Howie Roseman isn’t going to tip his hand on what the Philadelphia Eagles plan to do within the NFL Draft, even with the distinctive alternative he offered the franchise with a 12 months in the past. The Eagles are the primary staff for the reason that 2008 New England Patriots to make the Super Bowl and have a top-10 choose at their disposal within the following season’s NFL Draft, a major choice to make their loaded roster even higher.
The No. 10 choose is the “luxurious” choose for Philadelphia on this draft, the primary of two picks on Day 1. What the Eagles will do with the No. 10 choice stays a thriller, which makes this draft much more intriguing.
Having a operating again like Bijan Robinson obtainable for the Eagles at No. 10 is an actual chance. Forget the Eagles having by no means drafted a operating again within the first spherical beneath Roseman (and never deciding on one which early within the draft since 1986) and the franchise’s standard mind-set.
Roseman had an opportunity to dismiss taking a operating again in Round 1. He did not precisely do this.
“I believe a very powerful factor once you’re selecting within the first spherical, actually once you’re selecting 10, is that you simply get a singular participant,” Roseman mentioned. “I believe that there are so few distinctive gamers in any draft that should you begin selecting by place and never primarily based on the standard of the expertise, then you definitely actually get an opportunity — so should you choose by place and also you choose a participant who’s not any good, then it is not a great choose anyway.”
Is Robinson the “distinctive participant” Roseman is speaking about? Only Roseman and the Eagles’ mind belief know the place the franchise is leaning come Thursday, but Robinson is projected to be the most effective operating again coming into the draft in years. No operating again has been taken within the prime 20 of the draft since Saquon Barkley in 2018, a streak Robinson is more likely to break.
Robinson’s explosiveness and pass-catching skill out of the backfield make him one other dynamic playmaker. Imagine Robinson in an offense with Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. He would even be operating behind the Eagles’ offensive line, arguably the most effective within the NFL and can be the No. 1 operating again on the league’s No. 1 dashing assault during the last two years.
Conventional knowledge suggests the Eagles will not draft Robinson at No. 10. The NFL has actually trended in a route the Eagles have been leaning for almost 4 a long time.
The Eagles additionally haven’t got top-10 picks typically. Corey Simon, Lane Johnson, Carson Wentz, and Smith have been the one top-10 picks for the franchise since 2000. This is a uncommon alternative for the Eagles, which can have them go in opposition to the grain and take that “distinctive participant.”
Come Thursday, the franchise will decide if Robinson suits that mildew.
“We perceive how vital it’s to get this proper, and the way do you get it proper is you be sure to get a singular participant,” Roseman mentioned. “I believe that should you begin saying, ‘Hey, we are able to solely get a singular participant, nevertheless it’s acquired to be this place,’ you actually slender your choices proper there.
“So simply making an attempt to be as open minded as potential about what that appears like and ensuring that whoever we choose is someone that we predict can actually affect the sport.”
