Philadelphia Eagles: An ideal re-draft of their 2019 class

Philly passes on defensive end Shareef Miller and goes with linebacker Dre Greenlaw at 138.

Defensive end Shareef Miller wasn’t expected to come in and make an impact right away. He also wasn’t expected to play just two total snaps after being picked in the fourth round. Miller was designated as one of the seven inactive players almost every time there was a game to play.

While he was stuck at the bottom of a talented depth chart at defensive end, the guys ahead of him didn’t fare very well either. Daeshon Hall and Genard Avery combined for 1.5 sacks, but at least we all can say they contributed something.

Josh Sweat, a fourth-round draft choice in 2018, took a huge step forward in year two as a rotational defensive end. Miller’s inability to work his way up the depth chart or get playing time is somewhat alarming. The guys ahead of him are also inexperienced, so it’s not like his door has closed completely. Miller could see the field next season but had the Eagles gone with Dre Greenlaw a year ago, they could have filled a need at linebacker and gotten instant production.

With Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nigel Bradham already in the fold, It would’ve been smart to groom a young linebacker under the experienced starters so that Greenlaw could be more prepared for 2020.

Greenlaw left Arkansas Razorbacks program with 321 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, three interceptions, three passes defended, and four forced fumbles in 40 career games. His junior season put him on the map with 103 total tackles, and he collected 17 total tackles in a single game against Texas Christian. One year later, he had one of the best games of his career against the Texas A&M Aggies with 13 tackles and two interceptions. That’s not a bad resume, and the San Francisco 49ers took notice.

Ten picks after the Eagles took Miller, the 49ers snagged Greenlaw. In 2019, he played in all 16 games with 11 starts. He officially earned his starting job in Week 8 and finished with 92 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and two passes defended. PFF gave him a respectable 63.9 grade in the regular season and a 75.5 grade in the postseason. It’s safe to say he had a smooth transition into the league.

So far, Miller’s selection doesn’t seem like it was the best decision by the Eagles’ front office. They decided to add to a position that already had plenty of depth and experience when they could’ve added a solid contributor at linebacker instead. This one is tough to swallow.