2020 NFL Draft: Philadelphia Eagles final 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft

Reports coming out of the Eagles front office this draft season have consistently stated the Eagles are looking for prospects that are fast and can bring speed to the roster. Not just at the wide receiver position but at all positions, as lack of speed at all levels of the roster has noticeably hampered the team’s success in recent years.

This is contrasted with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 or the LA Rams in 2018, where speedy receivers, safeties, and quarterbacks (among other positions) gave each team a decided advantage over opposing teams. In 2019, the Eagles struggled with a lack of speed at all levels of the field, as veteran players on the roster started to show signs of aging and slowing down.

The Eagles released one of the key pillars of their defense this offseason when safety Malcolm Jenkins was released in lieu of a new contract negotiation. Roseman stated in a post-season interview that keeping older veterans that he preferred having on the roster had contributed to the Eagles going 9-7 in 2019.

Jenkins was a swiss army knife for the defense, a strong safety who could play deep, in the slot and on the line of scrimmage if needed. He was the ultimate do-it-all-safety that had learned key skills over the course of his career that made him irreplaceable.

Cornerback-turned-safety Jalen Mills has said he will step into Jenkins’s role on the Eagles defense this offseason. But after a lackluster career as a cornerback, many wonder if Mills is up to the challenge. The Eagles front office must believe he is capable, as they gave Mills a new contract this offseason.

But even if Mills is the do-it-all safety Jenkins was, they will still need to bring in more help at the position. A safety like Ashtyn Davis from Cal would add another level of speed and coverage to the Eagles secondary that has been lacking since the 2017 Super Bowl season.

Davis had a unique path to the NFL, as he did not receive a single offer to play football coming out of high school. He instead chose to run track for the Cal Golden Bears, impressing athletic officials at the school and earning a spot on the team.

Watching Davis on game film, it becomes immediately clear that his track background is present on the field. He is just so fast coming downfield, falling deep, changing direction that he immediately stands out. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert learned this the hard way in 2019, as Davis terrorized his receivers in their matchup, earning an interception which included a 31-yard return

At 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, Davis has the size to outmuscle receivers downfield, while thin enough to move quickly. The Eagles have already indicated they are prioritizing speed in the 2020 NFL Draft and Davis fits that bill in the safety department. While he will not be an in-the-box strong safety that stops the run like Jenkins, he has enough experience playing in the box to contribute.

While used primarily as a deep safety in college, Davis could be counted on as a slot cornerback, a skill that will become more important as NFL offenses continue to incorporate spread formations with four or more receiver sets. But placing Davis deep downfield is not a problem for short pass sets, as his speed allows him to cover the distance quickly. He has legitimate sideline-to-sideline speed that will make passing deep on a Davis-led secondary incredibly risky.

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Of course, Davis is not a replacement for Jenkins. He has neither the build nor the experience to replace a player that effective. But drafting Davis will not be so much about replacing Jenkins as it will be putting speed in a secondary unit bereft of such in 2019.

Game after game last year, the Eagles were beaten deep by slow cornerbacks and safeties. With Jenkins being the only legitimate shut-down defensive back last year, it became a situation where the average opposing quarterback only had to look where Jenkins wasn’t and throw there to great success.

The Philadelphia Eagles front office has prioritized the defensive line and pass-rushing over coverage players in the last two seasons, to their detriment. As more and more teams started to challenge the Eagles downfield last year, it became painfully obvious that ignoring the secondary had caused the Eagles to lose multiple games during the season.

Now they are drafting for speed and looking to reassure a unit that ranked nineteenth in 2019 in passing yards allowed, allowing an average of 241 passing yards a game, according to NFL.com.

Davis missed Combine workouts due to an injury and had to fly to Philadelphia during the COVID-19 outbreak to get one last checkup from a well-renowned sports surgeon that repaired his injury, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In the article, it discusses that Davis had a video interview with the Philadelphia Eagles, where his injury was brought up.

By flying cross-country during a pandemic to get his injury questions settled shows a level of drive and eagerness to play in the NFL.

Davis won’t solve the Eagles secondary issues. But he will add a level of speed and coverage ability that very few safeties in the 2020 NFL Draft can.