Recent Eagles mock draft adds adrenaline-boosting trio in first two rounds

We're counting the days down. In less than a month, we'll be in Detroit for three days of draft coverage. The NFL's annual selection meeting has taken on a life of its own, and all eyes will be on the Motor City. The Philadelphia Eagles, if nothing changes between now and then (or during the event), are scheduled to make eight picks. Haason Reddick is gone. Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox have retired. It will be interesting to see their strategy.

Write the dates down if you haven't already. The festivities begin on Thursday, Apr 25th. They conclude on Saturday, Apr 27th. Detroit's Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza provide the backdrop. While we wait, we have written and read several mock drafts. Recently, CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr offered his latest. His is one you'll want to read.

It mentions guys we've discussed frequently as well as a few surprise additions. We'll tell you what, if you're looking for a pick me up after watching the Phillies get off to a slow start, this one's a nice distraction.

Jeff Kerr's recent Eagles-only mock draft is an intriguing read, but who's that third guy?

Kerr's recent mock is an intriguing one. He starts strong in rounds one and two with the addition of an edge rusher, linebacker, and wide receiver. He rounds things out by mentioning Kris Abrams-Draine (Missouri cornerback), Sione Vaki (Utah safety), Erick All (Iowa tight end), Isaiah Adams (Illinois offensive lineman), and former Georgia tailback Daijun Edwards.

Let's examine his first three picks as everyone would love to see Philly nail those first two rounds.

Round 1, Pick 22 - Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

No one would complain if the Eagles were to add an edge rusher in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. No one should complain if that edge rusher is Laiatu Latu. He's a six-foot-five, 265-pounder who stacked 85 tackles and 23.5 sacks during his final two seasons at UCLA.

Pro Football Focus ranks him as the 11th best player on their big board and ahead of Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and Chop Robinson as their top edge rusher. It will be interesting to see where he falls on draft day because other scouts see Turner, Verse, and Robinson as better prospects.

Maybe it's just a matter of preference.

Round 2, Pick 50 - Edgerrin Cooper, linebacker, Texas A&M

Edgerrin Cooper is a nice idea and quite possibly the top interior lineman in the 2024 draft class. While he's a better run defender than a cover linebacker at this stage, proper coaching could yield tasty fruit and get him where he needs to go.

Here's the thing. We don't always see great coaching in Philly. Put a pin cushion in this one, but again, we like the selection.

Round 2, Pick 53 - Ricky Pearsall, wide receiver, Florida

Kerr throws us a curveball here, adding Ricky Pearsall from the University of Florida. Here's some of his reasoning for the selection:

"Getting a slot receiver is paramount for the Eagles offense under new OC Kellen Moore. Enter Pearsall, who can easily thrive with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on the outside. Pearsall is worth the gamble here, because of his speed and ability to catch anything thrown his way."

While Pearsall is talented, some might say adding Pearsall here is a reach. That isn't everyone's opinion as some give him second-round grades.

CBS Sports names him as the 97th overall player on their list of 2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings. He's ranked higher on Pro Football Focus' draft board. They name him as a top-ten wide receiver and the 49th-ranked prospect overall.

Other second-round wide receiver targets potentially include Ladd McConkey (Georgia), Troy Franklin (Oregon), Roman Wilson (Michigan), Jermaine Burton (Alabama), and Keon Coleman (Florida State). The obvious questions are about whether or not Philly would draft a wideout so early after adding DeVante Parker and Parris Campbell during free agency.

Read more Eagles draft news from Inside The Iggles