Eagles Land Highly-Rated Running Back

By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Eagles had gone receiver, center/guard, defensive line and corner with their first four picks.

In round five, they looked to add to their running back room.

Kenneth Gainwell was almost universally a top-100 player on big boards, so he should have been a third-rounder at worst based off of that. Landing him in the fifth could be a huge value for the Birds.

The running back from Memphis is not a power back as his biggest detractors (and potentially the reason he slipped) is that he has such a small frame.

For a team that has had success with Sproles, Clement and then Sanders over recent history, that should not be an issue.

He also adds to the weapons for the quarterback as his small size allows for a quickness that makes him an effective pass-catcher.

A 2020 opt-out, Gainwell recorded 16 touchdowns in 2019. He tallied 1459 yards on the ground (averaging 6.3 yards per carry) and added 610 receiving yards (12 yards/catch).

He is Fletcher Cox’s cousin.

Gainwell figures to enter a competition with Boston Scott and Jordan Howard for the RB2 spot.

The Eagles have plenty of picks remaining and may look to move some for veterans and/or future higher picks.