Just a few days ago, Daniel Jeremy was confident the Eagles would trade up and take a cornerback in the first round.”If I’m leaning one way, I’m leaning into the corner,” the former NFL scout and longtime NFL Network draft analyst told John Clarke’s latest podcast, Takeoff. “If I had to guess for the Eagles, it would be one of Alabama’s corners.Alabama’s two first-round cornerbacks are Terion Arnold and Cool Ed McKinstry.
It was just a few days ago.Clark met with Jeremiah again Wednesday, this time at a draft-related community event in Detroit, and Jeremiah’s tone changed. Dramatic.”I changed my mind,” Jeremiah said with a smile. “And I have the right to do that.”
Jeremy spent 10 years as a scout in the NFL, including working under Eagles general manager Howie Roseman from 2010-2012. He has been working for the NFL Network since 2012. He still thinks Roseman will trade 22 players.Just not for the corner. “I know they’re talking like crazy about promotion, so you’re trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and when you look at the teams they’re calling and the teams they’re trying to get in front of, they’re fighting teams, not corner teams,” he said.”So to me — and this is just a theory, not gospel — but I think they could go back to the old model and draft an offensive lineman, a guy who could play right guard as a starter, and then eventually. Ryan (Johnson) decides that stop because you know there is someone who will take over the real deal.
The Eagles have an opening at right guard, with Cam Jurgens moving to center following the departure of Jason Kelce. There’s also Tyler Steen, but if the Eagles have the opportunity to sign a top offensive lineman, it’s hard to imagine Roseman choosing not to. Before the Eagles plan to draft who can play quarterback, offensive tackles projected to include Oregon’s Talis Fuaga, Washington’s Troy Foatanu, Alabama’s J.J. Latham and possibly Penn State’s Olu Fasanu.The Eagles drafted three offensive linemen in the first round under Roseman – Danny Feelman with the 23rd overall pick in 2011, Johnson with the fourth overall pick in 2013 and Ander with the 22nd overall pick in 2019. Lee Dillard. Johnson, a five-time Pro Bowler and still considered one of the best offensive tackles in the game, turns 34 in two weeks.Roseman selected a total of 13 players in the first round, 10 of which were offensive or defensive linemen.
“I do this every year,” Jeremiah said. “We flirted with it. We said they were going to draft a linebacker for one year, we talked about an off-ball defender, now we’re talking about a cornerback, and… it’s like, what is it, Thanos or something? “It all comes back to me,” and we’re back to the forwards, both offensively and defensively.This is not just Jeremiah’s speculation. That’s based on numerous conversations he’s had with NFL scouts, coaches and officials, as well as agents representing some potential first-round draft picks.He explained his approach to Clark on Wednesday.”It’s like peeking behind a curtain,” he said. “People ask, ‘How can you say this team is going to do this, this team is going to do that?’
“It’s not like Howie told me what they were doing, but the other teams I talked to told me who called them, who talked to them and all that jazz, and then what I thought was appropriate for the agents, giving players homework At the last minute, I say, “Well, wait, that guy can’t be where they pick, so why are they doing it so late for this kid?”It all makes sense. But what about the interview a few days ago where Jeremiah was confident the Eagles would be a cornerback? “Can you cancel our last video,” said Jeremy. “Offensive Lineman.”