From singing Midnight Oil to watching film breakdown on a “Punt God”, it’s been a busy start to the offseason.
Who are YOUR guys in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft ? Not the consensus #1’s but the players from college teams you watch or guys you studied and have an affinity for. We all know the Eagles would love to have Kyle Hamilton, Hutchinson, Thibodeaux etc, but without trading up, that is probably not realistic. I will show you mine, if you show me yours.
Behold, the best of the rest!
Positional breakdown:
Center:
Cam Jurgens- Every time I watched Jurgens I saw a little touch of Jason Kelce in him. So I asked a scout if I was crazy or if that style of play was really there. He confirmed that if I am crazy it wasn’t because of that. Cam definitely has some of those same qualities. He would be a lot of fun to have around.
James Empey- The BYU center is 6’4 300lbs and very technically sound. Most scouts have stated he’d be perfect in an RPO heavy, style offense. His father also played OL and is currently an offensive line coach, also at BYU. James is very active in his community. This past season he was a semi finalist for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy, college football’s top community service award.
Cole Strange- Cole can play Center or Guard and claims to have taken practice reps at every position along the line. He would fit perfectly into an immediate backup role while receiving tutelage under Stoutland. At 6’5 300lbs he is a mauler and a fast study. He never played OL until college. Cole would be a great player for now and the future.
Wide Receiver:
Treylon Burks- I have him over every other WR in draft. He is WR1. Burks is 6’3, 225, with humongous hands. He is also very physical. He would be a difference maker at the position. If the Birds take a receiver in the first, my choice is him.
Erik Ezukanma- Another big receiver. 6’3 220. Long, long arms. A big bodied pass catcher who is also great at getting yards after the catch. He often catches the ball with his hands at the high point (like Quez) and is good at winning 50/50 balls. I would love to see him and Goedert in the red zone together.
Charleston Rambo- A very good route runner with strong hands and elite speed. Not very big, but makes catches in traffic by utilizing those strong hands and getting vertical. Rambo is a lot more powerful than his frame suggests. (Side note: wouldn’t it just be cool to have an Eagles jersey with Rambo?)
Running Back:
Brian Robinson- He is a physical, aggressive runner who finishes off runs by lowering his shoulder and plowing ahead for more yards. At 6’1 225, he takes a licking and keeps on ticking, like the energizer bunny.
Jerome Ford- The first thing I noticed is his speed. He doesn’t lose much of it it when makes cuts either. He is a threat to take it to the house everytime he touches the ball.
Hassan Haskins- Hassan is a bruiser, who would seemingly pair well with Miles and Gainwell. He runs over defensive backs with ease. Fun guy to watch.
Safety:
Jaquan Brisker- Unlike some others on my list, Brisker isn’t a gamble on potential, he has already shown the goods. He is as fundamentally sound as it gets. A jack of all trades type of S, he can cover a lot of positions for you when needed. Jaquan also demonstrates amazing situational awareness. He will walk right onto the field with a starting job for some lucky NFL team.
Jalen Pitre- Similiar to Brisker, he could be utlized in a Malcolm Jenkins type of role. He played a hybrid role at Baylor between LB, CB, S, and even Edge. I absolutely love his game and upside. A tough guy who would give the Eagles a much needed boost in that area.
Bryan Cook- There is a reason Cincinnati had such a great season, and Cook is one of the reasons why. He needs to sure up his tackling, but he is a punishing hitter. He has elite speed and playmaking ability, but needs to be more consistent overall. I have seen him mocked to go as high as round one, and all the way down to the seventh. A true wild card in the draft.
Nick Cross- A potential later round option, Nick can flat out run. The former track star has amazing closing speed and a very high upside. Give him a look, he could be a player too many are sleeping on.
Cornerback
Kaiir Elam- He’s big, strong and physical. Will work well in a man scheme. Having Slay and Elam together would change things on this defense in a hurry. A probable first rounder.
Trent McDuffie- If not for his size, would likely be in the discussion for one of the top couple corners in the draft. He is quick, twitchy and has hops! Check out his High School vertical leaps. A very high ceiling.
Tariq Woolen- A long, tall, physical corner. 6’4 205. The athletic upside is off the charts. He will fall in the draft a tad due to the fact he is a converted receiver and somewhat new to the position. He has a few things to learn, and will need some coaching up, but will pay BIG dividends to whoever drafts him.
Linebacker:
Channing Tindall- Channing has good range, good speed and is never afraid to mix it up. The Eagles need linebackers. If they are adamant about not selecting one in the first couple rounds. Channing is very much in play in round 3.
Quay Walker- A one year starter who posseses good size, athletic ability and (I know I am starting to sound like a broken record) another player with a high ceiling. He is very aggressive when he gets his hands on opposing players and will take on linemen without a thought.
Defensive End:
David Ojabo- While not a finished product, he is already extremely athletic. He remind me a little of another freakish athelte. The Freak himself. Javon Kearse. Ojabo is still learning the game of football. He isn’t Mailata green, but he does have some things to learn. His journey from Nigeria, to Scotland, to playing on an NFL team is quite a read. Check him out!
Myjai Sanders- Sanders is approx 6’5 260 and plays like it. He tackles well, and is blessed with a long frame that he uses to his advantage. A lot of untapped potential here. He would be great to add to the new core of fastballs DC Jonathan Gannon could use as part of his front four.
Trevon Walker- He is ranked very high on a lot of lists, but he might be my favorite at the position. Like Ojabo, he is still doing some on the job training. He has superior talent and traits and I love to gamble on high ceilings. His celing is very high. Picture The Burj Khalifa in Dubai. That high!
I only watched the college All 22 on positions I thought the Eagles had an above average chance of drafting. I may have wasted my time with center if Kelce comes back, but I learned a lot about the position and it was fun. What a violent hand to hand combat battle that occurs on every snap.
Also, I must confess, I don’t watch tape on punters like @GregHartPA , as he opined “I can picture how miserable you would be just holding a stopwatch, looking up into the sun, counting “One Mississippi…”
It is not my cup of tea, but his story on punters and value is fantastic! Truly the best piece you will read on special teams all season. His case to draft “Punt God” Jordan Stout is truly compelling.
Lastly, I don’t burn the midnight oil like @mattalkire posting clips all hours of the night (including during the AFC and NFC Championships games),nor did I like the band Midnight Oil back in the 80’s. Though that one song, Beds are Burning, was pretty catchy.
”How can we dance when our Earth is turning, how do we sleep while our beds are burning?”
Ok, maybe I did like Midnight Oil more than I remembered.
But I digress.
Who are the players that are “Your Guys” in the draft. The ones you dont see mocked very often, or atleast not as high as the draftniks rank them. I would love to add more names to my list, so please share your thoughts.
As always, thanks for reading.
Follow me @PhlEagleNews
David
2/15/22