Quite a few NFL experts are intrigued with one Eagles draft prospect

Even with Jordan Howard on the roster quite a few Philadelphia Eagles experts are convinced they should take a running back with pick 25 in the NFL Draft.

Get familiar with the name Josh Jacobs if you haven’t already. Anyone who’s familiar with the Philadelphia Eagles has probably heard the name a time or two. He’s expected to go in the first round of this month’s NFL Draft, and despite the fact that ‘The Birds’ picked up Jordan Howard recently, quite a few experts are convinced Philly should go with Jacobs when Philly’s on the clock at pick 25.

We’re talking some heavy hitters too, guys like Lance Zeirlein, Chad Reuter and Peter Schrager.

Here’s why this idea makes sense.

It’s, without question, the most punishing position in all of sports. Imagine playing running back, getting the ball ten to twenty times a game and having six-foot to six-foot-three linebackers, defensive linemen and defensive backs who weigh about 200 to 250 pounds crash into you over and over.

Oh, and did we mention the fact that these guys run the 40-yard dash in a little over four seconds?

The amount of injuries we saw a season ago in Philly taught a few of us something and reminded countless others of the same thing. Depth will forever be important in the current NFL. In 2018, Philly lost Corey Clement, Darren Sproles and Jay Ajayi for the season because of injuries.

They were supposed to be the top three guys on the depth chart. Now, Ajayi is gone, Sproles’ future is uncertain, and everyone’s just hoping Clement stays healthy all season in 2019.

Maybe adding another running back isn’t a bad idea. Here’s the skinny on Jacobs from Zeirlein, Reuter and Schrager.

Here’s Peter Schrager’s take:

"Jacobs is viewed by most teams I have spoken with as the top running back in this year’s draft. He only ranked 144th in the nation in 2018 with 640 rushing yards. On the flip side, a limited college workload means he still has plenty of tread on his tires. The Eagles hit home runs across the board in free agency; they could nail this one if Jacobs slips all the way to 25."

Let’s get a word from Zeirlein:

"The Eagles have been taking a piecemeal approach at the running back position for a few years now, but Jacobs would give them a three-down back with limited tread off the tires and a legitimate talent as a pass-catcher."

Reuter says this:

"Running back is a big need for the Eagles, and Jacobs’ less-than-ideal 40 time (unofficially 4.60 at his pro day, per NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah) has no bearing on his likely success on Sundays."

Believe it or not, some teams will shy away from Jacobs because of the slow 40 time. If he is the best back in this draft (or one of them), that may explain the belief that he’ll slide.

Philly could go with Jacobs at 25 realistically, and he should be a better-than-average pro. As mentioned, quite a few experts are of the mindset that he’s a good fit for ‘The Birds’, but do they agree? We’ll learn the answer to that by the end of April.