NFL Draft expert offers trade options for Eagles, Rasul Douglas, reactions

Here are a couple of very prophetic statements.

Here’s some of what was said about Rasul Douglas by Lance Zierlein in his draft profile before the Philadelphia Eagles made him the 99th-overall selection in 2017’s NFL Draft. Let’s start with some of his strengths.

"Tall, sporting an angular frame with good overall length. Very aware from zone coverage. Will roll out of his coverage area and overlap in order to make a play. Reads quarterbacks drops and will break early to race ahead of slants and make a play on the throw. Finisher when the ball is there to be had and flashed ball skills of a pro. Plays with strong hands. Able to go up high and win the 50-50 balls and needs very little time to have hands interception-ready. Good recognition of route combinations and will shift from pattern to pattern. Not a physical tackler but gets guys down. Length allows him to catch stray running backs breaking contain."

Here’s what Zierlein listed as the weaknesses.

"Tall corner who plays upright in his pedal, which affects his balance and transition quickness. Very average in his pattern matching and has below average closing burst to the ball. Won’t be able to match quick-footed receivers from press coverage. Athletic and coverage limitations could limit his scheme fits. Doesn’t have the downfield juice to stick with burners on go routes. Makeup speed is below average. Inconsistent hitter who may lack necessary aggressiveness as tackler to project to safety. Defaults to arm tackles."

That’s scary, isn’t it? What’s worse is this. From where most of us are sitting, it doesn’t appear as though much has changed.

Still, we all tend to forget that Douglas is still only 24 years of age and won’t turn 25 until August. He’s been able to make a few big plays and stay relatively healthy during the first three seasons of his career, and the theory that he could still thrive in certain situations with the right coaching could attract someone.

Teams are showing interest. Not many, but some, and recently, one of ESPN’s trusted voices for draft content offered two draft theories that involved the Eagles. One included a theory that sends one Rasul Douglas to the New York Jets. You may want to give this a look.