It's here. It's finally here. After three months of speculation, two trades involving Top-10 picks and countless rumors, the 2016 NFL Draft will begin with the first round set to kick off at 8 p.m. tonight.
Thanks to Howie Roseman's active phone lines, the Eagles will possess the second overall pick, meaning, it could be quick, easy viewing for Eagles fans.
After the Eagles trade with the Cleveland Browns last week, they hold just seven selections in this year's draft and only three picks in the first four rounds. Unlike my previous mock drafts, (which you can read here, here and here), this draft will be geared toward being as accurate as possible, so I will only select players the Eagles have shown interest in during the pre-draft process, whether that be through an official visit, private workout or pro day attendance.
This added wrinkle won't necessarily predict how the Eagles will put together their entire draft, but instead give you an idea of some of the prospects they are interested at certain spots. So without further adieu, here is my final mock draft for 2016.
Round 1, Pick 2 (2): QB Carson Wentz, NDSU
According to all reports, Wentz will be the guy the Eagles will pick tonight. He's big, athletic and with the right coaching, he can be the next great Eagles quarterback. We looked a bit more at the strengths and weaknesses of Wentz's game earlier in the week. Roseman gave up an awful lot for the opportunity to draft Wentz, so it is safe to say his job, as well as Doug Pederson's, ride on the development of Wentz. That isn't too much pressure for a kid from Bismarck, North Dakota, is it?
Round 3, Pick 16 (79): G Christian Westerman, Arizona State
The Eagles held a private workout with Westerman last month and he is a physical speciman capable of stepping into the left guard spot and securing it for the next decade. Westerman is quick and possesses a knack for pulling and blocking out in the open field, something that can come in handy in Pederson's zone-based, west coast offense. His athleticsm makes it a possibility that he can move around the line and that sort of versatility is coveted in a league that only allows you to dress 46 players on game day. Take the QB, then lock down the interior of your offensive line.
Round 5, Pick 14 (153): WR Tajae Sharpe, UMass
As we make the jump from late Day 2 to the middle of Day 3, it is worth noting over 80 players have been taken off the board between the Eagles picks. The team has a lot of needs, but not many of those needs are depth-related, like this one at wide receiver. With Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews, Chris Givens, Josh Huff and Rueben Randle, the Eagles have five quality wide receivers who are deserving of a spot in the NFL, so there's little need to just take a wide receiver who has zero potential to develop into anything special.
Enter, Sharpe. One of my favorite prospects in this draft, the Eagles met with him at the East-West Shrine Game. Still just 21, the 6'2", 194-pound receiver needs to fill out his frame a bit if he wants to compete with NFL defensive backs down the field, but he has the versatility to play in the slot and on the outside. With a slow 40-time dragging him down, Sharpe uses good route running to create separation.
He may not be prepared to compete from day one, but if he's given time to bulk up, Sharpe could be a huge steal on Day 3.
Round 5, Pick 25 (164): CB Kalan Reed, Southern Mississippi
The Eagles interest in Reed is a but it is a bit unclear as to where or when the two sides actually met. Anyway, Reed is Pro Football Focus's third-highest ranked cornerback in this draft class, so snatching him up in the fifth round seems like a steal. Reed ran a sub-4.4 40 at his pro day and at 5'11", he has decent length for a CB. He's a quick-twitch athlete and is able to close down on routes, breaking up 18 passes in 2015.
Round 6, Pick 13 (188): FB Glenn Gronkowski, Kansas State
Pederson has stated on a few occasions about his need for a fullback in his offense. With the only true fullback on the roster being a guy who was playing linebacker on the Chargers practice squad last year, it seems like they may need someone with a bit more of a pedigree, like a Gronkowski. Granted, Glenn isn't the same specimen his older brother is, because, well, Rob isn't exactly from this planet, but Glenn still is a true fullback, which is something the Eagles roster lacks right now.
Trey Burton could be a possible fullback, but I am unsure of his abilities at being a lead-blocker. Grab Gronkowski and use Burton as an H-back and Swiss Army knife in the offense.
Round 7, Pick 12 (233): RB Keenan Reynolds, Navy
I guess Gronkowski would need someone to block for, and Reynolds is certainly a good runner. He put together a historic career as the quarterback of Navy's triple-option attack and his transition to running back could take a little time. With Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner already on the roster, the Eagles aren't exactly hurting for running backs in 2016, but things could get a bit hairy if Mathews goes down with an injury.
Reynolds could develop this year and get some snaps if he's needed, but he's a complete wild card. He could develop into an All-Pro, he could be out of football by September. Still, the Eagles need a back and they met with Reynolds at the Senior Bowl. Of the late round options, he's the most intriguing.
Round 7, Pick 30 (251): DT Quinton Jefferson, Maryland
We've written at length about the Eagles lacking of depth along the interior of the defensive line, which makes Jefferson a good value pick. He's a perfect fit for the 4-3 and is decent against both the run and pass. He specializes at one-gapping, something Jim Schwartz will be asking his defensive linemen to do a lot this season. Eagles defensive line coach Chris Wilson attended Jefferson's pro day. He tore his ACL in 2014 which robbed him of some of his athleticism, but he can still be a solid, rotational defensive tackle.
Tucker Bagley is a columnist for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @tbagley515.
