Five takeways from the Eagles 2021 draft (5/3/21)

The 2021 NFL Draft has come to a close, and now we can look forward to spring workouts and training camp. This draft kicked off the Eagles rebuild, as they selected a total of nine players. Here are my five takeways from the Eagles recent draft.

A new dynamic duo

The Eagles might have a future elite QB-WR duo on their hands in Jalen Hurts and Devonta Smith. Last season, Hurts had really no one to throw to when he was thrusted into the starting role late in the season.

Now having a young receiver with superstar potential, his game should drastically improve because he’ll have a real threat to be to rely upon.

Both of their games will benefit each other. With Hurts’ ability to extend plays on the run it will ultimately give Smith the opportunity to show off his elite ability to create seperation from him and the opposing cornerback.

Adding a Cornerback through Free Agency?

The Eagles made nine total selections in this year’s draft, and only took one cornerback with their 4th round selection in Zech McPhearson from Texas Tech.

Even after the draft, the depth at the position is still very worrisome. Outside of Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox, the rest of the position is filled with young and inexperienced players who have played very limited snaps.

After witnessing the draft results, it’s very likely that the Eagles will sign a cornerback through free agency.

There are some good cornerbacks that are still available in the free agency market, with the likes of Brian Poole and Steven Nelson who still have plenty of years ahead of them.

While both these guys are nearing the end of their careers and haven’t performed to their former pro bowl selves, the Eagles should look into bringing in an experienced veteran such as Casey Hayward or Richard Sherman.

Zach Ertz staying?

We all came to the assumption that Zach Ertz would no longer be wearing midnight green, but it now appears that he will remain an Eagle.

They could still trade away Ertz, but the draft was the perfect time for them to prioritize it because they would’ve been able to gain a decent amount of draft compensation in return.

Running back competition

Out of every position on the team, the running back position has the most depth, which will ultimately lead to high competition, and players getting cut that shouldn’t probably shouldn’t be.

We all know that Miles Sanders will be the starting running back going into this season, whereas for Boston Scott and the re-signed Jordan Howard, it will become a complete mystery on whether or not they break the 53 man roster by the end of training camp because of the Eagles 5th round selection of Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell.

A lot of analysts and scouts were very high on the Eagles selection of Gainwell because of his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, which a running back needs to be able to posses in order to play in today’s game.

When Nick Sirianni was offensive coordinator for the Colts, he had the opportunity to work with multiple versatile running backs that could make plays out of the backfield in Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines.

An underrated aspect of Gainwell’s game is his ability to pass protect when being called upon to do it. He would be an added blocker in order to give Hurts more time to sit in the pocket.

Future Jason Kelce replacement?

Jason Kelce will go down as one of the best and most iconic players in all of franchise history. His parade speech that took place on the Art Museum steps will never be forgotten.

With Kelce being 33 years old, and him contemplating the idea of retirement multiple times before, it’s very likely that this will be his last season in the NFL.

The Eagles are fully aware of Kelce hanging up the cleats after this season, so with their 2nd round pick they selected center Landon Dickerson from Alabama.

Dickerson has the potential to become a great offensive lineman in the NFL. He’s someone who is athletic and versatile, as he can either play the center or guard positions at a high level, which is an extremely valuable asset for an O-lineman when playing in today’s game.

The one major concern is his injury history. Dickerson suffered multiple injuries throughout his collegiate career including two torn ACL’s.

If Dickerson could stay relatively healthy, then expect him to become a solid starter in this league, possibly a future pro bowler.