Philadelphia Eagles select Rasul Douglas with No. 99 overall pick
By Ryan Quigley
Welcome to the Philadelphia Eagles, Rasul Douglas!
With the No. 99 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected cornerback Rasul Douglas out of West Virginia.
The Eagles needed to add cornerback talent in this draft and boy have they succeeded. After selecting Washington cornerback Sidney Jones in the second round, Douglas gives Philadelphia another playmaking defensive back who can make a long-term impact.
Over the last two seasons at West Virginia, Douglas recorded 77 total tackles and nine (NINE) interceptions. Eight of those interceptions came in 2016.
At 6’2″, 209 pounds, Douglas is a large corner who excels at the line of scrimmage. While his 4.59 speed isn’t ideal, his size and strength could be enough to make up for it.
Here is a scouting report on Douglas, courtesy of NFL.com.
"STRENGTHS: Tall, sporting an angular frame with good overall length. Very aware from zone coverage. Will roll out of his coverage area and overlap in order to make a play. Reads quarterbacks drops and will break early to race ahead of slants and make a play on the throw. Finisher when the ball is there to be had and flashed ball skills of a pro. Plays with strong hands. Able to go up high and win the 50-50 balls and needs very little time to have hands interception-ready. Good recognition of route combinations and will shift from pattern to pattern. Not a physical tackler but gets guys down. Length allows him to catch stray running backs breaking contain.WEAKNESSES: Tall corner who plays upright in his pedal, which affects his balance and transition quickness. Very average in his pattern matching and has below average closing burst to the ball. Won’t be able to match quick-footed receivers from press coverage. Athletic and coverage limitations could limit his scheme fits. Doesn’t have the downfield juice to stick with burners on go routes. Makeup speed is below average. Inconsistent hitter who may lack necessary aggressiveness as tackler to project to safety. Defaults to arm tackles."
The Eagles still have five selections left in the draft. Stay with Inside the Iggles for updates and analysis on the picks!