Philadelphia Eagles: 2019 Preseason Rookie grades through week two
Andre Dillard, LT
Round 1, Pick 22
Nobody had any clue as to what the Eagles were going to do with their first-round pick this year. There was speculation they were eyeing up a cornerback. Or perhaps they were going to go with a running back or speedy wideout. Maybe, a defensive lineman would be their pick. But no, nope, and nah. The Eagles decided to trade up a few spots and grab offensive tackle, Andre Dillard.
With an aging Jason Peters on his way out soon, the Eagles needed to find their surefire replacement. While they do have prospects like Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Jordan Mailata on board, the Eagles aren’t sure what they genuinely have in them. With Andre Dillard though, they knew they were getting an NFL ready prospect with elite potential.
So far through two games, Dillard has started for the Eagles and played a majority of the teams’ snaps. Guess how many pressures he has allowed? Zero. Some say that the big hit on Cody Kessler last week was Dillard’s fault, but it turns out that’s not the case. He blocked his assignment that play, Kessler just failed to acknowledge the blitz before the snap.
It’s tough not to get overly excited about Dillard. He most likely won’t play a ton in 2019, but it’s promising to know that he could probably contribute in a big way during the regular season if he has to. This doesn’t happen very often, but so far, Dillard has been flawless for the Birds.