NFL Draft expert offers trade options for Eagles, Rasul Douglas, reactions
Philly gets the 11th-overall selection. How does that sound?
With a little over less than a week before the NFL Draft is scheduled to begin, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell offered a mock draft that consisted of trades only. In one, the Eagles find the Detroit Lions as a willing partner. In the other, it’s the Jets. Let’s take a look at both scenarios.
We begin with the Jets and the 11th-overall selection. In this one, New York gets the 21st-overall selection, Philly’s 103rd-overall selection, a 2021 third-round selection, and cornerback Rasul Douglas. The “Birds” get the 11th-overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Wait. That’s it? The Jets can’t throw another mid-rounder in there? Here’s a quote from Barnwell on how he arrived at the theory.
"The Eagles don’t typically trade up and give away draft picks, but they might very well think they’re one wide receiver from competing for a Super Bowl after seeing their offense struggle without DeSean Jackson or Alshon Jeffery for chunks of 2019. I’m extremely confident that there’ll be a talented wide receiver on the board for them at No. 21, but with Todd McShay’s most recent mock draft projecting four wideouts to come off the board before then, the Eagles might need to trade up if they want someone like Henry Ruggs III. ESPN’s NFL draft predictor tool says Ruggs has a 99% chance of being available here and just a 3% chance of being on the board at No. 21."
He also mentions Joe Douglas, the Eagles’ former vice president of player personnel, as part of his theory. He’s more from the same quote.
"Jets general manager Joe Douglas is also in the market for a wide receiver for Sam Darnold, but given their needs and a run of dismal drafts in years past, he might need to buy in bulk. Trading down would give them an opportunity to add somebody at No. 21 and another wideout with what would be one of three third-round picks. The unrelated Rasul Douglas would be a flier to compete at cornerback in the final year of his rookie deal."
If you’re like most of the media and many fans, swapping first-round selections, two more picks and a player seems a little costly. Let’s shelve this one for a second and move on to the theory involving the Lions.