Eagles news: Philly hits the jackpot in Pro Football Focus mock draft

It’s been more than a week now, and every time we think about football, our thoughts rewind to seeing that final field goal attempt by the Kansas City Chiefs soaring through the uprights. We want to remember the good memories that the Philadelphia Eagles gave us, but it’s hard to stay with that thought. All we can think about is the next season and what we hope is an opportunity to wipe this stain from our memories.

Will we ever forget this? Something tells us that we won’t, but diving head first into all things involving the offseason might help soothe the pain some. The first few steps involve the NFL Scouting Combine, the free agency frenzy, and the pre-draft process. Expect to see a few mock drafts along the way.

Eagles news: Pro Football Focus drops a mock draft and Philly hits the jackpot with two selections in Round 1.

Admittedly, it’s been hard t talk about football these past seven days. We haven’t wanted to see football. We haven’t wanted to read about football, but things are beginning to return to normalcy… sort of.

Here’s a nice read if you missed it. Pro Football Focus mainstay Michael Renner dropped a post-Super Bowl Round 1 NFL mock draft. As you know, the Eagles have two picks, and Renner sees them using both in an attempt to bolster the defense.

Former Oregon Ducks cornerback Christian Gonzalez is the selection at ten. The 30th-overall selection is used on former Georgia Bulldog Nolan Smith.

Here’s Renner’s explanation for both ideas. We begin with his take on Gonzalez.

"James Bradberry was one of the best free agent signings of 2022, but he came to Philadelphia on a one-year deal and very likely played his way out of the team given their tight cap situation. Christian Gonzalez is a similarly long cornerback who picked off four passes and broke up six more this past fall."

Gonzalez winds up being the second cornerback off of the board as he mocks Devon Witherspoon to the Detroit Lions at the sixth-overall selection. Here’s Renner’s take on Smith.

"The Eagles are no strangers to adding juice to their defensive line, and Smith brings just that. It becomes even more likely if soon-to-be 35-year-old Brandon Graham retires this offseason. Smith is undersized but explosive as can be, and he plays with great leverage. He would ensure the Eagles’ third-down package remains scary."

Nolan Smith is the sixth EDGE star taken in this mock. The five that precede him are as follows:

• Alabama’s Will Anderson – Chicago Bears (4th)
• Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson – Seattle Seahawks (5th)
• Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness – Tennessee Titans (11th)
  
• Clemson’s Myles Murphy – Green Bay Packers (15th)
  
• Georgia Tech’s Keion White – Cincinnati Bengals (28th)
  

There’s a lot that needs to happen between now and the next NFL Draft. Guys will rise and fall on big boards, but if the Eagles wind up with Gonzales and Smith, right now, it feels like that would be a wise decision. Something tells us that we won’t change our minds on that two months from now either.