With the 2013 NFL Draft now a distant memory, the NFL Draft Grades are pouring in. How good did this team do? Did this team lock up a player who can get them to the playoffs? Every team and every pick will be dissected for the next few weeks.
But for now, lets take a look at the Eagles and how they fared this year. With Andy Reid now in Kansas City, the 2013 NFL Draft was even more important for the Philadelphia Eagles as GM Howie Roseman and newly-hired Chip Kelly set out to not only make a name for themselves with a strong draft, but with an overall strong offseason for a team that is set for a makeover on both sides of the ball.
After an active offseason in which they signed Connor Barwin from the Texans and revamped their secondary with Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher, Patrick Chung and Kenny Phillips, the Eagles still needed to make a big impact in this draft.
Did they succeed? Lets take a closer look at each player selected over the weekend.
1st Round - OT Lane Johnson - A
Some considered Johnson a steal at No. 4 considering many had him possibly going before Luke Joeckel. Johnson had better measurables and better Combine numbers in certain areas than both Joeckel and Eric Fisher and there is no doubt he was the best fit for Kelly's new up-tempo offense due to his athletic ability. Johnson figures to kick over to right tackle, which will push Todd Herreman's over to his natural right guard spot. If Jason Peters can come back 100% from an Achilles injury, this line will be a major upgrade over what we saw last year. While Kelly did admit Johnson is still raw, OTA's and training camp will do wonders for not only Johnson, but for Michael Vick as well.
2nd Round - TE Zach Ertz - B
No one else in the NFL would know more about the athleticism of Ertz then Kelly when he had coached against him while at Oregon. Leading Stanford in catches (69), yards (898), and touchdowns (6) in 2012, Ertz also averaged a lofty 13 yards per catch. The Eagles have tweaked their offense to include red zone weapons, including former Buccaneers 2nd rounder Arrelious Benn. Ertz is a poor blocker, but he should see a lot of time in the passing game since he plays much faster than his forty time (4.76) would indicate. The drafting of Ertz officially puts either Brent Celek or Clay Harbor on the roster bubble.
3rd Round - DL Bennie Logan - B
A three-technique tackle in college, Logan has the size (6'2/329) to play nose tackle, but could shift around at all three spots on the defensive line. Logan has a high motor, but comes up cold at times. He recorded 12.5 career tackles for loss and five sacks while at LSU and should get plenty of opportunities as the team looks for every player on the front seven to solidify a starting spot.
4th Round - QB Matt Barkley - B
Easily the most talked-about prospect in the Eagles' draft, the front office traded up with the Jaguars for the 98th overall selection, giving the Jaguars the No. 101 and No. 201 picks. Barkley had an up-and-down offseason to say the least. Once declared healthy coming off a shoulder injury, Barkley started vaulting up the draft board, until an inconsistent Pro Day knocked him back down. While many still had Barkley going within the top 2 rounds, the Eagles landing him in the 4th is excellent value. Especially for a player who was considered a slam dunk first-round option at some point over the last two years. Barkley's positives are his leadership qualities and intelligence, but he lacks the arm to throw the deep ball. Some might question the pick due to Kelly's college preference for having a player who can make all the throws, but also has the ability to run if needed like RG3 or Russell Wilson. But Kelly has said again and again that he will cater his offense to his quarterback's strengths. Barkley's presence could eventually lead to a Nick Foles trade down the line, but he won't push Michael Vick for the job in 2013.
5th Round - S Earl Wolff - B-
Considered "the heart of the NC State defense" by HC Tom O'Brien, Wolff will come in and automatically compete for one of the safety spots. Wolff had impressive Combine numbers, running a 4.44 forty and was a ball hawk at the college level, causing 8 career forced fumbles. He also racked up 9.5 tackles for loss and 6 interceptions.
The Rest - C+ (Is it really that easy to grade how well 7th rounders are going to do?)
DE Joe Kruger - Younger brother to Paul Kruger. Played both end spots in college and should be a part of the rotation on the front line if he makes the team.
CB Jordan Poyer - Picked off 13 career interceptions as a three-year starter at Oregon State. Was considered by some draft experts as a day two prospect, so is considered a huge steal as a seventh-round selection. Has a better-than-average chance at making the final roster and could compete for a starting job eventually.
DE David King - A "tweener" at 6-foot-5, 286 pounds, King played both inside and outside spots at Oklahoma. Highly athletic, but not very productive in college, King could find it difficult to make the final 53-man roster.