Philadelphia Eagles: Regrading 2018’s draft class after three seasons

Avonte Maddox has been a hit and miss DB for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Avonte Maddox, for the better part of his three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, has been playing out of position. The five-foot-nine former Pitt Panther has been relied upon to play outside corner.

Unfortunately for Maddox, there’s nothing he can do about his height. All Maddox can do is play where the Eagles tell him to play and due in part to Philly not having any better options on the outside as CB2, Maddox has been forced to play in that role.

In three seasons Maddox has struggled to stay healthy. He’s yet to complete a full 16-game slate and this past season he appeared in just 10 games. Maddox has logged 122 tackles, 17 passes defensed, four TFLs, two interceptions, both were in his rookie season, two forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks.

Maddox has also been asked to play safety with the Eagles. In his rookie season, former defensive back coach Cory Undlin asked Maddox to step into the role of safety once veteran Rodney McLeod went down with an injury. Maddox stepped right in and filled the void. So, what prevented Maddox from becoming a full-time safety? There were no cornerbacks. It’s an issue that has plagued this franchise since Asante Samuel left town.

Moving forward into his fourth season, Avonte Maddox is a positionless defensive back. He has experience at every position playing well at safety, slot corner, and outside corner, however, he’s far from a star. He played well at safety as a rookie, but he hasn’t lined up at that position consistently since. As a slot and outside cornerback he flashes play-making ability, but he also finds himself chasing receivers into the end zone. His versatility is valuable, but his injury history is a lingering issue.

Verdict: For a fourth-round pick, Maddox wasn’t expected to be a star so this pick grades out as a B-.