2019 NFL Draft: Fixing one pick for each NFC East team
Philadelphia Eagles 2019 NFL Draft Picks:
Round 1 (22): Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
Round 2 (53): Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State
Round 2 (57): JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford
Round 4 (138): Shareef Miller, DE, Penn State
Round 5 (167): Clayton Thorson, QB, Northwestern
Eagles select David Long, LB, West Virginia instead of Clayton Thorson
The Philadelphia Eagles had an impressive showing in the 2019 NFL Draft. Their trade up to secure left tackle Andre Dillard was absolutely brilliant. Dillard is the best pass protector in this draft class and is an ideal replacement for Jason Peters at the left tackle replacement.
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Peters is 37-years-old and his contract is up after the 2019 season. Dillard is the perfect replacement for him and trading up for him in the first round was an extremely wise and forward-thinking move.
Their selections of running back Miles Sanders and wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside in the second round were also brilliant. Fourth-round defensive end Shareef Miller was also a nice pick.
When it came to choosing which draft pick to replace, this one was easy. The Eagles drafting quarterback Clayton Thorson in the fifth round was far and away their worst pick. After losing Nick Foles in free agency, I understand why they would want to take a shot on a quarterback. However, Thorson is simply not an NFL-caliber signal caller.
Instead of Thorson, West Virginia linebacker David Long would have made much more sense. Long is a bit undersized, but he is an extremely quick and athletic linebacker who makes plays all over the field.
Long is a downhill linebacker who excels at making plays behind the line of scrimmage. His tackling is a bit inconsistent, but Long is tailor-made for the modern NFL and would have been a worthy shot of upside in the fifth round. At worst, Long has the makings of a strong special teams asset.