I always find what Walter Football has to say about the Eagles draft interesting.  He usually throws some curve balls from what you’re used to seeing at other mock drafts.  Let’s see who he has the Eagles taking with their first 5 picks:

21 – Robert Ayers – (DE) – Tennessee
28 – Alex Mack – (C) – California
53 – Duke Robinson  – (OG) – Oklahoma
85 – Javon Ringer – (RB) – Michigan State
117 – Chase Coffman – (TE) – Missouri

It looks like he has a pretty good grasp on the Eagles needs: offensive line, running back, and tight end.  His curveball: the Eagles taking Robert Ayers with the 21st pick.  Here’s my reaction to his picks.

ROBERT AYERS: I don’t know if the Eagles will be targeting a DE early.  It seems to me like the Eagles are happy with the way Victor Abiamiri is developing as he is sharing time with Juqua Parker, who also had a very solid season as well.  On the other side of the line the Eagles have their stud Trent Cole, and then have reserves Chris Clemons and Bryan Smith, who they jumped on a bit early in the 3rd round of last year’s draft.

Ayers is a solid player.  Here’s a link to his highlights and you can read up on his draft profile here.  Ayers is currently ranked 17 on Mel Kiper’s big board and his stock is rising.  I don’t think defensive end is a pressing need, so I would pass on Ayers to address a bigger need or would take Illinois CB Vontae Davis.

ALEX MACK: I previously wrote that the Eagles could target Duke Robinson with the 28th pick, but the Eagles could get their hands on him in the 2nd round and that’s what Walter has happening.  There are some questions about his work ethic and Robinson may be a bit raw.  Alex Mack, however, has been hailed as the best center prospect in the last several years.  The Eagles could upgrade Jamaal Jackson and Alex Mack would be a great pick at 28.  The Eagles signed Jamaal Jackson to a 7-year extension back in 2006, so they may not be thinking of adding a center and they also drafted Mike McGlynn in last year’s draft, who is able to play at center or at guard.

DUKE ROBINSON: Robinson could be available to the Eagles in the 2nd round so he may not be worth a 28th pick since he kind of has that “Winston Justice bust aura” about him.  The best RBs are off the board as is TE Jared Cook, so boosting the line is the way to go the way Walter Football’s mock draft is playing out.  Just to note: Walter has Wells going to the Jets and Knowshon to the Cards.  They’re the only RBs taken in the first round of his mock draft.  The Browns then grab Donald Brown at the top of the 2nd round followed by LeSean McCoy to the Giants a few picks after the Eagles are on the clock in round 2.

JAVON RINGER: I am a big Javon Ringer fan.  He’s amassed over 3,000 yards rushing and nearly 500 yards receiving in his last 2 seasons and he scored 22 TDs last season.  I’ve seen him play a few games live and he was tremendous.  A very exciting RB to watch.  I think he’s going to be a very solid back in the NFL.  He ran a 4.42 at his Pro Day which is incredible.  His style is very similar to Brian Westbrook, so he would be a great match for the Eagles since he is good at catching the ball out of the backfield.  The Eagles don’t necessarily need to find a starter in this year’s draft, so they’re not going to kill themselves by passing on Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, and Donald Brown.  Javon Ringer would be a great guy to plug in there when Westbrook needs some plays off or games off.  Worth Watching: Highlights 1, Highlights 2, Highlights 3, and Highlights 4.

There’s really not a back in this draft that I don’t like.  The Eagles will definitely draft a running back, probably not in the first round, but they will definitely add a solid RB at some point in the draft and I think that will come in round 3. In round 3, Javon Ringer would be my first choice, followed by Shonn Greene, and then Mike Goodson.  I wouldn’t complain about any of them.

CHASE COFFMAN: Andy Reid said in an interview that he prefers tight ends who know how to catch first and foremost.  He doesn’t necessarily care about blocking as much; he says his coaches can teach a kid how to block, but you can’t really teach a TE to catch — they either have those skills or they don’t.  You can take that as a hint that Reid may not be thinking of taking Brandon Pettigrew with his 21st pick.  Coffman would be a great TE addition in the fourth round.  You have to love what NFL Draft Countdown says about him:  he runs great routes, has a good burst off the line, has good hands, runs hard after the catch, does well over the middle, and is a fantastic red-zone threat.

FINAL REACTION: If this is how the Eagles draft ended up I would be very happy.  We added a LDE.  We boosted the offensive line with Alex Mack and Duke Robinson.  We added a tremenous RB and TE in the later rounds.  Instead of overpaying for a TE and RB early, we got quality guys in round 3 and 4.  Well done.  Less than 30 days until the draft and I cannot wait!

I just wanted to throw out some draft scenarios that the Eagles could go.  The main focus of Eagles fans has been on offensive tackle, but most of the best tackles will be taken by the time the Eagles are on the clock at 21, so why not take the best offensive guard in the draft: Duke Robinson?  We all know Andy Reid loves his big linemen and at 6’5″, 335 pounds, Duke must make Andy’s mouth water.

Even better is the fact that he should be available to the Eagles at 28.  Most mock drafts have Robinson going in the late first-round or early second-round, so he would be a great target for the Eagles at 28.  If the Eagles like him enough, they could throw in a 5th rounder to move up a few spots if they think he’s about to be snagged.   This could help Shawn Andrews move over to tackle if that’s necessary.  A starting line of The Duke, The Andrews Brothers, Jamaal Jackson, and Jean-Gilles?  That’s a lot of beef.  And the Eagles still have that 21st pick to grab an elite offensive weapon like a Brandon Pettigrew, Knowshon Moreno, Darrius-Heyward Bey, or LeSean McCoy.

The fact that The Duke could be available at 28 makes the draft more exciting for me because instead of having to trade both first-round picks to move up to grab an elite tackle, the Eagles can fill 3 positions of need (OL, RB, and TE) with their first three picks without having to trade up in the first round of the draft.

So I ask you, what draft scenario do you like best and why?  Leave some comments.

Scenario 1:
21 – Brandon Pettigrew (TE)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Shonn Greene (RB)

Scenario 2:
21 – Knowshon Moreno (RB) or LeSean McCoy (RB)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)

Scenario 3:
21 – Knowshon Moreno (RB) or LeSean McCoy (RB)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Hope for Hakeen Nicks (WR) or Kenny Britt (WR) to fall to the 53 or try to trade up.
85 – Hope for Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE) to fall to 85 or try to trade up again.

Scenario 4:
21 – Michael Oher (OT)
28 – LeSean McCoy (RB) or Donald Brown (RB)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)

Scenario 5:
21 – Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)
85 – Mike Goodson (RB)

Scenario 6:
21 – Vontae Davis (CB) – Vernon Davis’s brother who is a beast of a CB out of Illinois.  Think Sheldon Brown’s replacement in 2-3 years or help assist Brown move to safety.  Highlights.  Profile.  Thanks to Iggles Blog for the idea.
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)
85 – Mike Goodson (RB)

Please vote on this at our poll (the link takes you right to it).

Let’s take a look at The Duke — The highlights aren’t as sexy as a Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, or Darrius Heyward-Bey, but he sure knows how to plow over some DTs and hit people.