Philadelphia Eagles 3 Round Mock Draft 2.0

With a little under one week until the NFL draft, it’s time for mock draft 2.0.

In this week’s edition I used profootballnetwork.com’s mock draft simulator. I chose players who both were available when the Eagles were on the board, and I could see them taking. While the picks I made in my last draft are also ones I could see the Eagles making, I did not pick any of the same players in this mock.

READ LAST WEEKS MOCK DRAFT

10. Jalen Carter DT Georgia

While I do not expect Jalen Carter to make it to the 10th pick, this would be an ideal scenario for the Eagles. When the college football season ended Carter was widely regarded as the best non-QB in this year’s draft. The thought of the Eagles being able to select him was farfetched. But after some off-the-field concerns, it may be looking more and more like he may be in reach for the Eagles.

On May 1st Jalen Carter was arrested for reckless driving and racing in connection to a fatal crash that happened on January 15th. According to espn.com, Carter was racing his teammate and a recruiting staffer when they fatally crashed. Carter was not under the influence during this incident and will avoid jail time after pleading no contest.

While legal trouble is enough to make a player fall, there are more red flags when it comes to Carter. Carter showed up to Georgias’ pro day 9 pounds heavier and struggled to finish position drills according to espn.com. After declining to work out at the combine, this is the last thing you want to hear coming out of a pro day. Pro days are designed to cater to the skills of their players, so for him to struggle there is very concerning.

The last red flag came when Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Carter is declining any pre-draft visits to any team that is drafting outside the top 10. While he will likely go in the top 10, this can be a major turn-off for any team that was hoping to trade up to select him if he were to fall. With his red flags, it’s unlikely now that any team that has not had the chance to have him in their building will take a chance on him. After everything that has happened since his season ended, this is not a good look.

Carter declining any visits outside of the top 10 did come right after he visits the Bears and Eagles. While it is not a good look, it is possible that the Eagles told him that they are not letting him get passed 10. If that occurred it could make sense for him to decline visits. This still may turn off teams that are willing to trade up, but it could be an explanation.

Even with all of these red flags, I do not believe once the draft day comes he will be still available when the 10th pick comes around. So then the question becomes, is he worth trading up for? It depends on how high up the Eagles would have to go up to get him, but I do believe if the right deal is there they would do it. On the field, Carter checks every box that the Eagles look for in a draft pick. After losing Javon Hargrave in the offseason, Carter would be able to slide in and be a starting DT from day 1. Carter’s rare combination of size and athleticism would slide in perfectly next to ex-teammate Jordan Davis. Davis and Carter were two of the best players on one of the best defenses in recent college football memory. Davis and former Bulldog Nakobe Dean can also give the Eagles a good look into Carter’s character, as they know him better than anyone.

30. Jahmyr Gibbs RB Alabama

While I want the Eagles to draft Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs is a good backup plan. After playing his first two years at Georgia Tech, Gibbs transferred to Alabama and had a good season. In his 2022 season, Gibbs ran for 926 yards in just 151 attempts. While Gibbs is a good runner, his real value is his versatility. In 2022 Gibbs caught 44 balls for 444 yards. In total, he had 1,370 yards from scrimmage. Gibbs is great at catching the ball out of the backfield, and he has the speed to take any play to the house. NFL.com has compared him to Alvin Kamara and I think that’s a perfect comparison.

Gibbs does have a similar play style to Kenny Gainwell. While I believe that Gibbs will be a better player than Gainwell, a lot of the things that Gibbs excels at are also things that Gainwell can do. In an ideal world, you would take a Running Back that has a different skill set than the players you already have, but the Eagles have been burnt by that in the past. Gibbs has the making of a Pro Bowl player, and if they are unable to take Bijan, he would be a great piece to add to this offense.

62. Luke Musgrave TE Oregon State

At first glance, the Eagles taking a Tight End with their second-round pick does not make a lot of sense. But neither did the Dallas Goedert pick when they drafted him. At 28 years old, Dallas Goedert is currently as old as Zach Ertz was when the Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft. While Doug Pederson was a big fan of 12 personnel, the Eagles showed last year that they still like to use it. With the players they currently have on the roster, they showed last year that Tight End was one of the weakest positions behind Goedert. His presence was massively missed in the games he missed, and the Eagles could use an upgrade at backup Tight End.

With the way the Eagles play offense using 12 personnel, a backup Tight End will see the field more than most backup players. While Musgrave suffered an injury early last season, he is regarded as the fastest TE in this year’s draft and fits the profile of what the Eagles want in a TE. Whether its Musgrave or someone else, do not rule out Tight End for the Eagles in this year’s draft.

94. Trade! Budda Baker S Arizona Cardinals

We have a trade!

While it may take more than this, I have the Eagles trading the 94th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft to the Arizona Cardinals for Safety Budda Baker. Baker has requested a trade from the Cardinals, and there have been reports that he and the Eagles have a mutual interest. The 27-year-old Baker is coming off a Pro Bowl season and would be able to transform a secondary that is weak at the Safety position. In total Baker is a 2-time First Team All-Pro selection and a 5-time Pro Bowler.

Baker has seemingly not been shy about his interest in the Eagles as he was one of the first players to congratulate Jalen Hurts on his new contract and is on record saying that he really likes Nick Sirianni. While these could be coincidences, multiple media outlets have reported that Baker is interested in the Eagles. According to Jimmy Kempksi of phillyvoice.com Baker is due $13,096,359 next season, and around $14 million the year after that. While those are steep numbers, Howie Roseman has shown an ability to get people low-cap numbers. If the Eagles can lower his cap hit, and only trade what reports say can get it done in a 2nd or 3rd-round pick, Budda would make a lot of fans happy come draft weekend.