Eagles Senior Bowl: Eight Players to Watch Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
PHILADELPHIA - Soon, the Philadelphia Eagles will go shopping for more talent to add to their roster. Exactly who will be on their list is anybody’s guess at this point.
The evaluation process began long ago for every NFL’s team front office, but it now coming into sharper focus for others with the Senior Bowl game on Saturday and the practices that led up to it, the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February, and then free agency before the NFL Draft at the end of April.
Here's an early Eagles shopping list and some to pay attention to if you plan on watching the Senior Bowl (Saturday/1 p.m./NFL Network):
CORNERBACK
Why: The Eagles have some promising young talent, but, with Darius Slay and James Bradberry on the other side of 30, another early-round addition wouldn’t hurt.
Player to watch: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo. The Eagles reportedly met with Mitchell, who is 6-0, 196. NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah believes he was one of the best, if not the best defensive player during the three days of practice. He had five interceptions two years ago, but, as offenses went away from him, he had only one last year.
Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell is a player to watch for the Eagles in this year's Senior Bowl.
USA Today
SAFETY
Why: If you need an answer, you haven’t been paying close attention.
Player to watch: Sione Vaki, Utah. He offers versatility on both sides of the ball, though he will likely settle at safety, where he logged 92 tackles in two seasons with 12 tackles for loss with two sacks, and one interception. In his final season, he ran the ball 42 times for 317 yards and two touchdowns with 11 catches for 203 yards and three scores.
LINEBACKER
Why: Again, it's pretty obvious.
Player to watch: Payton Wilson, N.C. State. Jeremiah believes Wilson looked like a Day 2 pick, an area of the draft that may tempt the Eagles. He is 6-4, 234 pounds and can run and cover. He was a three-sport standout in high school, playing lacrosse and earning a state championship in wrestling. Injuries suffered in college could force him down draft boards, though.
D-LINEMAN
Why: The Eagles love to keep adding here, and an edge rusher makes sense at some point.
Player to watch: Adisa Isaac, Penn State. A highly productive 6-4, 250-pound edge rusher who had 7.5 sacks last year and 14.5 sacks in his career with 31.5 tackles for loss, will bear watching.
RUNNING BACK
Why: With only one player under contract, this position will need to be addressed.
Player to watch: Dylan Laube, New Hampshire. He has drawn praise during the week and reportedly talked with members of the Eagles party in Mobile, Ala., during the week. Laube played at FCS New Hampshire so stepping up and into the NFL is something that will need sorted, but he is 5-10, 207 pounds and has developed his game to the point where he can either be a receiver out of the backfield or lie up in the slot.
Numbers that last two years at UNH:
2022 - 245 carries ran for 1,205 yards and 15 touchdowns with 49 catches for 464 yards and two scores.
2023 - 58 carries for 715 yards and nine touchdowns with 68 receptions for 699 yards and seven scores.
University of New Hampshire RB Dylan Laube.
USA Today
RECEIVER
Why: Who will play the third and fourth receiver roles behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith?
Player to watch: Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky. One of the early top 50 lists of prospects, put out by NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah, Corley was highly productive the past two seasons.
This is what Jeremiah wrote: "He didn't get to showcase his YAC ability this week due to the structure of practices -- yes, he refers to himself as "The YAC King" on social media - but I thought he ran good routes during drills. He showed his speed and caught the ball well. Based on the conversations I've had with NFL teams here in Mobile, a lot of people are excited about him.”
Numbers the last two years at Western Kentucky:
2022: 101 catches for 1,293 yards with 11 touchdowns.
2023: 79 catches for 984 yards with 11 touchdowns.
TIGHT END
Why: Dallas Goedert has had significant injuries that cost him time the last two years.
Player to watch: Theo Johnson, Penn State. The 6-6, 264-pound
I was looking for a tight end to emerge during the week of practices, and Johnson stepped up to the challenge. He was the best player at the position. He has excellent size (6-6, 257) and showed a little more wiggle in person than he did on tape. I was impressed with how he moved on the field.
O-LINEMEN
Why: It’s time to start thinking about Lane Johnson, at 33, moving on in a few years and, if Jason Kelce leaves and Cam Jurgens takes over at center, you can’t just hand the right guard job to Tyler Steen. There has to be competition.
Players to watch: Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State, and Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma.
Both players are very large with Fuaga checking in at 6-6, 332 pounds and Guyton at 6-7, 328.
Fuaga is polished and could end up playing.
Guyton is raw, but his combination of size and athleticism (6-7, 328) is rare. Being from Oklahoma can’t hurt, either, since that is where Johnson came from, too.
