With the 2021 NFL Draft less a week away, today is the perfect time to complete (yet another) 7-round mock draft for the Philadelphia Eagles. This is my final mock draft as we gear up for all the content starting on Thursday nivht. Do you agree or disagree with the picks? Message me on Twitter @mrcrockpot and lets chat!
TRADE ALERT! The Philadelphia Eagles send #12, 2021 3rd round & 2022 3rd rounder to the Detroit Lions for #7
With the 7th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Kyle Pitts, tight end/wide reciver, University of Florida
Pick analysis: I think any conversation about Kyle Pitts is that this guy is so much more than your typical tight end prospect. First and foremost, this is a guy who lined up all over the field from the slot and the x. This is one of the best offensive playmakers in the entire class and a massive weapon on 3rd down and in the red zone.
He can hurt you down field, but he’s also one of the best route runners in this draft. It’s important to realize that the NFL evolved into a mismatch league. This is exactly where Kyle Pitts would be a tremendous weapon for Jalen Hurts within Nick Sirianni’s offense.
Zach Ertz might still be on the roster, but he likely won’t be an Eagle next season. Although Dallas Goedert has proved he has the potential to become a TE1, that does not stop me at all from getting a playmaker like Kyle Pitts. I think everything boils down to whether or not Nick Sirianni is able to get the most out of Pitts’ ridiculous talent level. After the horrendous play calling seen from Doug Pederson in 2020, I would actually be excited to see what Sirianni could do with versatile weapons like Kyle Pitts and Jalen Reagor.
TRADE ALERT! The Philadelphia Eagles send pick #70, #225 & pick #234 to the Arizona Cardinals for pick #49
With the 49th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Landon Dickerson, interior offensive line, University of Alabama
Pick analysis: First, Landon Dickerson has amazing size at 6’6 and 326 pounds. Secondly, this is one of the most versatile offensive lineman in the entire class. This is a guy who played every position while at Alamaba. His resume is quite decorated, being named first-team All-SEC (league’s coaches) and first-team All-American (Associated Press) while earning the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy and being chosen as a finalist for the Rimington Trophy.
Landon Dickerson is a leader, and his competitiveness is off the charts. It hurts me to say this, but the Eagles need to start planning for life beyond Jason Kelce. The Eagles offense could use more toughness across the board and Landon Dickerson is a perfect fit. It’s important to note that Dickerson does have some injury history during his college career, suffering a torn ACL in the SEC Championship game against Florida.
It’s important to realize that the Eagles aren’t drafting for next season. They have a ton of holes across the board. However, Landon Dickerson would certainly be able to fill in at guard if needed this season. Taking the season to learn under Jason Kelce would be an ideal situation for Philadelphia in 2021 and provide a breath of relief for whomever starts at quarterback for the Eagles in 2022 and beyond.
TRADE ALERT! The Philadelphia Eagles send pick #123, @240 & a 2022 4th round pick to the Tampa Bay Bucs for pick #64
With the 64th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Jabril Cox, linebacker, LSU
Pick analysis: If you’ve been following my Eagles mock on our YouTube channel, then you know that Jabril Cox is one of my favorite fits for the Eagles. With that being said, I’ll keep this one short. Cox is an outstanding coverage linebacker that thrives in space, something the Eagles haven’t had in God knows how long. Adding a linebacker that can handle tight ends and slot receivers is a must for the Eagles and Jabril Cox is one of the best at it. Cox has terrific range and relentless motor. He’s not the best at stopping the run, but the Eagles current defensive line makes me less worried about that.
With the 150th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Caden Sterns, safety, University of Texas
Pick analysis: Even though Jim Schwartz is long gone, I still think Howie Roseman will heavily emphasize versatility on defense. The Eagles have already added size and playmaking with Eric Stokes in the second round. Here, Philadelphia adds another ball hawk with good size 6’1 and the ability to play on the outside, on the line or in the box.
Eagles fans will love to hear that Caden Sterns started 28 of 29 games while at the University of Texas. Sterns is the development safety that I would love to see work with Jonathan Gannon, ex-defensive backs coach, over the next several years. He could surely use Gannons’ help improving his technique and tackling at the next level.
This was a big-time high school prospect who played both zone and man coverage during his time with the Texas Longhorns. Pro Football Focus reports that Sterns played 315 snaps as a deep safety, 165 in the box and 104 in the slot. Sterns’ package versatility alongside elite athleticism (4.40 40-yard dash, 42 vertical jump) makes him a prospect that Howie Roseman will absolutely find attractive.
With the 189th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Joshua Kaindoh, EDGE, Florida State
Pick analysis: 189 picks into the draft and the Philadelphia Eagles finally select someone to rush the quarterback. Josh Kaindoh is a project, but his measurements are off the charts. Standing at 6’7 and 265 pounds, Kaindoh was a five-star recruit and 10th nationally ranked recruit out of Florida. Joshua Kaindoh fought through injuries for a good chunk of his college career, amassing 59 tackles, 16.5 for a loss, eight sacks, and one interception for a touchdown in his four seasons at Florida State. This is a guy that comes with some major red flags, which is the biggest reason he’s being talked about as a day three prospect.
In some similar respects to Jordan Mailata, Joshua Kaindoh would come to Philadelphia as a super intriguing development project for Jonathan Gannon’s defense. This is a guy with incredibly long arms and physical gifts. Kaindoh projects best as a traditional defensive end in a base 4-3 scheme and he’s easily one of the top day three, late round draft targets targets for Howie Roseman. Josh Kaindoh is a guy that should be on every Eagles fan’s radars come Saturday afternoon.
With the 224th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas
Pick analysis: One of my favorite prospect in this year’s draft. The Eagles offense was borderline tragic in 2020. Even worse, predictable top to bottom and ridden with injuries and bad quarterback play. In 2020, the Eagles were 22nd in explosive play rate (9%). However, the majority of the plays came on the ground. On passing plays, the Eagles were 28th in the NFL with 43 explosive plays. Nick Sirianni has a lot of work to do and good chunk of that includes understanding the talent on the Eagles roster and getting them in better position to play to their strengths.
Enter Jaelon Darden, who has clear size limitations standings at 5’7. However, this is also one of the biggest mismatch weapons in the entire draft. The fit with Nick Sirianni’s west coast offense is really intriguing. Darden thrives in open space and getting down field, two areas that blend very well with Jalen Hurts’ strengths in 2021. Call me crazy, but the offense of Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, Kyle Pitts, Jalen Reagor and Jaelon Darden leading the offense has me really intrigued. Even further, this is a dynamic kick returner who can add a playmaking element to the Eagles terrible special teams.
