Redskins: Grading the teams of the NFC East in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Ian Cummings
Philadelphia Eagles Draft Grade
Round 1 – Washington State OT Andre Dillard (A-)
Round 2 – Penn State RB Miles Sanders (B-)
Round 2 – Stanford WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (B-)
Round 4 – Penn State EDGE Shareef Miller (B+)
Round 5 – Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson (D)
The Eagles only had five selections in the 2019 NFL Draft, but they did a good job getting a mix of immediate contributions and developmental upside.
In the first round, the Eagles made a savvy move by trading up ahead of the Houston Texans to grab Washington State tackle Andre Dillard. Dillard might not be ready to start right away, as he’s fairly raw, and has less experience as a run blocker. But he’s perfect for the Eagles’ situation; he can learn from Jason Peters, and with his excellent athletic upside, he can be a high-level starter in due time.
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In Round 2, with two selections, the Eagles selected Penn State running back Miles Sanders and Stanford wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, attaining modest value with both. They could have waited to pick a running back, but the Eagles are high on Sanders’ athletic ability and change-of-direction skills. Arcega-Whiteside, meanwhile, isn’t the versatile weapon the Eagles might have needed, and his snaps will be sapped by the presence of Alshon Jeffery. But he provides value nonetheless, as a very dangerous red zone threat.
In Round 4, with a lacking amount of late-round picks, the Eagles made the smart decision to pick a toolsy edge rusher in Penn State’s Shareef Miller. Miller has great size and adequate bend and burst, and if he can add more physicality to his game, he can be a decent contributor.
With their last pick, the Eagles submitted a head-scratcher, picking Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson. Thorson, a quarterback with general inaccuracy and bad mechanics, joins a room with Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld, and Luis Perez. Thorson faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, and with that fifth-round pick, the Eagles could have gotten far better value. Still, it’s a later pick, so the inherent risk is lower. For the most part, the Eagles submitted a productive, albeit quaint, draft class.