Philadelphia Eagles draft buzz: University of South Florida corner K.J. Sails

The Philadelphia Eagles need to upgrade the defensive backfield.

In the football world, it’s no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles need to fill a bevy of holes across the roster. Be it on offense at the wideout position or on defense, where the revolving door at cornerback and linebacker has been an issue for years, the Birds could go with quite a few prospects and find something that they need.

Still, even after trading for Pro-Bowler Darius Slay, the Birds’ defensive backfield is still a mess. The need to find young, talented, and versatile prospects who could be developed into stars is obvious.

Here’s what the South Florida cornerback can bring to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here at ITI, we have been searching for prospects that could interest the Philadelphia Eagles and help the team moving forward. This time around we set our sights on University of South Florida cornerback K.J. Sails. He’s a five-foot-eleven, 180-pound rising star and Tampa native.

He’s an aggressive defender with a nose for the football, and he’s a big play waiting to happen. He’s equally tough against the run as he is in the passing game, and he’s a guy that can boost the special teams of any NFL squad that gives him a chance.

When studying Sails, the first thing that pops is his versatility and willingness to move around the defense. He’s able to play anywhere on the backend of the defense and possesses the football IQ to act as another coach on the field. He has the quick-twitch that defensive coordinators love from someone when in coverage. He can erase a wideout from the opposing offense’s game plan. He can be left on an island or be kicked inside and wreak havoc there.

Here’s a quick quote that may interest Philadelphia Eagles fans.

ITI spoke with a scouting source and asked him his thoughts on the former North Carolina Tar Heel. He asked not to be named but did have this to say:

"K.J. Sails has the tools to be a star at the next level and is the kind of guy you can build a defensive backfield around. You can just plug him and play him I believe. He has that kind of skill set. He is a smart kid and a guy that will not be a problem in the locker room or away from the team, so you feel good about that. I loved his film in North Carolina, and just liked what I saw from South Florida. To me, he will be a guy that gets drafted and (winds up being) a big get. I like his footwork and short-area burst, I like his aggressive nature on the backend, and I love how he never seems to take the bait. I think he will be a really good one (at the next level)."

It’s no secret that The Philadelphia Eagles are in need of an upgrade on the backend of their defense. Adding a player like K.J. Sails would give them a player who can be used in all types of ways. That includes his special team skills.

He adds value as a returner both in the punt game as well as (on) kickoffs, and he can also act as a gunner. With his IQ and skill set, he could be a guy that could team up with Darius Slay and create a great combo, or he can flourish as a guy that could take away the other team’s slot receiver. No matter where you place K.J. Sails, he’ll be an upgrade for the Philadelphia Eagles and a guy that the team would love to be able to lean on.

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