Eagles Draft Auburn DB Blake Countess

Blake Countess. (USA Today Sports)

The Eagles drafted Auburn defensive back Blake Countess in the sixth round with the No. 196 pick.

“I had a pretty solid idea of how they felt about me,” said Countess via conference call Saturday. “They brought me in kind of late actually for a visit, but when I got down there on my visit you could tell that they have really done their homework and had looked into me a lot, and I really felt the love on my visit more so than some of my other visits. I definitely knew how they felt — they felt pretty strong about me — and they said they had a few picks and they didn’t know when or how it was going to shake out but they told me that I was definitely one of their guys.”

One of the things that drew the Eagles to Countess is his versatility. The 5-10, 184-pound Ownings Mills, MD native played corner for Michigan and Auburn before moving to safety for the final 10 games last season. He transferred to Auburn after graduation from Michigan, citing family reasons and noting that he felt it best to move on after a coaching change.

He posted eight interceptions over his college career along with 23 passes defensed.

Here’s what CBS Sports wrote about the 5-10, 184-pound cornerback:

PLAYER OVERVIEW

After missing the 2012 season due to an ACL injury, Countess returned last year and was the most consistent member of the Wolverines’ secondary, finishing with a conference-best six interceptions.

STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES

He will have some hiccups when he takes chances, but Countess has the fluid body type and ballskills that make him an attractive pro prospect.

Countess mentioned his ability to play special teams on multiple occasions. He plans on filling that role initially while competing at whatever position Jim Schwartz deems best.