Philadelphia Eagles: Grading the 2018 NFL Draft selections
Avonte Maddox, CB
Round 4, Pick 125
Avonte Maddox will continue his football career a few hours away with the Eagles. The fourth-round selection just finished up his senior year at Pittsburgh with 27 total tackles and two interceptions. Maddox may not be the most intriguing all-around prospect at the cornerback position, but he will more than likely come to Philly with an incredible opportunity on his hands.
As we all know, Eagles standout nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson took a multi-year deal with the New Orleans Saints over the offseason. So now the Eagles are left with a ton of young players at cornerback with hardly any experience in the slot.
Maddox’s speed and solo abilities to make plays automatically make him the fittest player for the slot position on defense. The Eagles had their eyes on a few top-prospects at corner to play solely in the slot, but they felt they could get a decent playmaker out of Maddox in the fourth-round. If Maddox comes in ready to show out from day one, there is a realistic chance that he gets some part-time varsity snaps outside of the preseason. That’s some solid value from a fourth-rounder.