Philadelphia Eagles Full 2017 Draft Pick Grades
Today I decided to go over the Philadelphia Eagles 2017 Draft Picks and give each of them a grade. Overall I would give the Eagles Draft a B+. The Eagles are clearly drafting for future success and that's a nice change of pace for the Eagles. Over the past few years the Eagles have drafted positions of need with the hopes to win right away but for the 2017 NFL Draft the Eagles decided to slow it down and start to build a foundation for a strong team to come. The Eagles first round draft pick Derek Barnett won't necessarily be an immediate impact player but he has the potential to be a star on the Eagles Defensive Line. Sidney Jones is a bit of a risky pick, he has the production and competes at a very high level. However with Sidney Jones injury there is a bit of a risk factor to the pick. All we can do is hope he makes a full recovery and is able to play at the level he did in college. In the third round the Eagles selected Rasul Douglas which is a player that can make an immediate impact. He is a big, long body, fast, and competitive player that will most likely be a solid corner back for the future. Then in the fourth round the Eagles took Mack Hollins and Donell Pumphrey. I think of the two picks the Eagles made Mack Hollins has the most upside. He is a big fast possession type receiver that I think the Eagles can use in both the red zone and on special teams. Donell Pumphrey on the other hand is a small quick running back that can catch out of the backfield. He looks to have what the Eagles want however his size is a major concern. In the 5th round the Eagles took Shelton Gibson and Nate Gerry, both players I see as potential starters for the 2017 season.Shelton Gibson is a deep threat and the Wide Receiver position and Nate Gerry is a guy that can play both Linebacker and the Safety position. I think out of the two 5th round player Nate Gerry is the most likely to start due to the impending release/trade of Mychael Kendricks. Finally with the Eagles 6th round pick they decided to pick Elijah Qualls. This guy is a big run stopping Defensive Tackle that I think adds a lot of talent and potential to the Eagles. I don't see Qualls beating out Fletcher Cox or Tim Jerrnigan for a starting job, but I could see him filling a back up role or as a rotational player in Jim Schwartz scheme.