NFL Draft 2019: Philadelphia Eagles full mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 5 – Pick 163
Derrek Thomas, CB, Baylor
The Eagles have been addressing their secondary a bunch as of late. Ronald Darby was a smart investment and gives them a lock-down corner on one side. Jalen Mills is a useful player that should be a part of a rotation. Rasul Douglas has a role and plays it well. Sidney Jones is the wild card. He’s a wildly talented player still working his way back form an Achilles tear that pushed him into the second round of the NFL draft two years ago.
Philadelphia should continue to look for help on the back-end but on a traits based corner that can develop. That is what Derrek Thomas of Baylor is. An enormous corner at 6-foot-3, Thomas transferred to Baylor to follow Matt Rhule from Temple. He’s still learning the position but has the athleticism to show skills immediately. With some refined technique Thomas can become a starting caliber corner.
Round 6 -Pick 197
T.J. Edwards, LB, Wisconsin
This is a tough year for teams that need linebackers. Philadelphia falls into that category. Losing Jordan Hicks to the Cardinals hurts the defense. They’ve been able to get by without elite linebacker play for a while and there is no reason to believe that can’t keep happening. It is still a position they should draft in day three.
T.J. Edwards of Wisconsin is one of my favorites at this spot in the draft. An instinctual linebacker, capable of playing in the opposing backfield, Edwards will find a home on a roster. He’s not a strong enough athlete to be an every-down contributor though. He can fill in on special teams and provide a run-stuffing presence on early downs.