Philadelphia Eagles draft prospect profile: UCF cornerback Tay Gowan

You may have heard that the Philadelphia Eagles‘ defense has a few ocean-sized holes that need to be addressed. Well, that’s because they do. The cornerback position, in particular, should be first in line.

Now, while the front office has attacked the position over the last few years, the Eagles’ lack of talent has been an eyesore. Needless to say, with the 2021 NFL Draft approaching, the Philadelphia Eagles brass has an opportunity to get it right this time.

Finding a number two corner that can step in on day one should be one of the priorities of new head coach Nick Sirianni. If you just look around the NFC East at the star wideouts each rival team has, the Eagle’s holes seem even bigger. If they are to ever truly compete for a division title year-in and year-out they will need to find the defenders to shut down these playmakers.

UCF’s Tay Gowan would boost the Philadelphia Eagles defense immediately.

We at ITI searched the list of 2021 NFL Draft prospects and found a complete gem in the University of Central Florida in the form of cornerback Tay Gowan. Considered a top ten defensive back in this year’s draft, Gowan has flown under-the-radar after taking the 2020 collegiate season off (COVID19) in order to protect his daughter.

Blessed with great size (he’s six-foot-two and 190-pounds), Gowan is a long corner that competes for everything. He’s rarely beaten to the punch. Although Gowan flourishes in zone coverage, he’s at his best when you leave him on an island alone. He has the smooth hips that defensive coaches covet, raw speed to run with even the fastest of wideouts, and the ball skills to act as a receiver on defense.

A scouting take that will interest Philadelphia Eagles fans.

ITI had the opportunity to speak with a scouting source that has an interesting take on the Central Florida prospect. While he did not want to be named he did have this to say:

"I am not sure why this is but Tay Gowan may be the most underrated defender in the draft right now. He has gone under the radar for whatever reason, and you see this type of stuff happen every year. But, I will tell you this. If he’s sitting there in the second round of the draft the Philadelphia Eagles better sprint to the podium."

Our scouting source tells us how Gowan would help the Philadelphia Eagles.

"You bring him in, line him up on the outside, and leave him alone. Let the kid make plays for you. It’s that simple for some of these players. It really is. Gowan is one of these guys that has a good football IQ, and the ability to be a star. I think he took the year off for personal reasons with all this COVID stuff. Who can blame the guy? But, I think, because of it, he has been forgotten about. Still, he would be a difference-maker for the Philadelphia Eagles."

Addressing the defensive back situation should be job one for the Philadelphia Eagles brass. Adding a player like Tay Gowan would give the Eagles a talented prospect with the potential to be a legit star at the next level and would also be a huge step towards continuity in the back end of their defense. That would place them one step closer to being a dominant team.