Philadelphia Eagles draft watch: All-Pac-12, seven-round NFL mock
Rd 2: Jevon Holland, Oregon. . player. 820. . .
The Philadelphia Eagles add a talented safety in Round 2.
Jalen Mills, once upon a time, was a seventh-round draft choice that could have been taken higher but slipped because some had concerns. In 2020, he was moved into the safety spot vacated by a departed Malcolm Jenkins, but the results were, shall we say, underwhelming.
Philly’s other starting spot is occupied by Rodney McLeod if he’s healthy. Underline the words “if he’s healthy”. McLeod has seen two of his last three NFL seasons end with a trip to the IR (injured reserve), but he should be back in 2021. Even still, no one should be surprised if Mcleod and Mills are both gone either. Mills could hit the free-agency market. McLeod is someone Philly might want to give a medical stipend to and move on from.
Once you get past those two, Philly doesn’t have much at the safety position. There’s the young but unproven K’Von Wallace and reserve Marcus Epps as special teams ace Rudy Ford will sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. It appears this team needs help at safety, and Jevon Holland gives them that.
Holland is six-foot-one. He weighs in at 201, and in 27 career games, he racked up 108 tackles and nine interceptions. He sat out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns but is still one of the top safeties in this 2021 class.