Friday Twitter Mailbag: Defense in The Draft?

When Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman return to the Eagles draft board in May, bolstering what is becoming a dominant defense could be a priority. 

Each Friday morning we will select some of the top questions we receive on Twitter and give them the kind of insight and analysis that can't fit within 140 characters. To have your question asked simply tweet it to @MattLombardo975 or@EagledelphiaPA and check back each Friday morning to see if it makes the cut! 

 From: @jetblackbrian: @EagledelphiaPA @MattLombardo975 with the Birds playing so well on Defense, who is the one player they'd replace with a draft pick next year?

Boy, we sure have come a long way since the quarterback class was front and center from an Eagles perspective in the draft. 

Thanks to Nick Foles' 20 touchdowns and one interception to go with his 6-1 record as a starter this season it's apparent that he has the security of starting the 2014 season as the starting quarterback and in all likelihood will be the Eagles quarterback of the future. 

There are plenty of holes on the offensive side of the ball, or better put, areas where depth could become a luxury such as along the offensive line, at wide receiver and even tight end there is still a very good chance that Chip Kelly and company go shopping for more weapons come May. 

But, if we're looking at the defensive side of the ball, adding playmakers needs to be priority one. 

Given that the defense hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than 21 points in each of the last nine games, drafting on that side of the ball appears to be less insistant as it did earlier this season.

With that said though, the Eagles are not financially locked into either of their starting cornerbacks Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher for the long-term. Fletcher has been a very pleasant surprise and Williams has played well, but if a blue chip corner is on the board when the Eagles go on the clock, that is a viable position to target. 

Elsewhere, adding another impact outside linebacker to complement DeMeco Ryans who is playing at  an All-Pro level this season on the inside will likely be on Howie Roseman and company's short list of priorities. 

Defensive line depth is always in play as well, specifically at the end position. 

With all of this in mind, it's probably a good idea to enjoy what has become a rather unexpectedly exciting season for a team that controls its own destiny in the NFC East race before even thinking about the NFL draft.  

 Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.