Philadelphia Eagles: Grading the 2018 NFL Draft selections
Matt Pryor, OT
Round 6, Pick 206
Matt Pryor is a versatile offensive lineman from TCU. Although he is better suited as a tackle, rather than guard, he can play both positions. The Eagles weren’t looking for a lineman to start right away, so taking a guy in the late rounds makes sense for depth purposes. Despite having one of the better offensive lines in football in 2017, the Eagles were one more bad injury away from having some crucial problems deep into the season.
With Jason Peters returning from his torn ACL, the chances of Pryor coming in and winning over any spot at tackle is unrealistic. Even with Halapoulivaati Vaitai on board, there is a good chance that Pryor rides the pine if a significant injury does happen to occur on the offensive line.
Pryor’s talent as a blocker isn’t what left teams in question, though. Apparently, he has a bit of a reputation for being lazy. Whether the rumors are true or not, the Super Bowl champs coaching staff will surely put him to the test. Although the pick seems stable now, the follow-up pick shows that the Eagles could be a little skeptical about Pryor’s work ethic.