5 players worthy of the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-round selection

Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

The Eagles clearly need to select at least one cornerback early in this year’s draft. Philadelphia’s secondary was nothing short of atrocious in 2016 despite the outstanding play of safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod.

More from Inside the Iggles

• How former Eagles star Cre’Von LeBlanc helped Renegades upstage Cowboys
• Eagles 2023 schedule: Every WR duo Darius Slay, James Bradberry will battle
• Imagining better names for Jason Kelce’s Good Guy Award
• Bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2023
• Reactions as ESPN suggests NFL roster moves involving Eagles, Carson Wentz

Philadelphia recently signed Patrick Robinson to a one-year deal, but Robinson is 29 years old and had a down year last season. He’s hardly the solution for the team’s lackluster group of corners.

Marlon Humphrey is one of the best cornerbacks available in the draft. The 6’0″, 197-pounder is a physical corner who wins at the line of scrimmage and forces opposing wideouts to beat him physically. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz loves aggressive defenders and Humphrey would certainly fit the bill.

Here is a scouting report on Humphrey, courtesy of NFL.com.

"STRENGTHS: Has the body type and athletic traits that are out of central casting. Fluid hips and hard-charging makeup speed. Well-versed in a variety of coverages. Plays with disciplined eyes and good balance between high-low responsibilities in zone. Good short-area acceleration to close out receivers and attack throwing lanes. Reactive athleticism helps erase coverage mistakes. Extremely competitive with an edge that spikes after he’s beaten. Timid receivers should take the day off. Aggressive from press with a powerful punch. Looks to intimidate when the opportunity arises. Drives receivers out of bounds and out of the play if their vertical release takes them too close to the boundary. Will not let a blocking receiver punk him. Tears through blocker and attacks downhill. Searches for opportunities to strip the ball; forced three fumbles in 2016. WEAKNESSES: Impatient from press coverage. Opens inside or outside too early rather than waiting for a clear declare from receiver. Struggles to stay in phase throughout the route and allows separation opportunities. Feet are fast but sloppy. Footwork becomes bulky and balance diminishes when matched against quality route workers. Plays a scrambling style of coverage that is too reliant upon his athletic gifts. Issues playing the deep ball are a concern. From off coverage, overreacts to route fakes and opens the door to a big play. Allowed more than 19 yards per completion as a starter. Can be slow to locate the ball and finds himself out of optimal position to play the ball."