Elijah Qualls didn't anticipate watching the NFL draft in the sixth round. He expected to be selected before the Eagles called with their final pick to take the Washington defensive lineman. So when he finally celebrated, he also remembered that 213 players went ahead of him.
"I knew that whoever picked me up, they were going to get one of the best picks of the draft, especially this late," Qualls said. "I'm going to prove to them as soon as I get to league why everyone who didn't pick me [missed out] and why honestly they should have picked me earlier."
He'll get that chance with the Eagles starting Friday when the team holds its rookie camp.
Qualls, 22, will play defensive tackle for the Eagles and could earn a rotational role this season. Fletcher Cox is the team's top player at the position. Tim Jernigan, acquired from Baltimore in April, is the front-runner to replace Bennie Logan as the other starting defensive tackle. Beau Allen will also be in the mix, but he has a pectoral injury that will keep him sidelined this summer. Qualls will compete with 2016 rookie Destiny Vaeao, first-year player Justin Hamilton, and undrafted rookies for a spot on the Eagles. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to rotate four defensive tackles.
Qualls, who is 6-foot-1 and 313 pounds, earned first-team all-Pac 12 honors last season while posting a career-high 38 tackles and three sacks. Those numbers might have been greater if did not play in a defensive scheme that required him to occupy blockers. Qualls is eager to join Schwartz's 4-3 attacking scheme.
"I'm somebody that is going to do whatever it takes to help my team win, but at the same time, being a baller and a competitor, I obviously like making my plays, too," Qualls said. "So being able to get freed up and do what I actually feel like I'm better at is exciting for me."
Jernigan had the same sentiment when the Eagles acquired him from Baltimore. But Fletcher Cox shared similar thoughts when switching to Schwartz's defense last year, and his sack production declined. So the new scheme cannot be viewed as a panacea for any defensive tackle's problems. But Qualls said there are parts of his skill set that will be more apparent in the NFL than they were in college.
"Part of the thing scheme-wise at Washington is that in playing against all those mobile quarterbacks, it wasn't really about going to get the quarterback," Qualls said. "It was more about containing them so he doesn't have all day [to throw] and let our [defensive backs] make plays. Obviously, we have one of the best secondaries in the country, so we had a lot of faith in those dudes and in them making plays. So, again, [it's about] me being freed up and able to actually go do what I really can and prove to everybody that I'm a much better pass rusher than most people believe."
Qualls is considered quick for his size, playing running back in high school and moving to spots throughout the defensive front in college. He even rushed from a stand-up edge role in the college football playoffs against Alabama.
Qualls has been compared to Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Danny Shelton, a former first-round pick from Washington. But Qualls disagreed with the comparison, saying that Shelton's game is based more on strength and Qualls relies more on athleticism.
"I try to stay balanced," Qualls said. "I don't just try to have one thing my bread and butter _ that way if they stop that, I always have something else to switch up to."
Although he is big and stout, he does not come with ideal length. Qualls' arms are 30 | inches, which were the shortest of any defensive lineman at the scouting combine. Arm length is important for defensive linemen because it can help keep the offensive linemen off the body to shed blocks.
"I am stronger than most people and I have better leverage," Qualls said when asked how he compensates for the short arms. "It works for me, trust me. I make it work."
As a high school player in northern California, Qualls put his athleticism on display with the ball in his hands. He rushed for 1,847 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final two years in high school, forcing defenders to wonder if they wanted to tackle a rusher his size.
"They ran away from me," Qualls said.
He'll be asked to do the tackling for the Eagles. And without a firm depth chart at defensive tackle, Qualls arrives at rookie camp this week for his first chance to prove he deserves playing time this season.
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