Potential first-round Eagles NFL Draft targets that aren’t DBs or WRs

The primary attribute you’ll hear with Yetur Gross-Matos is length, and rightly so. At six-foot-five and 266 pounds, he’s the owner of a big body, but he still has room to add on a little more muscle. Still, his lanky frame makes him difficult to corral.

Using his size and length, he often creates the first contact. So much of his success at the collegiate level stems from using his long arms to drive and discard opposing lineman. Even though his hips are usually high, he plays with good leverage.

Gross-Matos racked up 40 tackles during his junior year, including 15 tackles for a loss to go along with 9.5 sacks. He was used in multiple areas along the Penn State Nittany Lions‘ defensive line. He’d stand up out wide and play in the five-technique, but the majority of his reps came with his hand in the dirt. The tackling range Gross-Matos presents gives him positional flexibility along a four-man front.

A potential fit with the Eagles makes sense. As you know, there has been reported interest from Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Whether that leads to anything or not is up in the air, but the Eagles would still want to add another edge rusher. Gross-Matos is a prospect with high potential that can grow into an all-around defensive end. If he can refine his gifts as a pass rusher and rely less on his length, double-digit sacks await in year one.