Philadelphia Eagles 7-round NFL mock draft: Rebuilding Philly’s offense

The Philadelphia Eagles address a big defensive weakness in round three.

Scheme fit is extremely important in the NFL Draft. While it may be tempting to draft based purely on talent, a perfect fit in a system should be more sought after than potential. That being said, it’s difficult to evaluate prospects because of how unknown the offensive and the defensive scheme will be for the Eagles next year. The coaching staff is young and inexperienced in their current roles.

While this is a concern, we can predict the defensive scheme based on previous systems. Jonathan Gannon, the Eagles defensive coordinator, spent a few years in Indianapolis learning from Matt Eberflus. Gannon assisted Eberflus in running a 4-3 with a heavy emphasis on tall and physical cornerbacks.

More times than not, the outside cornerbacks for the Colts would use their length to their advantage and press the receivers at the line of scrimmage. Because Gannon was the defensive backs coach in this type of scheme, it’s fair to assume that he’ll bring over the same philosophy to Philadelphia.

Five-foot-nine Avonte Maddox simply won’t excel on the outside in this type of defense. Former Minnesota Gopher Benjamin St-Juste however, is a perfect fit for this defense. He’s a six-foot-three prospect with long arms and a knack for pressing receivers at the line. He also has above-average closing speed and quickness.

While St-Juste may be a little underdeveloped, Gannon, a former defensive backs coach, should be able to help his development. Add Darius Slay as a mentor, and St-Juste has the potential to excel in midnight green. After an impressive Senior Bowl, the Big Ten product should be on the Eagles’ radar.