The 2017 Eagles draft class was one to remember (but for the wrong reasons).
When it’s all said and done, the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles draft class will go down as one of the worst in franchise history. As this proud organization passed the four-year anniversary of welcoming eight young Birds into the nest, only one of the members of this draft class was still on the roster, and more often than not, as we neared the end of his rookie deal, it just felt like Derek Barnett had one foot out of the door.
Let’s hope this team has much more success at evaluating talent in the future. If only sports and life allowed us a reset button. Here’s what we would do if we could redraft the 2017 class.
Original selection: Derek Barnett, Tennessee
It isn’t as bad as missing on Justin Jefferson for Jalen Reagor or as bad as the Eagles’ decision to take Mike Mamula over Warren Sapp in 1995, but selecting Derek Barnett when Jonathan Allen was still on the board hurt. Allen was a much better player at Alabama with the Crimson Tide than Barnett was at Tennessee with the Volunteers.
Don’t give us that hogwash about Barnett breaking Reggie White’s sack record at Tennessee either. Derek played in 17 more games over the course of his career than Reggie did.