Grades for every cornerback Philadelphia Eagles have drafted since 2010
. Jaylen Watkins, 4th Round. . player. 54. .
101st-overall selection (2014) converted to safety
There’s really no way that this can be proven, but Jaylen Watkins may have been the Greg Ward of Philly’s defense. He was drafted as a corner in 2014, transitioned to safety, and just always seemed to fall victim to the numbers game or the fact that Philly just had other options who was better.
Occasionally, he’d get a shot. In four seasons and two stints with the Eagles, he’s turned in 36 games with five starts, racking up 56 total tackles and eight pass breakups in the process. He just looked like a guy who would win if he was given an opportunity because whenever he got one he excelled.
He’s currently with the Los Angeles Chargers. In 2019, he appeared in 14 games with three starts, and he racked up 29 tackles and a pass breakup. Philly’s got one of the best one-two punches in all of football at the safety position with Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod, but as Corey Graham has taught us on more than one occasion, this team benefits from having quality depth at that position.
Watkins may not be a starter in this league, but he’s a nice reserve. He’s definitely better than Rudy Ford and Marcus Epps. Here’s someone else that the ‘Birds’ just gave up on much too early. Grade: C