Eagles mock draft 2018: Players the team might target

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles will make their first pick in the NFL draft long after the intrigue with the quarterbacks expected to be taken among the first 10 picks.

The Eagles, of course, are not in the market for a quarterback. But they will be watching the proceedings at the top of the draft very closely, with more than just a passing interest.

"When we have draft meetings, Jeffrey, Doug, they want to know about the quarterbacks," Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said about owner Jeffrey Lurie and head coach Doug Pederson.

"It’s not like we skip over a position that we don't have a need on," Roseman added. "We spend as much time talking about them as any other position. You gotta be prepared for anything."

That is especially true about a trade. The Eagles' first pick is at No. 32, the last pick in the first round, which is the only round held on Thursday night. The Eagles don't have a pick in the second or third rounds, which will be held on Friday.

It wouldn't surprise anyone — in fact, it's almost expected — to see the Eagles trade out of the first round for a pick on Friday, plus an extra pick or two in a later round.

The Eagles have two fourth-round picks (No. 130 and 132), a fifth-round pick (No. 169), a sixth-round pick (No. 206) and a seventh-round pick (No. 250). Those rounds are held on Saturday.

In all, the Eagles have six picks in the seven-round draft, their fewest since 2015. They have openly said they would love to get more. That could also mean trading one of their starters, perhaps linebacker Mychal Kendricks or cornerback Ronald Darby, for a draft pick or two.

Roseman said the Eagles have had conversations with teams that might be willing to trade for their first-round pick. 

"That’s our job, to figure out, hey, we’re at 32 and if we want to move up, or we want to move back, who are the teams anxious to do that?" Roseman said. "I think it’ll continue to be that way. I think people understand if they want something, they’re going to go get it.

"By doing this [leading up to the draft], you set yourself up for a short list of conversations."

Roseman and vice president for player personnel Joe Douglas also said the Eagles are prepared to make their pick at No. 32. So, in that scenario, here is a prediction of what the Eagles might do in the NFL draft:

First round, No. 32: Connor Williams, tackle, Texas. 

The Eagles' basic tenet in the draft has always been to fortify along the offensive and defensive lines. And as reigning Super Bowl champs, the Eagles don't really have any pressing needs at other positions. 

Williams makes sense for many reasons. For one, left tackle Jason Peters is 36 years old and coming off knee surgery. He might have one or two more years left, so it wouldn't hurt to have his successor on the roster to learn from a perennial Pro Bowl player.

Secondly, Williams, who's 6-foot-5, 296 pounds, could compete with Halapoulivaati Vaitai for that spot. Vaitai started the final eight games and the postseason in place of Peters. He did well for the most part, but might not be seen as Peters' heir apparent. 

There is the possibility that the Eagles could replace Peters by moving Lane Johnson to left tackle and having that competition with Vaitai and Williams at right tackle.

Williams had an injury-plagued 2017 season, but was a first-team All American in 2016. That's why he'll likely be available at the end of the first round.

Fourth round, No. 130: Dane Cruikshank, S, Arizona

Because of trades for key Super Bowl contributors in Carson Wentz, Darby and running back Jay Ajayi, the Eagles don't have their second, third and one of their three fourth-round picks this season.

So if things stay the way they are, the Eagles have a 98-pick wait. Consider that last year, the Eagles drafted Derek Barnett, Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas in that span.

That's why the Eagles need a contributor here. And they could go with a safety in Cruikshank. He can learn from veteran starters Malcolm Jenkins, who's 30 years old, and Rodney McLeod, who's entering the third season of a five-year contract.

Cruikshank fits the mold of what the Eagles might be looking for. He's tall at 6-foot-1, and versatile, having played cornerback in his earlier years at Arizona. 

If he develops, the Eagles might have a replacement for either Jenkins or McLeod in the coming seasons. If not, they'll keep trying, perhaps by moving Douglas to safety.

Fourth round, No. 132: Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford

Don't take a bathroom break after the Eagles take Cruikshank because they will be right back on the clock. This time, they will go with a tight end from Zach Ertz's alma mater in Schultz.

It makes sense. The Eagles need a blocking tight end after Brent Celek was released last month. And Schultz can work at his own pace as the Eagles have Ertz and veteran Richard Rodgers, the free agent from Green Bay who signed a one-year contract earlier this month. 

That means Schultz could start to have an impact in the 2019 season. The Eagles would be fine with that.

Fifth round, No. 169: Quadree Henderson, WR/KR, Pittsburgh

Darren Sproles will turn 35 in June, he's coming off a torn ACL and he's unsigned. Sure, Pederson has said he wants Sproles back. But even if Sproles does return, the Eagles will need a replacement both as a kick returner and someone who can cause havoc with the ball in space.

Henderson, the Wilmington native, fits that bill nicely. He set a school record at Pitt with seven return touchdowns. He is not a running back like Sproles. But at wide receiver, he can do many of the same things — line up in the slot, catch balls out of the backfield, or run on jet sweeps.

Sixth round, No. 206: Tegray Scales, LB, Indiana

This is another so-called depth pick for the Eagles. They fortified linebacker during the offseason by re-signing Nigel Bradham, getting Jordan Hicks back healthy and going with free agents in Corey Nelson and Paul Worrilow.

Kendricks is not expected back, and the Eagles need young linebackers in the pipeline. They drafted Nathan Gerry last year, and Scales can add to that depth as well. He's not extremely fast or big, but he did have 36 tackles for loss and 13 sacks over the last two seasons. In the Big Ten, that's impressive.

Seventh round, No. 250: Darious Williams, CB, UAB

Talk about your sleeper picks. Williams was a walk-on at UAB and quickly earned himself a starting job. Then the program was shut down for two years for NCAA violations. Williams stayed at UAB and trained, and was ready when the program was reinstated last season.

The Eagles did have success with a cornerback in the seventh round in Jalen Mills in 2016. Perhaps Williams can become another.

Once the draft is over, the Eagles will no doubt try to strike gold with an undrafted player. Last year, they succeeded with running back Corey Clement, who had 100 yards receiving in the Super Bowl. This year, keep an eye out for University of Delaware defensive tackle Bilal Nichols if he's available.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.