After a crushing defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles need to focus their attention on building back a defense that was big in the Super Bowl run of last year.
This season, that unit ranked 26th in total defense, allowed 356.1 yards and 51 touchdowns.
We’re looking at two options here in the NFL Draft, cornerbacks and EDGE rushers.
It was hard to predict how bad the Eagles secondary would perform this season. They had nine interceptions, which ranked 26th in the league.
They had some young players, but they didn’t perform well enough to be looked at as long-term solutions.
They are in desperate need of help with the pass rush. They allowed seven yards per passing attempt, ranking in the lower half of the league. They had 43 sacks, ranking 20th in the league.
Brandon Graham will turn 36 years old before next season starts and Derek Barnett during the 2023 season.
Here are the four players who can help the Eagles the most in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The scouting report on Mitchell is that he “attacks the ball with authority, with quick read-and-react ability.” Most importantly for the Eagles, he is a “willing and physical tackler.” He ran a 4.3 40 on multiple occasions for NFL scouts.
He has great hands, had six interceptions in his last two seasons at Toledo and has the speed to return those interceptions for big gains.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
A few SEC receivers have called McKinstry the best cornerback they faced and yet, few scouts give him no better than a second-round grade. If he’s available here, the Eagles should definitely consider him.
At 6-foot-1, he certainly has the size to cover some of the bigger receivers in the NFL. He runs a 4.5 40 and the scouting report says that he has “exceptional awareness in zone coverage, consistently reading and reacting to the quarterback and unfolding plays,” something that would have helped the Eagles in their playoff loss to Tampa Bay.
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Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
Trice seems to have dropped in mock drafts, but some scouts have him as the second-best EDGE rusher in the draft. He had 70 pressures, 49 quarterback hurries, 15 quarterback hits and six sacks this season, one of the big reasons for Washington’s undefeated record.
The scouting report on him says that he “has a great motor and enough creativity to make plays late in the down as a pass rusher,” and that he is a “tough, violent tackler with a non-stop motor.” He’s also adept at dropping into pass coverage, has long arms and great at shedding blocks.
Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
Robinson has explosive athleticism and an ability to outmaneuver offensive tackles with his burst and flexibility, according to the scouting reports.
He is perfect as a stand-up EDGE in various schemes that value versatility and disruption, which the Eagles were when they were playing their best ball. Robinson is skilled at getting pressure from mulitple alignments.