Eagle’s Marlon Jackson’s Injury impacts 2nd round Pick
By Editorial Staff
The Philadelphia Eagles and Marlon Jackson both suffered a major setback today. Jackson ruptured his Achilles tendon during today’s practice and is expected to miss the entire season. For Jackson this is his 3 major injuries in as many years and could possibly spell the end of his NFL career. The Eagles signed Jackson this offseason and were expecting him to compete for a starting safety job. Here at NFLMocks we focus on how NFL news impacts rookies and draft related material. This injury has a major impact on rookie Nate Allen.
The Eagles used their first 2nd round pick to select Nate Allen a Safety out of South Florida. Allen measures 6-0 and 207lbs and possesses a lot athleticism. Allen is a ball hawking centerfielder who excels in coverage. He has good speed and fluid hips which allows him to keep tight coverage. Last season at South Florida he recorded 71 tackles and 5 interceptions. Allen was expected to compete for playing time but now with the injury to Jackson he might be in the driver’s seat to start opposite Quintin Mikell. Allen could expect to see come competition from Quintin Demps and Macho Harris, who recently has been taking reps at cornerback.
One thing I can’t help but think about is how the Eagles traded up in the 1st round and decided to select Brandon Graham while Earl Thomas was still on the Board. I personally thought that when the Eagles moved up they did so to select Thomas. However, I feel that Allen is a good talent and only time will tell if they made the right choice.
If you’re an Eagles fan you can’t be too surprised that Jackson was unable to remain healthy. I also questioned the fact that Jackson would be able to transition to the Safety position. He would have gone through some growing pains with the position change and also from all the missed time due to injuries. I was extremely high on Allen going into the draft and feel he is a very good complement to Mikell. I fully expect the Eagles to shift Macho Harris back to safety to provide some depth and competition. However, I am predicting that you will see Allen starting in the defensive backfield on Sunday September 12th against Green Bay.