Lance Zierlein from NFL.com ranked the 32 draft classes based on three key factors: how teams addressed their needs, who did the most with the picks they had, and his perception of the talent that each team obtained. In the end, Zierlein rated the Eagles' draft class as the best in the entire league.
"Some will look at the Eagles picks and say 'yeah, but' to many of the selections, but I see a good draft," Zierlein wrote. "Derek Barnett isn't flashy, but he's productive and tough. If cornerback Sidney Jones comes back healthy, the Eagles stole a first-round talent in the second. CB Rasul Douglas isn't fast, but he's an absolute ballhawk. WR Mack Hollins is an electric deep threat and outstanding special-teams talent."
Zierlein does an outstanding job of writing detailed scouting reports on nearly 500 draft prospects (from what I could tell on NFL.com's draft tracker he did 499, so why not just do a 500th for the sake of it). Here's some of his notes on each of the Eagles' picks.
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DE Derek Barnett
"Strong edge presence with NFL-caliber hand usage and play strength. Barnett is one of the most productive defensive linemen to come out of the SEC in quite some time despite lacking the length and twitch that teams usually look for off the edge," Zierlein wrote. "His awareness and play traits should keep him near the action and he has the talent to step into a starting base end spot right away."
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CB Sidney Jones
"Jones is a 'casino cornerback' who has the ball skills and instincts to tilt the odds in his favor when quarterbacks look his way. His toughness and desire to make plays on the ball are remarkably similar to his friend and offseason workout buddy, Marcus Peters (of the Kansas City Chiefs)," Zierlein wrote.
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CB Rasul Douglas
"Douglas has rare size for the position and his 2016 interception total will add to the level of intrigue for NFL teams," Zierlein wrote.
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WR Mack Hollins
"Hollins has four things that teams will look for on Day 3 of the draft - height, weight, speed, and special teams ability," Zierlein wrote. "Taller receivers usually need a longer runway for their build-up speed, but Hollins appears to be able to access his top gear relatively early which makes him such a dangerous deep threat considering his above average height. Hollins' ability to cover both punts and kicks should give him early work as he continues to learn the receiver position."
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The Eagles selected RB Donnell Pumphrey in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He finished his college career as one of the most prolific rushers of all time ...
RB Donnel Pumphrey rushed for more yards (6,405) than any other Division I FBS player in history.
RB Donnel Pumphrey is the only player in NCAA Division I history to finish his career with at least 5,000 rushing yards (6,405) and 1,000 receiving yards (1,041).
RB Donnel Pumphrey finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy vote this past season.
RB Donnel Pumphrey was a second-team All-American selection along with Christian McCaffrey in 2016.
RB Donnel Pumphrey was named the Mountain West Conference's Offensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
RB Donnel Pumphrey broke a slew of San Diego State records that once belonged to Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk.
RB Donnel Pumphrey is also the MWC's all-time leader with 7,515 all-purpose yards.
RB Donnel Pumphrey is also the MWC all-time leader with 67 total touchdowns.
RB Donnel Pumphrey had 33 100-yard rushing games at San Diego State, a conference record.
RB Donnel Pumphrey had six 200-yard rushing games and 14 with 150 or more.
RB Donnel Pumphrey**
"Pumphrey is an efficient, natural back who runs with outstanding tempo and vision," Zierlein wrote. "Has outstanding agility and ability to disappear and leave tacklers grasping at air in open field."
WR Shelton Gibson
"His size-speed combination will offer a team a home-run hitter who forces defenses to keep a safety shaded his way," Zierlein wrote. "Gibson could be a low-volume, high-impact starter fairly early in his career."
LB Nathan Gerry
"He's very instinctive and will get to more plays than he should," Zierlein wrote. "Gerry has the urgent play demeanor needed to become a consistent contributor on special teams."
DT Elijah Qualls
"Athletic interior defender with the play traits and ability to play 3-technique or nose tackle in the right scheme," Zierlein wrote.
For the record, Zierlein ranked Washington's draft 10th in the league, Dallas came in at No. 20, and the New York Giants' draft class as the worst.
