Based just on the 2020 film, Ricks was arguably the top cover man on the LSU defense (over Derek Stingley). He missed the second half of last season because of shoulder surgery and opted to transfer to Alabama, so he will be looking for a bounce-back season in 2022 that could land him in the top half of round one next April.
Based on last season, Harrison isn't yet a first-round prospect because the tape wasn't good enough. But with his near-36-inch arms and 4.5 speed at 6-6 and 265 pounds, he has first-round traits. And if he shows improvement as a pass rusher on the 2022 tape, NFL teams will happily draft him in the top 32.
Darius Slay will turn 32 in January, which means the Eagles could look for an understudy for the No. CB spot. A transfer from LSU, Ricks could be the latest Alabama corner to come off the board in the first round.
First-round running backs are rare, but when you have multiple first-round picks, you can afford the luxury when there's a rare prospect at the position. Robinson is a complete back with an impressive blend of power and explosiveness who can impact the game on all three downs.
McDonald mysteriously passed on entering the 2022 Draft, but he's a tremendous athlete who was a star basketball and track athlete in high school and picked up football late.
Smith took over for Jaycee Horn and didn't miss a beat. Last year, he allowed only 15 catches from 32 targets for 184 yards, with three picks and nine pass breakups.
Smith was the former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2019 class over Kayvon Thibodeaux. You see that high-end athleticism on tape consistently. He still needs to add some weight and add some moves as a pass-rusher, but he's got elite tools.
The Eagles had a fantastic draft even without targeting pass rusher. Frankly, it's not a huge need but could be a year from now and Murphy is a speed-to-power player off the edge.
Again, the Eagles absolutely crushed the '22 draft, and if Jalen Hurts can prove he's the long-term answer at QB, the team can continue to build around him. Johnson can play inside or out, though his NFL future will likely be at guard.
Running backs don't often go this early in the draft, but ones like Robinson don't come around often. He's the ultimate blend of size, speed, power, receiving skills, physicality, and instincts.
The Eagles have some notable expiring contracts at defensive end, a position the team always prioritizes. Hall emerged as a star for Auburn and has a chance to take another step in 2022 as he cements his status as a future high pick.
Anyone who watched this year's NFL Draft prospects from Georgia knows what I'm talking about when I say that Nolan Smith is a very distracting dude. He made it very difficult to write notes on any of their prospects because Smith kept showing up on the tape. He's heading up the depth chart and will be a future player this season. Honestly, in a few months, we might be talking about him in the Top 5 picks.
This feels low for a guy I think could end up going No. 1 when all is said and done. I don't have rock solid proof on tape that he's the best defensive end in the class or even on his own defensive line, but that tape could easily show up over the course of this college football season and the testing will follow. Here, he falls to an Eagles team that gets back-to-back picks and just massively upgraded their pass rush.
Another Alabama cornerback, but this time around, it's a lot of projection. Eli Ricks transferred from LSU to the Crimson Tide and projects to start opposite Malachi Moore. Ricks is a long and rangy cornerback with a healthy recruiting background from his days in high school. He doesn't allow much in coverage, amassing 5 career interceptions despite playing just a handful of games a season ago for the Tigers.
Back-to-back picks in the secondary for the Philadelphia Eagles in this NFL Mock Draft as they grab Brandon Joseph from Notre Dame. Similar to their first pick, Joseph's selection is also a major projection at this time.
He thrives in zone coverage as a free-ranging safety, intercepting a national-best 6 passes in 2020. After he decided to return to college and spurn the 2022 NFL Draft, he transferred to Notre Dame, where he fits their system perfectly.
The Eagles continue to build up the trenches which is an area they didn't address in the 2022 Draft. Lane Johnson is starting to get long in the tooth, but they can always kick Nelson inside to start.
