Dave’s Seven Round Philadelphia Eagles Mock Draft

Jan 1, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Connor Shaw (14) is chased by Wisconsin Badgers safety Dezmen Southward (12) and nose tackle Beau Allen (96) in the second quarter in the Capital One Bowl at Florida Citrus Bowl. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Round Seven, 237th Overall

The Pick: Dezmen Southward, Wisconsin S

Those who have interacted with me on social media have surely seen that my ideal result of the NFL Draft would have Washington State safety Deone Bucannon ending up in midnight green. He’s far and away my favorite prospect of the safety group and my ideal enforcer to balance Malcolm Jenkins’ athleticism. That didn’t happen, but Dezmen Southward is one of my top late round/potential undrafted-free agent targets.

This pick was made with a calculated risk knowing that his contributions to the 2014 Philadelphia Eagles would (and should be) minimal, but with potential for more down the road. He’s extremely raw, having just one year of high school football to his credit, but he’s a safety who doesn’t shy away from contact and has the basic tools that defensive coordinator Billy Davis could work with. At his Pro Day, Southward registered a blazing 4.38 forty yard dash, and at 6-feet, 211 pounds has a solid frame.

Southward is a project in every sense of the word, and would likely be competing for the fifth safety spot with Keelan Johnson, with the winner of the battle still only looking at a role primarily based on Special Teams playing time barring injury. Ideally, he learns the game for a year and competes to become the primary backup to Earl Wolff or whoever ends up playing the right safety spot in 2015.