Philadelphia Eagles draft board: Top 15 prospects for this team

Here’s the next tier of draft prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Anyone who watched the college football playoffs knows one thing: DeVonta Smith is special. In his last three games as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, he averaged 11 catches for 175 yards and more than 2.5 touchdowns per game.

Smith simply has a knack of getting creating space from his defender, and once he receives the ball, he’s a menace to the defense. The Eagles would be more than fortunate to have him suit up in midnight green for the 2021 season.

And he just might. Smith is projected to fall right around the sixth pick of the draft and considering how wide receiver needy the Eagles are, this selection makes sense. The debate of selecting Ja’Marr Chase or DeVonta Smith is one that will continue to exist until draft night, but all fans can agree that the team cannot go wrong with either one.

If Jim Schwartz was the defensive coordinator moving forward, then Micah Parsons would not be high on this list. Schwartz is notorious for underusing and undervaluing linebackers, but with the hiring of Jonathan Gannon as defensive coordinator, the linebacker position will have more value in the organization, even more so because Gannon was around a Colts defense that boasts All-Pro linebacker, Darius Leonard.

A local kid, Parsons has cemented himself as the best linebacker in this draft. His combination of speed and physicality is one that is rare in many NFL linebackers, let alone college prospects.

He opted out of the 2020 season, but he racked up 109 tackles in 2019 on the road to becoming an All-American. He has the potential to be a long term defensive star for the Eagles.

After trading for Darius Slay during the last NFL offseason, the Eagles finally got their true CB1. Surtain gives them the opportunity to have one of the best cornerback combinations in the league. Jonathan Gannon, a former defensive backs coach, would love to coach these two guys on the outside.

Patrick Surtain has been a three-year starter at Alabama, which says something in itself, and has constantly used his excellent frame to his advantage. He’s terrific in press coverage and has great ball skills.

He has the potential to excel in both man and zone coverages. Surtain needs to show more burst and short-area quickness, but he is arguably the best cornerback in this draft and would be an excellent CB2 to have opposite of Darius Slay.