Eagles draft: Ranking the only prospects who make sense in Round 1

If the Eagles draft Devin Lloyd in Round 1, no one should complain.

He’s six-foot-three. He tips the scales at 235 pounds. Devin Lloyd, in four seasons at Utah with the Utes (36 games), racked up 256 tackles, 15.5 sacks, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, eight pass breakups, and three defensive touchdowns.

He also racked up the postseason accolades once the college football season wrapped: a Consensus First-team All-American nod, the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Award, and the second of his two First-Team All-Pac 12 Awards.

Taking a linebacker in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft is a move that would be out of the ordinary for these Eagles, as you know, but with three first-round picks (if they don’t trade one), this could be prime territory for the Birds to buck the trend and find a true difference-maker for their defense’s second level.

There’s a huge buzz that’s building in Philadelphia’s fan base for former Georgia Bulldogs standout Nakobe Dean, but Lloyd and LSU’s Damone Clark are the more talented prospects.

Clark figures to be long gone before the Birds are on the clock at 15 however, and there’s a possibility that Dean comes off of the board later in Round 1 if not on the draft’s second day in Round 2. All things considered, Lloyd is the best bang for the Eagles’ bucks at 15 or 16, and he’s the type of talent that can help drive a wedge in what’s been a revolving door at linebacker.