The clock is ticking on Sam Bradford’s remaining time with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bradford’s eventual replacement is likely to hear his name called when the Eagles use the No.2 selection in the 2016 NFL Draft on Thursday.

Jordan Matthews will be one of the main targets for Bradford this year and the next quarterback in the future. Matthews has been very vocal with his support of Bradford. He gave Bradford another vote of confidence shortly before the blockbuster trade was announced.

“I have said numerous times that I am confident in Sam [Bradford]. I don’t know what will happen, I don’t make the decisions,” Matthews said. “At the end of the day, I am going to trust whatever happens and go out there and do my job. The same guys that made the decision to bring me here in the first place will make this decision.”

Matthews feels the Eagles can win now with some of the pieces they have in place. Jim Schwartz has already won Matthews over. In his opinion the defense can be of championship caliber under Schartz’s guidance.

The Eagles have also addressed the offensive line, bringing in Stefen Wisnewski and Brandon Brooks via free agency. That will allow Philadelphia to protect their quarterback, which is another part of what Matthews feels is the recipe for a winning team.

“If you look at the formula for winning, you have to have defense and you have to have a quarterback. You also have to protect that quarterback,” Matthews said. “We have the defense, now it’s about the man under center being able to go out and win us some games and protecting him.”

We shall see if that man under center is going to be Bradford, Chase Daniel or the future franchise quarterback that is selected on Thursday.

Matthews went through the draft process two years ago. The process is fresh in his mind. He looks at the draft hype and doesn’t like what he sees.

“The draft is a setup. They bring a guy on ESPN and ask him if he can guard Calvin Johnson, knowing he’s going to say he can,” Matthews said. “They set them up to come into a league and have these huge expectations that they have to accomplish.”

In Matthews’ mind, the prospects go through a hyped up process. The media attention is crazy to Matthews. In some cases, it can cause some of the prospects to get too confident. As Matthews pointed out, the NFL is a ‘humbling league.’

“There’s always trends and hype. Some of it is good, but some of it is over the top,” Matthews said. “They will look at a guy and say he is going to be the next Aaron Rodgers. You can’t put that on anybody.”

A part of the hype is focusing on trends. The NFL is a copycat league. That extends to draft. Different positions become the hot topic every year. There was a point where a running back was not a position that teams considered in the first round. Matthews sees a new trend that will continue this year.

“Everybody hears about Ezekiel Elliott getting drafted early. Why? Because of Todd Gurley. Now when Elliott gets to the league, everyone expects him to be the next Todd Gurley,” Matthews said. “Two years ago, you didn’t even think about taking a running back in the first round.”

Football becomes a business for players that enter the NFL. Matthews message to the incoming draft class is to understand that the league is a grown man’s business. He encourages the prospects to build their brand by doing interviews and make money outside of football.

The business side of things extends to the work ethic in the locker room as well for the young football players. Matthews pointed out how the rookies need to stay grounded despite the hype and understand that they are on a team when they enter the building. The rookies have to come in and work hard to earn the respect of their teammates.

Wide receiver is one of the positions that the Eagles will likely address in the draft. Philadelphia signed Chris Givens, Rueben Randle and T.J. Graham during the offseason.

The group doesn’t have any bona fide veteran to lead them. Matthews sees a lot of potential in the group. He feels they have to prove their worth this season.

“We are young and need to grow up. There are steps to take to get used to playing in the NFL. We have to make plays. As a group, we have to elevate our play,” Matthews said. “There is a job to do. We have a bunch of young guys who are hungry and want to make plays. Now we just have to go out there and prove it.”

As for his personal role, Matthews is looking forward to playing outside so he can get more one-on-one coverage. As a slot receiver, Matthews had to make plays in congested areas. That won’t be the case as often now that Matthews is going to be able to line up outside.

“When you are inside, you’re always catching the ball in traffic. Half the time you catch the ball, you’re next to a linebacker or safety,” Matthews said. “Being able to go one-on-one with guys is exciting. It is something that I am looking forward to.”