Eagles 'Best Landing Spot' in Draft for Pair of Elite Defenders

When the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves on the clock, either of these two defenders could further elevate one of the NFL's best defenses.

The Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in arguably the perfect position in this week's NFL Draft, as they are set to add two first-round picks to a roster that just made the Super Bowl. 

What they do with those picks, of course, is hard to pin down. They don't have any glaring needs or major holes to fill and thus can pick for "luxury" when they're on the clock.

While we won't know what they do until later this week, Bleacher Report believes the Eagles are one of the best landing spots for two elite defenders - defensive lineman Calijah Kancey out of Pitt and EDGE Nolan Smith out of Georgia. 

Philadelphia's defensive front is undoubtedly one of its strengths and may not be seen as an area the Eagles need to address via the draft. However, adding another young prospect would give them an even deeper rotation to work with on Sunday's - which is where Kancey and Smith could come in.

Should the Eagles draft Kancey then he could learn behind a veteran in Fletcher Cox as he transitions to the NFL. His final season at Pitt saw Kancey record 31 total tackles with an impressive 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. 

Where Kancey disrupted opposing offenses along the interior defensive line, Smith did so rushing off the edge. Despite only appearing in eight games in his final season at Georgia due to a torn pectoral muscle Smith still recorded 18 total tackles with seven tackles for loss and three sacks.

There are several directions which the Eagles could go with their two first-round picks, with mock drafts all over the place for their selections. If they like either Kancey or Smith, though, don't be surprised if they draft them to bolster one of the NFL's best defenses. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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