9 Varying opinions on what Philadelphia Eagles should do at six

Okay Philadelphia Eagles fans, put on your G.M. hats for a second.

At the time of its story being published, we’re a little over one month away from the 2021 NFL Draft, and it’s hard not to be anxious if you are a Philadelphia Eagles fan. There’s no need to run through the list of disappointing picks on several draft nights because, in all honesty, it hasn’t been all bad. Still, it’s safe to say that most Philly fans are not happy that the general manager Howie Roseman is still a part of this franchise.

With that being said, let’s have some fun and look at who the Eagles could land. This isn’t a mock draft per see. It’s a collection of thoughts from several members of the ITI staff. What follows are some of the results of those conversations that were held about a month ago.

Get ready for eight strong opinions from eight Philadelphia Eagles enthusiasts.

We begin with our very own Smit Bajaj. He wants to grab a playmaker early as the staff did in a three-round mock draft we dropped back in February. Here’s some of what he had to say on the subject:

“I’m going with Ja’Marr Chase. His impressive mix of route running, hands, and speed elevates him over any other receiver in this draft. Sure Devonta Smith had a historic season, but people seem to forget what kind of sophomore year Chase had. The dude was simply electric. My only worry would be the fact that he was surrounded by talent at LSU, but Justin Jefferson, Joe Burrow, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire all had those same doubts and were some of the best rookies in 2020″.

Leith Sinclair is a strong believer in getting another offensive weapon. Here’s his take:

“I’d be interested in seeing the Eagles draft either Ja’Marr chase or DeVonta Smith. I feel like, with their talent and Sirianni’s experience with wide receivers, they’d be a good fit in the new offense. Also, if Ertz is leaving, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts might be a good choice. Patrick Surtain II would be my number one defensive player”.

I too am on the Ja’Marr Chase train like Bajaj, and I believe that he’s the game-changer that the Birds need.

The Eagles could go in a lot of different directions with how many needs they have to address this offseason. While I believe that Nick Sirianni and his coaching staff will bring out the best in this receiver core, I also believe that Ja’Marr Chase is the X-factor that this team needs.

Sirianni plays to the strengths of his players and likes to attack matchups. As for DeVonta Smith, I don’t expect him to be available, and I think there is a better chance of Chase still being there at six. At just 19-years old, Chase dominated SEC corners left and right in 2019.

He gets off the line with a great release, stacks corners quickly, and shows off his sticky hands. He also fights through contact to make tough catches. Chase’s speed and athleticism for his size (six-foot, 200 pounds) are pretty impressive.

Not only that but he can play in the slot or out wide at the X and Z positions. While people talk about how Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith are monsters after the catch, Ja’Marr is right up there with them in that category. If Chase is still on the board, I can’t pass him up.

Might the Philadelphia Eagles go with a lineman early?

Jackie Quattro thinks that it might be best to sure up the left tackle spot as we did in our lineman-only mock draft recently. She states the following:

“Many think Howie Roseman may take a wide receiver with the sixth pick of the draft, but the Eagles’ GM has shown he likes to surprise the Philly fanbase with the not-so-predictable pick (i.e. Jalen Hurts)”.

Quattro continued: “The offensive line gave up a league-leading 65 sacks this season, which meant Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts spent most of their time on their back and not getting the ball down the field. To run an efficient offense, it all starts with the big men up front, and Penei Sewell could help to plug up the holes on the offensive line”.

That’s excellent work. The question is whether or not Sewell will still be available after both the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals make their picks. Ben Swanger is also of the mindset that the Eagles should look to address the offensive side of the ball. He likes Kyle Pitts out of Florida:

“With the sixth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Kyle Pitts, tight end from the University of Florida”. Here’s more from Mr. Swanger.

“Kyle Pitts is one of the most dynamic pass catchers in the 2021 draft class. As we know, it seems apparent that the Eagles could be looking to move Zach Ertz this offseason, and a door will be open for another tight end to be slotted next to Dallas Goedert on the depth chart. Pitts fits the bill”.

So, what is it about this young man that’s so special? Swanger breaks it down for us.

“Pitts moves like a lengthy, quick wide receiver while possessing strength for the tight end position not many have. Simply put, he’s a generational talent at tight end. In his junior campaign, he hauled in 43 catches for 770 yards with 12 touchdowns.

Dallas Goedert might be a future star in the league and we have yet to see him play a starter’s level of snap counts in his short career, but new head coach Nick Sirianni may be employing a heavy dose of 12 personnel as the Colts showed the formation frequently throughout the 2020 campaign.

