Philadelphia Eagles ignore tanking prospect for sub-radar cornerback

Attention Philadelphia Eagles fans! You’ve landed your cornerback. It just may not be the one that you were expecting. Here’s some news from Cleveland as the world watches the final day of the 2021 NFL Draft.

That Ohio State Buckeyes standout? Well, things aren’t going well for Shaun Wade, and that’s putting things mildly. His draft stock appears to be plummeting.

As the 123rd-overall selection approached, Wade, a guy some draft pundits had on their lists of the top ten cornerbacks available, continued to fall. When Philly turned the card in, Zech McPhearson‘s name was on it. He’s a relatively sub-radar prospect that hails from a football program that isn’t really known for its defense.

Let’s talk about the guy the Philadelphia Eagles did take.

In four seasons and 31 career games at the collegiate level, Mr. McPhearson, a former Texas Tech Red Raider and a man that began his career with the Penn State Nittany Lions, tallied 104 tackles from 2019 to 2020, giving him 118 total stops for his career. That includes 4.5 tackles that resulted in a loss of yardage. Add that to four career picks (all of which came in his final ten games).

When he’s not causing immediate changes of possession, he gets his hands on the ball. He has 14 career pass breakups and two fumble recoveries on his resume as well.

He’s a little short. He stands at five-foot-eleven and tips the scales at 195 pounds, making him about an inch shorter and five pounds heavier than Darius Slay is. Here’s your recap if you aren’t watching the draft on television.

Philly eschews the chance to take Shaun Wade. The Minnesota Vikings take a very capable safety, Camryn Bynum, two spots after Philly lands McPhearson in Round 4. At the time of this story being published, there’s a long way to go in the selection meeting, and there’s already tons to talk about with this 2021 Philadelphia Eagles draft class.