After reading Tom Heckert’s quotes from his pre-draft interview, we were able to tell a few things about what the Eagles are thinking in terms of the draft.

– Left tackle is not a #1 priority.  If the Eagles don’t acquire a left tackle in the draft or via a trade, they will go with either Todd Herremans or Shawn Andrews at left tackle and they’re not worried about that.  Nick Cole or Max Jean-Gilles can fill whatever hole is left by them at guard.  Mike McGlynn looks to be a solid backup at guard as well, so the Eagles are not in “panic mode” to grab a tackle.

– Heckert has emphasized repeatedly that the Eagles have the “ammo” to move up to the top of the round.  If the Eagles move into the top 10, there are only two players, in my opinion, worth taking: Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.  If Andre Smith falls to 10, the Eagles could trade up without having to deal both first-rounders to get him, so that may be another option.  Heckert seems to be high on him and stated the media unfairly blasted him for him leaving the Combine.  Heckert emphasized that he was a good player in college and that shouldn’t change in the Pros.

– Don’t count on a RB in round one or even round two, but don’t rule it out either.  The Eagles said they think they can get a good running back in the later rounds.  There’s always good RBs in the later rounds.  The Eagles appear to be looking for a guy in round 3 or 4.  I’m a huge fan of Mike Goodson out of Texas A&M — he’s a Westbrook clone, but there are some concerns about his size (208 pounds).  Keep in mind, however, that Westbrook is only 203 pounds.  I also like Andre Brown, but he comes with some injury concerns.  I think he has the most potential out of the 3rd round backs.  I’m not very high on Shonn Greene, he’s too slow for my taste.  Rashad Jennings is a decent prospect that the Eagles could land in round 3.  Last resort for the Eagles would be Javon Ringer in round 4.  He was extremely impressive in college, but has some concerns with his size as well (205 pounds).  I would even take a shot on Boise State RB Ian Johnson in round 7 to see how he does in camp.  Maybe he could beat out Booker for that 3rd RB spot.

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!