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

Before the end of the 2019 season, long time running back Darren Sproles announced he was retiring from the NFL. He had made similar ovations before 2017, but after being sidelined for the Super Bowl, Sproles hoped to have one more run in him.

During the 2018 season, a lack of options at the running back position stunted the team’s possibilities on offense. Due to injuries, the team was using backups and practice squad players in the last month of the season. With such a one-dimensional offense, it wasn’t hard for defenses to figure out the Eagles passing game and react accordingly.

In the 2019 offseason, Roseman and the Eagles front office addressed the running back position by trading for Jordan Howard and drafting Penn State running back Miles Sanders. There was a lot of fan anxiety heading into the offseason about the lack of a running option and Eagles management stepped up, bringing in two solid run options to diversify the offense.

This offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles lost Howard and Sproles, putting the team right back where they were an offseason ago. Sanders looked solid in his first season, rushing for 818 yards and receiving for 509 passing yards, but the roster does need another power running back on the roster.

Sanders is the solid, dual-threat running back, who is fast and versatile as a runner and a wide receiver. But the Eagles should bring in another running back in the 2020 NFL Draft to compliment Sanders

Memphis senior Antonio Gibson is a bit off the beaten trail of top-rated running backs, but watching his highlight reel is definitely worth it. Despite scoring 30 touchdowns in high school he didn’t receive many offers, choosing to play for a JUCO program in the Memphis area for two seasons before getting an offer from Memphis.

At 6-foot-3, 228-pounds, the senior missed much of his junior season riding the bench after transferring. But his senior year is where Gibson really shined, acting as a dual-threat receiving running back. His size makes him a fantastic after-contact running back allowing him to cut in-between defenders and bounce off poorly timed tackles.

His lack of college experience will be troubling for some general managers. But the silver lining is he has very little wear and tear on his body, an important distinction for a team like the Eagles. The roster had one of the highest rates of injury in 2019 and saw both Howard and Sproles injured for the rest of the season.

Gibson ran an impressive 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash at this year’s Combine. Had he not been running around the same time as Alabama wide receiver Ruggs (who ran the fastest time at the Combine), more draft outlets might have written about this little-known running back. With his propensity to act as a receiving threat, Gibson would join a long line of Eagles running backs used in the passing game.

The Philadelphia Eagles have shown over the years that they prefer not to use an early-round pick on a running back. Football analytics and statistical analysis tie much of their success to offensive line blocking, with production seldom consistent year to year. But with four-fourth round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, bringing in a big, solid, receiving running back with little to no damage to his body is a smart move for Roseman and the Eagles front office.

His lack of experience as a true running back is concerning. But if the Eagles can develop him into a solid, down the middle running back who occasionally goes out a receiving route, they would have a thunder and lightning running back duo to keep defensive secondaries honest.