Philadelphia Eagles draft buzz: Chatting with linebacker Rayshard Ashby

The Philadelphia Eagles‘ defense has had one issue after another, from injuries to below-average play. There’s no need for a deep dive to find the root of their issues. If this team is ever going to consistently compete in the NFC again, they’ll need to find talent, and it begins with their defense.

In looking through the current roster, it’s a real task in trying to find bright spots, so much so that the coaches and the front office are doing all that they can to find talent that they can hang their visors on. Philly’s defense needs a complete facelift or, at the very least, a few linebackers that bolster the defense’s second level. For years, this unit has stuck out like a sore thumb, and that hasn’t been for a good reason.

Here’s someone that could give the Philadelphia Eagles an upgrade.

Although the front office invested in the position twice during the 2020 NFL Draft, so far, Shaun Bradley and Davion Taylor haven’t lived up to expectations. That isn’t to say that they won’t have terrific sophomore seasons, but even if they do, this team needs to find and land another talented prospect in this year’s selection meeting.

With this in mind, we at ITI welcome Virginia Tech’s Rayshard Ashby to the conversation. The five-foot-ten, 240-pound defensive terror possesses the natural ability to play sideline to sideline. He also brings impressive football intelligence to the conversation. Considered an undersized prospect by some, Ashby has been a name that coaches and NFL scouts can’t stop discussing.

Here are a scouting take and a couple of quotes for Philadelphia Eagles fans.

We at ITI spoke briefly with a scouting source that did not want to be named, but he was gracious enough to oblige. Here’s what he had to say about the former Hokie:

"Ashby is one of those guys that can play all three downs and is truly a shining spot on defense. He is a thumper (on running plays), but (what’s) more impressive is how he runs. The guy has a raw speed and is surprisingly athletic in coverage. He isn’t perfect, but who is really? I think if you put him on the field, the height talk goes away quickly because the guy is just a football player. He’s a guy that is going to be a good one in the NFL."

After reaching out to our scouting source, I felt that it was only right to speak to the prospect directly, so I sat down with him and asked how he feels he can help an NFL team. Here is what he had to say:

"Honestly, I feel like you just have to put on the film to see what I am capable of, and I know I am only getting better as a player. So, I am always going to be a guy that is striving to be better and looking to be the best version of myself. I can play all three downs obviously the run game, but (I can do) just as much in the passing game. I know how to play in space and I know how to read keys and see what the offense is trying to fool us with. I am always studying film and learning, and I am going to bring all that to the next level. No matter who gets me, they will be getting a player that can be a leader and a guy they can lean on."

Ashby also spoke with us about what sets him apart from other defenders in this NFL Draft. Here’s what he had to say on that front.

"You know this draft has tons of talent in it, guys that can really play, but I would say what makes me different or sets me apart is my drive. I have been the underdog most of my life, and I have had to fight for everything I have earned and gotten. I am constantly hungry to be the best, and that is never going away. No one in this draft is going to outwork me, ever."

Again, it’s key that we hammer home the point that the Philadelphia Eagles need to find talented linebackers to man the second level of their defense, and if they could land the ACC’s leader in total tackles for the 2019 season (119), they’d be off to a great start. With his unique combination of football intelligence, powerful playing style, and raw speed, Virginia Tech’s Rayshard Ashby, would be an immediate upgrade to the Philadelphia Eagles defense.