Whether it was a smoke screen or Howie Roseman having an idea of where he wanted to go, the Eagles essentially got the highest graded player left on their board when they selected Washington State left tackle, Andre Dillard, with the No. 22 overall pick.
The Birds traded up three spots with the Ravens, giving up the 25th overall pick in the draft, along with No. 125 and No. 197 overall in the fourth round. Dillard was rated below players like Jawaan Taylor, Greg Little, and Oklahoma’s Cody Ford before the NFL Combine, but his huge frame and ability to engulf defenders was too much to pass up.
Before the Combine, we listed Dillard as a player that potentially could replace future Hall of Famer, Jason Peters, at left tackle.
The 6-5, 310 pounds Dillard is a mauler at times, who plays with the core strength to control the edge and performs well under pressure. He’s definitely a worker, evidence by Dillard adding 60-plus pounds since enrolling at Washington State. Dillard is also extremely durable, as he started all 39 games at left tackle the past three seasons for the Cougars.
