Fits for the Philadelphia Eagles with the 22nd Pick

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The 2014 Draft respresents a pivotal point for Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles. Coming off a season where they finished 11-5 and found their franchise QB in Nick Foles who emerged as a star down the stretch, the Eagles are expected to improve and the first step is this draft. Many people expect Kelly to go big or go home in the 2014 NFL Draft. However, there is also the possibility that he doesn’t a trade to move up in the Draft. Even with the 22nd pick, the Eagles can draft an impact player. I have four players in mind for Philadelphia, who are likely to be also considered by the team.

Calvin Pryor

(College: Louisville, Class: Jr, Height: 5’11, Weight: 207, Position: Safety)

Calvin Pryor may not be the best fit in the world for the Eagles as they already have Malcom Jenkins at Safety and Nate Allen and Earl Wolff at Free Safety but he is a player that the Eagles should want. In the past few years, tackling has been an issue for Philadelphia as they have been burned many times because of missed tackles. Let’s just say, Calvin Pryor isn’t going to miss many tackles. Pryor gained a reputation in college football that will be with him once he arrives. Expect Pryor to lay out many deadly hits through his rookie year. The Eagles could use this exact toughness.

Brandin Cooks

(College: Oregon State, Class: , Height: 5’9, Weight 189, Position: Wide Receiver)

Brandin Cooks is practically a clone of Desean Jackson. Like Jackson, he is small in size and weight and his best attribute is his speed. Cooks would give Chip Kelly a deep threat that they don’t have on the team at this point after releasing DeSean. Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper are good wide receiver however, none of them possess the skill set of Brandin Cookis. He would also be another punt return specialist on the team and it’s nice to have options (the more the merrier).

Marqise Lee

(College: USC, Class: Jr, Height 5’11, Weight: 192, Position: Wide Receiver)

Like Brandin Cooks, Marqise Lee is a lot like DeSean Jackson, in regards to his elusiveness and speed. He also is an amazing after the catch wide receiver. Lee is better than Cooks in the sense that he has more height and weight and their playing styles are somewhat similar. The Eagles have Jeremy Maclin, who’s a reliable route running receiver (alliteration huh?) and Riley Cooper who is more of a threat in the shotgun formation, but they don’t have a receiver quite like Lee. As you will see in this video, Marqise Lee uses his after the catch ability to his advantage and it is the exact reason why Philadelphia should draft him.

Bradley Roby

(College: Ohio State, Class: Jr, Height 5’11, Weight: 194, Position: Cornerback)

It is known to everyone that the Eagles have problems in their secondary. Brandon Boykin enjoyed an amazing sophomore season where he tied for 2nd in the league with 6 interceptions, exceeding all the expectations set for him. On the other hand, Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams are serviceable cornerbacks but neither of them are in the upper echelon of NFL corners. Having cornerback depth is never a bad thing, just ask the Seattle Seahawks. Roby will be the best cornerback available at this point in the draft and he somewhat fits the Chip Kelly defensive back build. Whoever Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles select in the 2014 NFL Draft, expect him to be a player that can contribute right away as no team has won the NFC East in consecutive years since the Eagles themselves from 2001-2004. A message to the player that is selected with the 22nd overall pick, “be prepared”.