Eagles Wake-Up Call: Mock Draft Roundup

With the Combine set for next week in Indianapolis (Feb. 23-29), focus is beginning to shift more towards the prospects in this upcoming draft. Let’s take a spin around to see who some of the analysts believe could draw interest from the Eagles.

Mel Kiper released a new mock draft on Thursday. He sees the Eagles addressing the offensive front by selecting Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin.

Philadelphia has a need at tackle, and Conklin has been a consistent performer over the past three seasons and will be ready to contribute as a rookie. Adding him could help secure the Eagles’ immediate future at tackle with Lane Johnson signed for the long term.

Here’s NFL.com’s write-up on Conklin:

NFL COMPARISON

Jon Runyan

BOTTOM LINE

Possesses top flight size and strength at the tackle position and has the technique and recovery athleticism to make up for his average foot quickness. Conklin went from solid in 2014 to very good in 2015 and teams must now decide whether or not they want to give him a chance at left tackle or plug him in on the right side where he should be able to step in right away and become a quality starter. Conklin has some physical limitations, but he’s got solid technique and exactly the field demeanor that offensive line coaches will be looking for.

Kiper has two quarterbacks going in the top four, with the Browns selecting Carson Wentz and the Cowboys pulling the trigger on Jared Goff, but does not have another QB being taken in the first round.

In his latest mock draft, former Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah has the Birds pulling the trigger on Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler.

The buzz on Butler is building following an outstanding week at the Senior Bowl.

Jeremiah has two quarterback being selected prior to the Eagles getting on the clock — Wentz by the Browns at No. 2. and Goff by the 49ers at No. 7. He sees Paxton Lynch falling to the Rams at 15.

NFL.com colleague Chad Reuter takes  a stab at a four-round mark. He has the Eagles coming away with:

Pick 13: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Pick 77: DeAndre Houston-Carson, DB, William & Mary
Pick 79: Le’Raven Clark, OT, Texas Tech
Pick 113: Sebastian Tretola, OG, Arkansas

Even if the Eagles decide to bring back Sam Bradford for one year on a franchise tag, new head coach (and former NFL quarterback) Doug Pederson might want to bring in a young passer such as Lynch to groom.

The folks over at Drafttek use a computer model to simulate all seven rounds. Their latest projection has Wentz falling to them at No. 13.

In this week’s CMD, the Eagles stock up on offensive linemen in rounds 3 through 5, and once again draft a franchise QB at 13 to put behind all those new linemen. The rumor in Philly is that the Eagles will not franchise Sam Bradford, and instead will look to pair rookie head coach Doug Pederson with a rookie quarterback he can personally groom to lead his new offense. Carson Wentz may not have the same experience against top competition as Jared Goff, but he has perhaps the strongest arm of the top quarterbacks, as well as the highest ceiling in my opinion. He has a 3-to-1 career TD to INT ratio, has 13 career rushing TDs, and has logged plenty of time in a pro-style offense. Wentz has gained a lot of praise and many fans over the last several months; now Eagle fans just need to hope Jerry Jones isn’t one of them.

WHAT YOU MISSED

“People that think Bradford is coming here, chances are they’re going to be mistaken.” Searching for the Bradford market.

Adam continues our combine prep with a look at the wide receiver class.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

The Eagles got even thinner in the scouting department:

The Eagles & college scouting coordinator Matt Lindsey have mutually agreed to part ways source tells FootballScoop https://t.co/sNnVtycOD5

— FootballScoop Staff (@FootballScoop) February 18, 2016

Leaving Eagles without a college scouting director and college scouting coordinator right before Combine. https://t.co/zpUb6iVZ3L

— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherNFL) February 18, 2016

Zach Berman on quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who is expected to sign with the Eagles.

Bethel-Thompson, 27, has been on eight NFL rosters since 2011. He was most recently on the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad. He spent parts of 2012 and 2013 on the Minnesota Vikings’ active roster, although he never has attempted a pass in a regular-season game. In 12 preseason games since 2011, Bethel-Thompson has three touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

The 6-foot-3, 236-pound journeyman even moved around in college. He started at UCLA and finished at Sacramento State before going undrafted in 2011.

COMING UP

We’ll continue our offseason outlook with a focus on the linebackers.