Another Eagles pick goes to an Oregon product. The Eagles used their first fifth-round pick to select another face familiar to Chip Kelly.
Taylor Hart, a 6'6", 292-pound defensive lineman, was selected by the Eagles to add to the line and contribute to the pass rush.
Don't know anything about the newest Eagle? Here's a scouting report on Hart.
Hart went right where projected and at the time of selection was one of the better defensive players on the board. The Eagles could have chosen to go linebacker, but it's safe to assume that the Eagles feel that first-round selection of Marcus Smith is enough to bolster the pass rush from the linebacker position.
On the line, the Eagles were not trying to grab a starter, and in the fifth round, that's acceptable. Hart also comes in with familiarity to Chip Kelly's coaching style. That always helps and Kelly is clearly using that to his advantage.
You can't argue with his size and the strength to his game is pass rush. In Kelly's final season at Oregon, Hart's junior year, he posted eight sacks. He knows how to collapse the pocket and wrap up players at the line.
He's a work in progress though, so development will be key. He needs to become more explosive which can take time. He could also bulk up his frame more in the coming years, but time will tell how good this pick really is.
On the surface, the Eagles get a five-technique player ready to make contributions in the right spot. If he becomes more explosive and learns to hone his game, he could even turn into a regular starter, especially under Kelly, and that would make this a very successful pick for the Eagles.
Just don't expect instant results and bear with Chip on this pick. If Kelly is in charge, he'll likely make sure this pick finds a way to work out in Philadelphia.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
