2013 NFL Draft Grades: Philadelphia Eagles
By Josh Hill
The 2013 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time for some reflection. While some teams traded around to get who they want, others stood pat to see who would slide to them — and if there’s one thing to remember about this draft it’s players that slid around the rounds. But now that the draft is behind us, the all important grading phase has begun, so lets take a look at how the Philadelphia Eagles did in this year’s NFL Draft.
Draft Picks
- (4) Lane Johnson, ot, Oklahoma
- (35) Zach Ertz, te, Stanford
- (67) Bennie Logan, dt, LSU
- (98) Matt Barkley, qb, Southern Cal
- (136) Earl Wolff, db, N.C. State
- (212) Joe Kruger, de, Utah
- (218) Jordan Poyer, db, Oregon State
- (239) David King, db, Oklahoma.
Best Pick: Zach Ertz, TE/Stanford
Ertz isn’t a blocking tight end, so many people are suggesting he may be a mismatch in Chip Kelly’s new system. But the only mismatch he’ll be is when defenses don’t know what to do when he’s lined up in the backfield. He’s a smart, big tight end who will be used in every way imaginable by Kelly.
Worst Pick: Matt Barkley, QB/USC
It’s not that I hate Barkley, it’s I hate how the Eagle bought into the hype and drafted him. Nothing he did at USC suggested he’d fit in Chip Kelly’s system and he’s going to be project according to his scouting report. If you draft a project, at least draft a guy who will eventually fit your system. Barkley seems like a guy Kelly would use if his system fails, and that’s a bad look.
Analysis: I actually really like the Eagles draft, and I have to eat my words about Kelly not being able to handle the draft. He didn’t go for the popular picks, he grabbed guys that can work in his system. Guys like Ertz can boost the defense and Jordan Poyer may end up being one of the best players to come out of this class. It wasn’t a glowing success but the Eagles are off to a great start after this draft.
2013 Draft Grade: B