3 Prospects Philadelphia Eagles won’t take at 12, thoughts on each one

Every year, we as fans and members of the media spend weeks discussing what we believe the Philadelphia Eagles might do when they’re on the clock during the first round of the NFL Draft. There’s always pressure. This year it’s immense. Let’s recap what’s been done in Round 1 over the past five drafts.

Philly didn’t have a first-round selection in 2018, but in 2016, they took Carson Wentz. He’s gone. You already know that though.

They added Derek Barnett in 2017. He’s got one foot out of the door and has never consistently shown that he was worthy of a first-round selection. For now, let’s just give him the benefit of the doubt and blame coaching.

In 2019, they took Andre Dillard in Round 1, and these days, it seems like the seventh-rounder that they took in 2018, Jordan Mailata, might be better. As you all know, they took Jalen Reagor in 2020 over Justin Jefferson, and as of right now, that appears to be a judgment call that was made in error. Did we mention that there’s pressure to get things right this time around?

Let’s talk about who the Philadelphia Eagles won’t be selecting.

No one knows what the Birds will do come draft time, not even the Eagles themselves. It’s something that we’ve learned to be true over time. Then, with 2021’s selection meeting approaching, there’s something else to talk about. There’s a possibility that the Birds may look to move back into the top ten.

Again, none of us know anything at this point. We’re left to our own common sense and the guessing game, but why not have a little fun anyway? Here are three prospects that we think we can rule out in Round 1 and a couple of thoughts on each one.

Throw these names off of your draft board if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

Okay, here’s where all of those areas we keep discussing connect. Here’s the intersection of ‘best player available’, ‘team needs’, and what other teams are expected to do with those first 11 picks. Here are three guys who don’t feel like realistic options at 12.

1. Micah Parsons, linebacker, Penn State

You’ve heard this 9 million times, but it bears repeating. The Eagles haven’t taken a linebacker in Round 1 of any draft since they selected Jerry Robinson out of UCLA in 1979.

This offseason, they re-signed Alex Singleton and added Eric Wilson. That makes it even more unlikely that they’ll go with an off-linebacker at 12, not even one that’s as talented as Micah Parsons.

2. Caleb Farley, cornerback, Virginia Tech

The nightmare that was Sidney Jones II still haunts this team. Almost four years after gambling on a cornerback that had injury concerns but was expected to eventually become a starter, it seems unlikely that the Birds go with Caleb Farley, who has had injury concerns that would make even the most confident general manager uncomfortable.

3. Kwity Paye, defensive end, Michigan

11 years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles surprised everyone by taking a defensive end with the 13th-overall selection. That was Brandon Graham, and even though it took a while, that worked out pretty well for them.

Kwity Paye is good. He might be a great professional, but even though there’s nothing concrete or statistical to back this up, this