It's finally here. After the interminable wait, it's D - as in draft - day, and we'll soon find out the apple of the Eagles' eye. When the offseason began, Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi was the pick du jour. Carimi is a mauler in the run game and could step in either at right tackle or right guard, where the Eagles have a big hole to fill.
But the tide has turned of late and Colorado's Jimmy Smith is now the most popular pick. Of the 20 mock drafts surveyed, Smith was the pick in 12 (60 percent). Smith would slot in at right cornerback aside Asante Samuel and hopefully create a formidable tandem to combat the likes of Dez Bryant and Hakeem Nicks over the next few years.
In all, only five players were mentioned as picks for the Eagles at No. 23. Of course, we know the Eagles may not end up picking in that spot - they've moved out of their original first-round spot in each of the last four drafts. Fortunately, we don't have to wait much longer to find out what's behind door No. 1.
As always, click on the name of the mock drafter to read the entire projection.
| Mock Draft Tracker | ||
| Site | Selection | Last Updated |
| NFL.com (Mike Mayock) | Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin | April 27 |
| Comment: Carimi was a left tackle at Wisconsin, but I like him on the interior of the offensive line from Day 1. The Eagles have had a bunch of issues inside over the last couple of years with injuries. Their center, Jamaal Jackson, is getting old, and their two guards are free agents. You plug Carimi in and play him. | ||
| NFL.com (Michael Lombardi) | Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin | April 28 |
| Comment: The Eagles will need to reconfigure their OL into what new line coach Howard Mudd values in his players. Carimi fits that mold. | ||
| NFL.com (Steve Wyche) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 25 |
| Comment: There are some personnel men who think Smith is the best of the CB group. There are character red flags, but the Eagles have shown they can help players stay on track and thrive. | ||
| NFL.com (Pat Kirwan) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 24 |
| Comment: Smith is a big, physical corner who had some off-the-field issues. However, those seem to be out of the equation for many teams in the bottom half of the first round. He will be a good match-up player vs. the big receivers in the NFC East. | ||
| ESPN (Todd McShay) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 28 |
| Comment: Smith is just as talented as Amukamara and has eased character concerns, and he would be a steal at this point for the Eagles. | ||
| ESPN (Mel Kiper) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 27 |
| Comment: Smith has a ton of upside -- some teams have him rated higher than Amukamara -- and was a shutdown guy at Colorado. We've heard the questions about his attitude, but based on what I hear from teams, that's not a huge issue. Fluid, fast, instinctive and skilled, he fills a need for Philly and can be on the field early. | ||
| Herald Star (Brent Sobleski) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 24 |
| Comment: If one were to rate the draft purely on talent and natural ability, Smith would find himself in the top ten without question. The questions he does possess are attitude related. A strong locker room like Philadelphia should be able to reign in Smith's talents. | ||
| Sports Illustrated (Peter King) | Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor | April 21 |
| Comment: Philadelphia would consider pass rushers Aldon Smith and Adrian Clayborn here. But Andy Reid has an affinity for O-linemen, and Watkins is the kind of tough player Eagles fans will love. | ||
| Sports Illustrated (Don Banks) | Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor | April 27 |
| Comment: Andy Reid is said to love Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith, and he's a viable option given Philly's need in the secondary. But how can you forget the way quarterback Michael Vick got hammered in the second half of the season behind that porous and injury-riddled Eagles offensive line? Watkins is a versatile and hard-nosed competitor, and Reid loves those kind of guys, too. | ||
| FoxSports.com (Adam Caplan) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 28 |
| Comment: My sense is, as it has been for several weeks, the Eagles have done a ton of research on this guy. He does carry a lot of baggage, but not anywhere near that of CB Aqib Talib. In fact, talking to personnel sources over the past few weeks, Smith is well-spoken guy. The immaturity level if there for sure, but if you get him in the right environment, Smith could be a huge steal. And Andy Reid has done a nice job of handling "problem" players over the years. If Carimi is there, they would only take him to play RG, not RT. | ||
| FoxSports.com (Peter Schrager) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 26 |
| Comment: A 6-2 physical press coverage corner, Smith could pair with Asante Samuel to form one of the league's most dangerous 1-2 corner duos. | ||
| FoxSports.com (Brian Billick) | Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois | April 27 |
| Comment: The value of Liuget here outweighs the need along the offensive line. | ||
| ProFootballTalk.com (Evan Silva) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 27 |
| Comment: Smith may be the missing piece Philly needs for a Super Bowl berth. | ||
| WalterFootball.com | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 28 |
| Comment: The Eagles have the ammunition to trade up to Nos. 10-12 for Amukamara if they love him enough. Meanwhile, Smith has all the talent in the world. He has character issues, but Reid likes giving second chances to talented players. Cornerback is a huge need, and I'll be shocked if Philadelphia doesn't address the position in the first two rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. | ||
| CBS Sports (Rob Rang) | Danny Watkins, G, Baylor | April 28 |
| Comment: Despite boasting the league's most athletic quarterback, the Eagles allowed 50 sacks last year. Watkins, despite having played only four seasons, is one of the more pro-ready offensive linemen in this draft. A physical grappler better suited to right tackle or guard in the NFL than the left tackle position he manned at Baylor, he'd be able to step in an contribute immediately wherever the Eagles needed him. | ||
| CBS Sports (Chad Reuter) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 27 |
| Comment: Andy Reid is not afraid to take a chance on talented players with a history of off-field issues. | ||
| CBS Sports (Pete Prisco) | Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA | April 28 |
| Comment: Outside linebacker is a position of concern on their defense. Ayers didn't have great workouts, but he plays fast. | ||
| National Football Post (Staff) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 28 |
| Comment: Top 15 talent with Smith, but a slight slide down the boards puts him in Philly — where finding a CB is a priority. | ||
| Pro Football Weekly (Nolan Nawrocki) | Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin | April 28 |
| Comment: The offensive line remains a top priority for the Eagles. | ||
| Dallas Morning News (Rick Gosselin) | Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado | April 28 |
| Comment: If the Eagles are to continue their dominance in the NFC East, they must find someone who can cover Dez Byrant. Mission accomplished. Smith is the biggest and perhaps most talented cover corner in this draft. | ||
