The method with which the Philadelphia Eagles approached the 2016 draft was one that was geared towards setting the team up to be stronger years from now, while taking a hit in the short-term.
As such, this presents a problem for the 2016 team. The Eagles will receive very little impact from draft picks in the coming year.
Carson Wentz is expected to be inactive for most of the season. If and when the team falls of contention, there’s a chance he could see some action in the final month of the season, but the second overall pick won’t take meaningful snaps in his rookie year. The team has invested too much in him, and won't rush him on to the field until he's ready.
The team didn’t have a second-round pick thanks to Chip Kelly’s highly questionable trade for Sam Bradford a year ago.
Third rounder Isaac Seumalo is also expected to be among the team’s inactives this year. The team doesn’t consider him a realistic option to start this year, and he just isn’t in the mix with Allen Barbre or Stefen Wisniewski for the left guard position.
Fifth-rounder Wendell Smallwood probably has the best chance to make an impact, assuming he does in fact make the team. Ryan Mathews is all but guaranteed to go down with injury at some point, leaving Smallwood with a decent opportunity for playing time.
Of the late-round picks, Blake Countess and Jalen Mills shouldn’t be playing in the secondary unless something has gone horribly wrong with the veterans in front of them. Mills has been one of the most impressive players throughout training camp, but isn't considered a threat to start over either Nolan Carroll or Leodis McKelvin at this point.
Defensive end Alex McCalister, if he makes the team, will be buried on the depth chart behind Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, and Connor Barwin. Linebacker Joe Walker figures to help primarily as a special teamer. If the team does in fact sign veteran Stephen Tulloch, it will make it even harder for Wilson to get on the field with the defense.
There’s just no impact players among the rookies this year, and that’s going to hurt the Eagles’ chances of competing for the division in 2016.
On draft night, the other teams in the division made themselves better for this season.
Ezekiel Elliott is going to be a workhorse for the Dallas Cowboys. Sterling Shepard and Paul Perkins will be instant contributors for the New York Giants. Josh Doctson adds another talented target to Kirk Cousins’ arsenal for the Washington Redskins.
And the Philadelphia Eagles got themselves a bunch of guys that will spend the 2016 campaign developing.
It's an approach that will cause the club to have some short-term problems, but could be of tremendous benefit in the long-run. So much of the team's future is tied to the development and success of Wentz. If he is truly the team's next franchise quarterback, it will be worth sacrificing the 2016 season, even if that means little to nothing from the draft class in their first season as NFL players.
Denny Basens is a staff writer for Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @DennyBasens.
