in the second round if that’s the plan.
Day 2 - Kelee Ringo, Georgia; Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State; Julius Brents, Kansas State
- The Eagles would likely be much more comfortable with Ringo and Forbes in Round 2 while Brents could be in play in the third round if things break correctly.
Day 3 - Starling Thomas, UAB; Kahlef Hailassie, Western Kentucky
-You always need live bodies at cornerback and the Eagles are always trying to uncover some upside.
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-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 "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
