As we turn into the corner into April, it is officially Mock Draft SZN. This year’s mock draft hysteria is amplified seeing as none of us can leave our homes. We’ve got rumors, we’ve got mocks, we’ve got smoke. So, with the agenda of the Eagles being to get younger this offseason, I’d say it’s pretty important they hit on their first round pick. Adam Schefter said on ESPN’s Mock Draft Special that “there would be riots in the streets of Philadelphia” if the Eagles didn’t draft a receiver. If so, then who? We may have some smoke leading to fire:
https://twitter.com/eaglespmc/status/1246769909444608002?s=21
“The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the franchises with the posted odds for their 21st overall pick in the first round, and those odds are staggeringly one-sided in terms of position. The seven players with the highest odds of getting drafted by the Eagles are all wide receivers, the favorite being Justin Jefferson out of LSU.” – FanDuel
Justin Jefferson is part of a slew of talented receivers with first round grades. It sounds like Jefferson is the Eagels safe pick. They main 3 (Jeudy, Lamb, Ruggs) will be gone by Pick 21. Some of the other receivers have really high ceilings (Mims, Reagor) but might be a reach at 21. So, Jefferson to the Eagles makes sense simply because the Eagles need a receiver in the worst way possible and Jefferson will be available. It won’t be the most exciting pick, it won’t be the most shocking. It would just be the most logical.
As someone who was forced to root for Texas for Branded Sports #Battle4ThePeach, this kid single handedly ruined my chances to win it all by Week 2. He was the best receiver on the field when LSU went to Texas, including Devin Duvernay, who all Eagles fans should be high on. While Texas’ secondary sucked, it still remained a trend all season that Jefferson was ALWAYS open. He and Joe Burrow put on a show week in and week out.
But, listening to Inside the Birds podcast it sounds like Justin Jefferson is the perfect complement, not your primary receiver target. Jefferson will spend most of his time in the slot. He’s silky smooth, not necessarily explosive and fast. If the Eagles take him, they will STILL need receiver help in the form of someone who can win on the outside. It may not be a knock on Jefferson and more so an indication of how putrid the Eagles receiver corps is, but they may go another route to fit their desperate need.
For now, it sounds like Justin Jefferson is their pick if all else fails. But, with still close to a month to go before the picks are in, I’m sure we will have convinced ourselves of taking Patrick Queen by next week.