By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Entering the NFL Draft this past weekend, the Eagles most glaring need was at the cornerback position. The Eagles addressed that need by adding two cornerbacks within their first three picks of the weekend, both on Day 2 in Rounds 2 and 3.
Even at the announcement of a defensive back being selected, the hometown crowd roared with approval. But both prospects at the cornerback position aren't sure-fire hits for the Eagles.
For the Eagles to look back on the 2017 Draft class and call it a success, it will depend on so much more than first-round pick Derek Barnett succeeding and another Day 3 prospect being a serviceable player. It depends heavily on the two cornerbacks.
The main reason for this is the second-round pick, Sidney Jones. Jones is a first-round talent. There is no mistaking that. He has the ability. He has the skill set. He's a fit for Jim Schwartz's system. It's a great pick with the potential to be a steal in the second round.
But there's also a reason Jones was available in the second round. He ruptured his Achilles on Washington's pro day in March. That will put his NFL debut on hold, perhaps even an entire season. Additionally, while Jones wrote for The Players' Tribune that he would "come back as a monster," an Achilles injury requires a lengthy recovery and can sometimes derail a career. The Eagles are taking a chance that Jones will be able to not only make a full recovery, but also return to form.
Then there's the second cornerback the Eagles selected, Rasul Douglas out of West Virginia. There's not a real knock on Douglas. He's a perfectly capable cornerback that was a good value for the Eagles in the third round. The issue with Douglas is that there is no safety net for him entering the league. This would be different if Jones were ready to go — a first-round talent taking the field alongside veterans Ron Brooks, Patrick Robinson and 2016 seventh-round pick Jalen Mills. Instead, Douglas and Mills could be the starters, a seventh-round pick and a third-round pick with a combined year of experience between the two.
Again, if you were looking for short-term success, this draft wasn't going to give it to you. The Eagles need Jones to come back healthy. They need Douglas to prove he has the potential to be a starter. They need Mills to show growth in his second season. Those are the stepping stones for the short-term.
But for the long-term, the Eagles need to have their two cornerbacks selected in this draft pan out. That will determine the true success of this draft, even if Barnett, the highlighted pick of the class, achieves huge success.
