Philadelphia Eagles 2021, seven-round mock: Birds add to their secondary

The Philadelphia Eagles take a pass rusher in Round 2.

This pick might come as a surprise to some. The defensive end position isn’t a pressing need but the Eagles front office greatly values pass rushers. Winning in the trenches is the name of the game. Despite the fact that Brandon Graham had such a productive year, he’s entering a contract year. The back end of the season has been a bit quieter for him as well. While ‘BG’ has been a veteran leader and consistent performer, he’s going to be 33-years-old next year.

Outside of Graham, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, and Genard Avery will all be on contract years. Vinny Curry is a free agent after Sunday. It wouldn’t hurt to add a young pass rusher like Carlos Basham Jr. It’ll be difficult to add talent in free agency. Basham played in a 4-3 scheme at Wake Forest. Similar to Graham, not only is Basham a strong pass rusher but also an excellent run stopper.

In Basham’s last 19 games, he’s collected a grand total of 85 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and seven forced fumbles. With a variety of pass rush moves, he’ll be able to have some success from Day 1. He might not become an All-Pro right off the bat but he should grow with more reps. As The Draft Network pointed out in their scouting report, Basham has experience in the wide-9 which Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz uses. Philly could be perfect for him since he can start out as a rotational end and earn more snaps along the way.