Friday, April 28, 2017

Did the Eagles make a mistake in Round 1?

Did the Eagles make a mistake in Round 1 of the 2017 NFL Draft?

In short: No.

Former NFL defensive end Stephen White is very enthusiastic about Barnett:  http://www.sbnation.com/2017/4/5/15073514/derek-barnett-scouting-report-2017-nfl-draft

I also like what I see from his piece in the Players' Tribune, though that's mostly just a marketing opportunity for players and their agents. I do like the creativity and the good writing in the piece, though; these speak well to Barnett's intelligence, which certainly can't hurt as he tries to make a name for himself at the NFL level: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/derek-barnett-nfl-draft-cover-letter/

His production and game tape speak for themselves, and his Combine didn't show special athleticism...but he was sick with the flu during that week. Imagine running football drills while you have the flu!!! That tells me that he's a competitor and a grinder, and the game tape shows me that even Alabama respects his abilities as a run defender--and Barnett even got a sack against a mobile QB on the well-coached Alabama offense!

So, in short...the Eagles picked a productive player who is likely to excel after a couple of years. And, since pass-rushers are so valuable, this is a good pick at an important position. They can find good corners elsewhere in the draft, but they can't get such productive and impactful defensive ends later.

I'm confident that the Eagles did the right thing.

Welcome to Philly, Derek!

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