Philadelphia Eagles draft: Ranking 3 potential surprise picks at 12

Will history repeat itself with this Philadelphia Eagles team?

Once upon a time, in a land that was far, far away, there was a draft. Actually, it wasn’t that far away at all. The venue was radio City Music Hall in the city of New York. The year was 2010.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to the 13th-overall selection to take Brandon Graham out of the University of Michigan, passing up on the likes of safety Earl Thomas at the time.

Thomas got off to a fast start and eventually fizzled at the end of his career. Graham was frustrating in his first few seasons before the light came on. He’s gotten better with time.

Fast forward to the present, and if there’s nothing else that we can say about this Eagles team it’s this. To their credit, they’ve always made their defensive line a priority. In 2010, we thought they might take Thomas, and they took a defensive lineman. In 2017, we thought they might go with a corner or skill player, and they went with Derek Barnett. Does any of this sound familiar?

Don’t be surprised if Philly goes with a defensive end on the first night of the NFL Draft. The best of the bunch might be another Michigan man, Kwity Paye. There’s just one issue. We aren’t sure if he’d be to the Eagles what Brandon Graham has been.

You also have to consider this. Simply put, this fan base and the members of the Philadelphia media might go off of the rails if Kwity Paye is the Eagles’ selection at 12, especially if guys like Jaycee Horn and Jaylen Waddle are available. That ladies and gentlemen is a fact.