Pitts might not be the dynamic outside receiver the Eagles offense has needed the past few seasons, but he will be an immediate impact in the passing game and his long-term ceiling should be set no lower than the game’s top tight end. The last tight end to garner this high of possible draft stock was Vernon Davis who went sixth overall in the 2006 draft to the 49ers”.

Could Patrick Surtain be the right fit for the Philadelphia Eagles?

Site expert Geoffrey Knox kept it simple as defense entered the conversation for the first time:

“In the beginning, my first choices would be one of the Alabama prospects at cornerback or wideout: Patrick Surtain, DeVonta Smith, or Jaylen Waddle. I’m not as high on Ja’Marr Chase as everyone else is though I think he’ll be good. As time goes on though, I’m falling more and more in love with Kyle Pitts.

He may be the best player in this draft, so yeah. Pitts is my first choice, and Surtain would be my second. I think he’s better in zone than in man at this point, but I also think that I rank him higher than Caleb Farley”.

Speaking of Alabama prospects, Jon-Michael Salter is especially high on the guy who could line up opposite of Darius Slay:

“While I understand the love and yearning for a star wideout such as Devonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase, I am on the other side of it. I believe drafting Patrick Surtain would give the Eagles a solid one-two punch at cornerback. It also gives them a game-changer”.

‘Salt’ continued. “The eagles have not drafted or had a player of this caliber in a really long time. It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is or who the wide receivers are if the defense can’t stop anybody. The NFC East is smothered in talented wideouts and we need to stop them”.

Thomas Cunningham is also high on Patrick Surtain and believes he should be the pick:

“The Eagles could easily go with some of the top offensive weapons in this year’s draft, but with the wide receivers market in the free agency being stacked, the Eagles could get a discount on someone really good post-draft. I would look to fill their cornerback issues and find a real CB2.

Patrick Surtain will provide that needed athleticism and sticky coverage to help secure the defensive backfield. With Darius Slay already being 30, it would be wise to get a true lockdown corner of the future”.

Brandon Thornton, now the site expert at The Pewter Plank, FanSided’s site dedicated exclusively to Tampa Bay Buccaneers content, shared his thoughts on why it would be easy to defend the stance of believing Surtain makes sense at number six. Here are a few comments that he made about a month ago.

“Players like Devonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase, and Penei Sewell are the best prospects for the Eagles and would fill the biggest needs. In the case of Smith, he is maybe the best college receiver these eyes have ever seen, both live and on tv, but there’s an excellent chance that Smith and the aforementioned prospects won’t be available by the time the Eagles pick at 6.

Some mock drafts go as far as having the Eagles taking a quarterback, which would be certified lunacy and would add another ring to this circus, and we don’t mean Super Bowl ring. Of course, if the Eagles trade one or both of their current QBs, all bets are off.

All this being said the Eagles should look at Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II at number 6. His teammate Jaylen Waddle may be there at 6, but that could also be looked at as a reach by some.

With Surtain, pairing him with Darius Slay would give the Philadelphia Eagles a cornerback tandem that would almost instantly become top tier in the league. Both are at least over 6 feet tall, and both would bring physicality to pair with their strong coverage skills. Cornerback is arguably the most important defensive position in today’s NFL with the constant explosion of the passing game.

If you have one stud corner it can cut the field in half for opposing teams and limit them. If you have two, well then by the time the quarterback goes through his reads, the Eagles league-leading pass rush should already be there. It also helps that Surtain’s father was one of this writer’s favorite corners as a youngster, no disrespect to Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor, but some shade to Al Harris.

Here are a few final thoughts if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

So there you have it! The staff at ITI is eying up Ja’Marr Chase, Kyle Pitts, and Patrick Surtain at the sixth overall pick. Penei Sewell wouldn’t be a bad option either if he’s available. Now, again, these conversations took place about a month ago, so opinions may have changed slightly. They may even change a few days from now, but it was fun to get into what everyone was thinking.

If DeVonta Smith were to fall, which is a very real possibility, that might make this a more difficult decision. Jaylen Waddle is a sleeper pick here, and though it’s hard to believe that Chase will fall, that too is possible. The Philadelphia Eagles are in a position to get a generational talent. Any of these prospects could help get this team back on track. Let’s hope Roseman just keeps it simple, doesn’t try to outthink the room, and makes the right decision.