Philadelphia Eagles: Top trade-up targets in 2020 NFL Draft

General manager Roseman may have just invested two draft picks and a $50 million contract in former Lion cornerback Slay. But the Philadelphia Eagles would be foolish to rest on their laurels when it comes to cornerbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Last year the cornerback unit almost single-handedly handicapped this teams defense, leading opposing quarterbacks to target the position as an Achilles Heel in 2019. Roseman gave the defensive line loads of depth last season, shutting down the run game and giving quarterbacks very little time to throw. But the secondary continued to allow deep passes on third and fourth down, making any production from the defensive line a moot point.

Cornerback Ronald Darby is a free agent this offseason and will almost certainly not return in 2020. Rasul Douglas saw some playing time but is in the last year of his rookie contract and is supposedly trade bait at the for the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Not to mention the team has heavily intimated that Jalen Mills will be playing either safety or a hybrid slot cornerback position in 2020.

The Philadelphia Eagles need at least one more cornerback in the 2020 NFL Draft and making a move in the first round to secure a blue-chip prospect would be a smart move. Having two elite cornerback talents in the secondary would heavily dissuade opposing quarterbacks from throwing it deep, making defensive downs easier to manage.

Top cornerback prospect Jeffrey Okudah is too far out of reach, as PFF has them listed fourth on their Big Board. But LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton is fifteenth and well within striking distance of the Philadelphia Eagles twenty-first overall pick.

The fifteenth spot is currently held by the Denver Broncos. Cornerback is a position the Broncos will also need to address this year, but they also need wide receivers and help in the trenches. If Broncos general manager John Elway thinks their defense is still elite the spot could open up for the Philadelphia Eagles to trade up. Considering the depth of the receiver class this year, Roseman could package twenty-one with one of their three fourth-round picks to make it happen.

In Fulton, the Philadelphia Eagles would be getting a sticky man-coverage expert who has the prerequisite skill set to play in the NFL. Measuring in at the Combine at 6-foot, 197 pounds, Fulton is a fast cornerback who can keep pace with wide receivers at all levels of the field.

He ran a 4.46 on the 40-yard dash at this years Combine, making him a cornerback that can keep pace with most receivers in the NFL. Double moves and multi-breaking routes do not slow him from keeping pace with his assigned player, making him a threat at the catch point almost every time.

Fulton’s Combine profile at NFL.com has him allowing just a 40 percent completion rate, making him one of the best starting cornerbacks in the SEC. He had off-field issues in 2017 that might scare off some general managers, but those seem to be firmly in the past at this point. He finished 2019 with 14 passes defended and 38 total tackles, according to Sports Reference.

Having a secondary that consisted of Slay on one side and Fulton on the other would officially elevate the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback unit to elite levels in 2020. Moving up in the draft would be a tough sell in Philadelphia.

It would essentially mean using at least four draft picks, plus a $50 million contract (two draft picks to trade for Slay, two to move up for Fulton), on two players. The team has only had 10 picks in the last two drafts and there is pressure on the team to get younger and build through the draft.

But considering the lack of defensive back talent on the roster, Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles may be inclined to lock down the deep-passing routes on defense in 2020. Keeping the action to the short and intermediate level of the field would be far easier for the team’s defense, as it is built to succeed there.

The Philadelphia Eagles may find themselves in a position to lock down the vertical threat that plagued the team in 2019. Moving up to do that would be a smart move for Roseman in the 2020 NFL Draft, albeit a risky one.