By Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly Staff 
Last week, we opened our series of potential first-round targets for the Eagles with a look at LSU cornerback Tre'Davious White, Temple linebacker Haason Reddick, and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.
This week, we continue to focus on the defensive side of the ball, with two linemen from the Big 10 Conference. We will also take a look at another player from LSU, in powerhouse Leonard Fournette.
DE Taco Charlton, Michigan
6'6", 277lbs, 4.92 40 yard dash, 33" vertical, 25 bench reps
Taco Charlton is a long 4-3 defensive end. He was a key player on the dominant Michigan defense as an anchor on the defensive line. In the 2016 season, Charlton posted 43 tackles with 13 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
Charlton got better the longer that he was at Michigan, and is still growing into his impressive 6-foot-6 frame. With Charlton, there is reason to believe that his numbers in college are only scratching the surface of what he can do.
The biggest questions surrounding Charlton revolve around his strength and his consistency. On paper he is everything a team would want at defensive end, but on film is when he begins to create some questions.
Charlton would be a fit in Jim Schwartz's wide nine technique with a proven ability to attack the quarterback and great length to fill the lanes in the running game that are sometimes larger due to the wide nine approach.
The Eagles cut Connor Barwin and did not got a strong performance from Vinny Curry in 2016, who received a huge contract extension last offseason. Without a proven defensive end to pair with Brandon Graham, the Eagles will be looking for help on the edge in the draft, and Charlton could be a player to fill that need.
DT Malik McDowell, Michigan State
6'6", 295lbs, 4.85 40 yard dash, 28.5" vertical, 23 bench reps
Like Taco Charlton, Malik McDowell is a long and athletic defensive lineman from the Big 10. McDowell is about as atheltic as they come at defensive tackle.
McDowell has the ability to use his athleticism to get off of blocks in the running game and clog holes, as well as use his frame and strength effectively in pass rushing situations to collapse the pocket, however his senior season was cut short, which leaves a lot of gray area in evaluating.
The biggest knock on McDowell is his ineffective technique and his work ethic. "He has a chance to be a dominant player in our league…he's just a little lazy and I worry about whether he is going to be a self-starter," said an NFL scout to NFL.com.
McDowell's most impressive trait can also be his biggest weakness. His length and height could allow him to be a disruptive force, but his inability to effectively use his size has marred him. With his incredible height, McDowell struggles to lower his pads against interior offensive linemen. McDowell would need refining to meet his incredibly high ceiling.
McDowell would enter and compete for a starting job immediately as the teams second defensive tackle next to Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox. With Bennie Logan eloping to Kansas City this offseason, and the aforementioned release of Barwin, the Eagles have major questions on their defensive line. McDowell and Charlton are two players who would answer those questions.
RB Leonard Fournette, LSU
6'0", 240lbs, 4.51 40 yard dash, 28.5" vertical, Did not participate in the bench press
Leonard Fournette is an exciting prospect, and he is arguably the best running back prospect in this draft class.
Fournette is a throwback of sorts, opting for power instead of finesse. He will not make defenders miss but he will stiff arm them or run through them.
The former top high school player in the nation was nothing short of dominant during his time at LSU. As a true freshman Fournette led the SEC in all-purpose yards, averaging 137.5 yards per game. Fournette's sophomore season solidified as an elite prospect. Fournette finished his second season just shy of 2,000 rushing yards to go along with 22 rushing touchdowns.
Fournette's final season was spent nursing a nagging ankle injury that limited his playing time, but he flashed enough to maintain his elite prospect status.
Fournette is a guy who will never be brought down by an arm tackle and he will have no issue wearing down NFL defenses with his blend of power and speed.
The most common knock on Fournette is how little he appears in the passing game. It is often a misconception that he cannot catch. His hands are average. He does not receive the ball like a receiver, as some other backs do, but he can catch the ball when called upon. Fournette should not be in the passing game a lot, with his strength clearly between the tackles.
The Eagles are expected to cut Ryan Mathews once he is cleared of his injury, and Darren Sproles has acknowledged that this upcoming season will likely be his last. Wendell Smallwood is the only running back who is projected to be on the roster past next season, and he spent much of his rookie season struggling to stay healthy and get a significant percentage of snaps.
Doug Pederson clearly wants his offense to establish the running game, and had great success in the games that he was able to successfully do so. With Fournette's ability to pound the ball and punish tacklers the offense will have much more success establishing the run. Pederson enjoys involving the back in the passing game, but Fournette's strength as a pure runner could be too good to pass up.
