Eagles pass on DeVonta Smith in Todd McShay’s latest mock draft

If you thought the Philadelphia Eagles were locked into one specific player with the sixth pick, think again. 

Change is coming to Philadelphia, and it involves more than just who will be taking snaps under center in 2021.

A dawning of a new era is upon us, as Howie Roseman wiped the slate clean this offseason by firing Doug Pederson and trading Carson Wentz to another conference. But while those massive questions were answered, they create a whole new barrel of problems that the Eagles need to address and can’t wait around to do so.

Most notably, the Eagles offense was among the league’s worst in 2020, and things didn’t get any better this offseason. In addition to trading away its former No. 2 overall pick in Wentz, the Eagles are expected to jettison almost all of its top starting receivers from the last few years and will need to find replacements who can help Jalen Hurts course correct whatever went wrong last season.

That means the NFL Draft is going to be critical for the Eagles, as they own a top 10 pick and have their pick of offensive skill position players.

NFL Draft: Eagles add offense, just not the guy you’re thinking of

ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Eagles taking Florida tight end and all-around human wrecking ball Kyle Pitts with the No. 6 overall pick. That’s notable for two reasons:

1) He immediately becomes the best receiving target in the offense
2) He’s not DeVonta Smith

Smith has long been the rumored be the pick the Eagles will likely make if they stick around the sixth pick. Outside of trading back — or in some insane multiverse where they trade up — Philly looks to be locked into the No. 6 pick, and with that locked into taking whoever is the best offensive skill position player available.

That seems to be Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner who dominated at Alabama and looks like the next star receiver in the NFL.

But is there a case for Pitts?

While Smith seems to be destined for the upper echelon of receivers, Pitts looks like he has all the tools to join the Travis Kelce’s and George Kittle’s of the world as a top tight end in the league. We’re far beyond it being in anyway notable that a tight end acts like a receiver hybrid — that’s just the way tight ends are built these days and Pitts is a prototype.

Adding Pitts would counteract the loss of Zach Ertz, who is expected to be released when the new league year begins. That would leave Dallas Goedert as the top tight end target, someone who is decent but not better than Pitts.

In fact, the Eagles lack talent all over the place in the receiver department with the departures of Ertz, DeSean Jackson, and Alshon Jeffery. Carson Wentz may not have ever been as good as we thought he might be, but his utter lack of healthy talent at receiver didn’t do him any favors last year and it’s a problem that isn’t solved by swapping out who is playing quarterback.

There will be massive expectations for Hurts to fulfill his duties as the new franchise quarterback and the Eagles can’t allow him to be hamstrung by garbage targets.

Pitts isn’t Smith, but he’s a different kind of offensive weapon that if the Eagles choose to add will no doubt instantly change the offense.