It was a disappointing loss for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, as they fell to the Seattle Seahawks 17-9 in the NFC Wild Card playoffs. Quarterback Carson Wentz was knocked out of the game in the 1st quarter on a cheap shot to the head from Seahawks pass rusher, Jadeveon Clowney. The loss of Wentz was the final nail in the Eagles coffin, or for a better way to describe it, the final player that needed the blue medical tent before it was too much for the Eagles to overcome in 2019.
Philly had so many injuries this season that many have lost count. No team in the NFL needed the offseason more than the Eagles, so now they can heal up and be ready for 2020. They also will have the chance to add some help to their team in the 2020 NFL Draft. After the loss to the Seahawks, the Eagles officially locked themselves into the 21st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
It will be interesting to see what Roseman and the Eagles do in the draft, but here is a 3-round mock draft following their exit from the playoffs.
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Round 1, Pick 21: C.J. Henderson, Cornerback, Florida
Cornerback is the biggest need for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft. That is why former Florida Gators cornerback C.J. Henderson needs to be a target for the Eagles. Henderson is the next shutdown cornerback in the NFL. He has elite coverage skills and he is already better than every single cornerback the Eagles have.
Henderson would give defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and the Eagles defense a difference-maker at cornerback, which is something they haven’t had in forever. The former Gator would be the Eagles No. 1 cornerback the day he walked into the building and give them a piece to build on for the defense.
The big knock on Henderson is that he doesn’t help much in the run game, but the Eagles do not need a cornerback who can help in the run game. They need a cornerback who does not get burnt deep three times a game and can also make a play on the football. Henderson did not have any interceptions this year, but he had 6 in his career at Florida, as well as 20 passes defended, with a career-high 11 in 2019.
Round 2, Pick No. 53: Justin Jefferson, Wide Receiver, LSU
A lot of people want the Eagles to draft a receiver in the 1st round of the 2020 draft, but there’s a chance they’ll pass. However, if former LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson is still there in the second round, at pick 53, the Eagles would be silly not to pick him. That would mean they would go back-to-back years taking a receiver in the 2nd round, but Jefferson is better than J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in my opinion.
Turn on Jefferson’s tape and get ready to be amazed. He is so crafty in his route running and always finds a way to get open. I love his red zone route running as well, and it just adds to his craftiness while running routes.
The 6’3” 192-pound receiver caught 102 passes for 1,434 yards, and 18 (yes 18!) touchdowns this season, and LSU still has the National Championship! In the first round of the College Football Playoffs, Jefferson caught 14 passes for 227 yards and 4 scores.
Jefferson understands coverage too and I love how he works to get open while his Heisman Trophy quarterback (Joe Burrow) extends the play. Sound familiar? Wentz is great at extending the play, so giving Wentz a weapon who can work to get open the entire play would be fantastic.
Round 3, Pick 85: Antoine Winfield Jr., Safety, Minnesota
The Eagles secondary was not great in 2019, letting up far too many big plays. Adding a cornerback in the first round should be a priority, but adding another safety should be as well. Former Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will be a popular name during the draft season if he declares for the draft, partly because of his father, Antoine Winfield, who was a former first-round pick and 3-time Pro Bowler in the NFL. However, Winfield Jr. is making a name for himself with his play as well.
He flies around the field looking to make plays, and he makes them. Winfield Jr. had 7 interceptions this season, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. His 7 interceptions were good enough for 4th best in the NCAA. Adding Henderson and Winfield Jr. to the secondary in the first 3 rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft would be huge for the Roseman and the Eagles.
