Though speculation has begun that the Philadelphia Eagles may trade up from the eighth pick for the chance to draft a quarterback, one report suggests another player that's projected to be taken before they are on the clock may be of interest to them.
According to John McMullen of 97.3 ESPN, UCLA outside linebacker Myles Jack tops the Eagles' draft board.
The fist move was to use former coordinator Bob Babich as the scapegoat but the major one should be looking defense in the draft with Jack, perhaps the best playmaker available and the player two NFL sources say is at the top of the Eagles draft board.
Despite noting this, and doing a mock-draft that involved trades, McMullen projected the Jacksonville Jaguars to select Jack with the fifth pick, while he mocked Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley to the Eagles with the eighth pick.
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Jack might be the most athletically gifted player in the draft, though he missed most of the 2015 season after tearing his meniscus. Outside linebacker also isn't the Eagles' most pressing need, so while Jack may be the top player on the team's draft board, they may not consider him worth trading up for. It should be noted that some think he could play a role similar to what Deone Buchanon does for the Arizona Cardinals, where he plays a combination of linebacker and safety, with a majority of snaps coming at safety.
If the Eagles don't trade up for Jack, it seems hard to imagine them leaving the draft with him. Virtually all mocks have him going to the Jaguars at five, and none have him still being on the board at eight.
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is an Editorial Assistant for Eagledelphia.com.
