Philadelphia Eagles - NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles - NFC East, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects

Philadelphia Eagles

The Draft Was ... Excellent. Not only did the Eagles get a ton of prospects and plenty of value, they got RB Lorenzo Booker from the Dolphins and Carolina's 2009 first round draft pick. DT Trevor Laws and WR DeSean Jackson were first round picks taken in the second round, while CB Jack Ikegwuonu and OT King Dunlap were fantastic finds on the second day.
Best Value Pick: Jack Ikegwuonu, CB Wisconsin. 4th round. Give him a year to recover from his torn ACL and he'll be like getting a high draft pick in 2009. Even if it takes him two years to fully recover, it'll be worth it; he would've been a second rounder this year if healthy.
Biggest Reach: Andy Studebaker, LB Wheaton. 6th round. There's no faulting a flier on a late pick, but Studebaker doesn't have the talent to fill the hole the Eagles hopefully took care of with Bryan Smith in the third round. .
They Should've ... Taken Early Doucet or Harry Douglas over Smith in the third. Yeah, Philly needed Smith, but getting a second receiver to pair with DeSean Jackson would've made Donovan McNabb ecstatic, and much better, and would allow for the Kevin Kolb era, once that kicks in, to get off to a big start.

#	Pick
16	47	2nd Round (from Minnesota)     Trevor Laws, DT Notre Dame 112 tackles as a senior. For a tackle. Again, 112 tackles in one season. While he's not necessarily a tackle to build a defense around, he has the drive and the fire to become a bear of a starter and a phenomenal second interior option next to a bigger established starter. Very active and with a great motor, he can be used in a variety of ways and will still produce. At only six-feet tall, he's a bit of a bowling ball and he isn't a good interior pass rusher, but he'll make plays and will always keep working. CFN Projection: Second Round     CFN Position Rank: 3

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2nd Round     DeSean Jackson, WR California If you're asking Jackson to be a star target to revolve an NFL offense around, he's not going to be it. If you're asking him to go deep five times a game to clear out the safeties and have a gaudy yard-per-catch average, he's your guy. Make him a No. 2 or No. 3 target against a relatively slow defensive back and he'll hit home run after home run. The problem is his size. He's never going to be big, he's always going to be too thin, and he's not going to be a smallish physical receiver, like a Steve Smith. Banged up at times, he was a major disappointment in 2007; he didn't make the Cal offense better. Still, his blinding speed and electrifying return skills make him a fun weapon to have in the arsenal. CFN Projection: Late First to Second Round     CFN Position Rank: 8

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3rd Round    Bryan Smith, DE/LB McNeese State Extremely athletic and a terrific pass rusher at the lower level, Smith cranked out 24 sacks in the last two years and is great at making every tackle. He's not really a linebacker, but at only 6-2 and 231 pounds, he's not an end. Despite his lack of size, he'll be a fun toy for a defensive coordinator to play with. CFN Projection: Fifth Round    CFN Position Rank: 17 (as a DE)

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4th Round (from Buffalo)  Mike McGlynn, OG/OT Pitt A brutish run blocker who has been one of the most consistent players on an inconsistent Pitt team over the last three years, McGlynn did everything asked of him and played hurt when most would've been on the sidelines. The problem is his quickness; he doesn't have any. While he was a great tackle at the collegiate level, he could be a star at guard if allowed a while to develop. He'll have a long career on want-to, but there's a ceiling on what he can do. CFN Projection: Fourth Round   CFN Position Rank: 7 (as a OG)

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4th Round  (from trade)     Quintin Demps, FS UTEP An excellent four-year starter for UTEP with good ball-hawking skills and cornerback coverage ability in a safety body, Demps is a seasoned veteran who can step in right away. He has the 4.41 speed to play corner, but he's a free safety and can be used from time to time as a punt returner. Consistent tackling ability is an issue and will be the difference between starting and being used as a nickelback. CFN Projection: Third Round to Fourth    CFN Position Rank: 5

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4th Round  Jack Ikegwuonu, CB Wisconsin If he can be consistent and if he can become tougher, he has the potential to be a great pro. The first issue is a knee injury suffered right after the season ended in a pre-draft workout. The second issue is his character. He got in trouble off the field and the coaching staff openly questioned his toughness in a few big games when he got dinged up. Outside of allowing a huge pass play to Michigan's Mario Manningham last year, he shut down most of the top receivers and showed off his speed by chasing down Darren McFadden in the 2007 Capital One Bowl. CFN Projection: Third Round to Fourth Round   CFN Position Rank: 9

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6th Round   Mike Gibson, OT/OG California A former JUCO transfer who stepped in and did a nice job as a two-yard starter for the Bears. A great run blocker who'll power over anyone who isn't going 100 miles per hour, he might project to be a guard if he can't prove he can handle an NFL caliber pass rusher. He'll need a while to improve his overall technique if he's going to be a tackle. CFN Projection: Fifth Round   CFN Position Rank: 14

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6th Round  Joe Mays, LB North Dakota State A late arriver on the draft scene after a good pro day, he's on the map as a possible special teamer with good size and decent speed. The knock on him seems to be his height, but at 5-11 he's an inch shorter than Curtis Lofton; it doesn't matter. While he's a bit limited as an NFL defender, he has enough skills to be worked on as a project. CFN Projection: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: 36

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6th Round  Andy Studebaker, DE/LB Wheaton More than just a great name, Studebaker is a hybrid outside defender who'll likely find a permanent home at linebacker if he ends up making a team. Very strong with room to add at least 15 pounds to his 245-pound frame, he's a productive player with big potential. He would've been an early second day pick if he hadn't torn a tendon in his foot. CFN Projection: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: 31

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7th Round  King Dunlap, OT Auburn If he plays every game and every down like he looks, he'll be a dominator. He's a tall, strong, quick 6-8 and 310 pounds, but he doesn't play up to his talent level and got the hook last year when he should've been crushing and killing.. If he decides he wants to be a top pro and if a coaching staff can fire him up and show him how to be a Pro Bowl blocker, it could happen for him. He's a chance on greatness. CFN Projection: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 13