It took three days, lots of trades, and Tim Tebow going in the first round, but the NFL draft is over. The Eagles made a lot of trades, and a lot of picks, and now I'm going to break down the picks they made on the last day of the draft and give out a final draft grade for the entire ordeal.
Now, I'm not going to break down each player as much as I did during the first two days. That would take too much time, and honestly, I'm not spending three hours typing up details about a seventh round pick that hardly anyone cares about. That's just the way it is.
With that, I'll get into the fourth round.
Fourth Round, Pick 1: Trevard Lindley-Cornerback
The Eagles needed a corner in the fourth round, and they managed to find one with the first pick. The only issue I have with Lindley is that he's a step or two slower than some of the other corners that were taken in this area, and that makes the pick a little less comforting for me. The Eagles need corners that can play with the likes of Dez Bryant, Kenny Britt and the rest of the young guns in the NFC East. If the Eagles can't find someone that can do that, then this pick isn't nearly as good as it looks. I like how well Lindley plays the football, but he has issues with tackling, and that speed is a problem.
Grade: B-
Fourth Round, Pick 2: Keenan Clayton-Linebacker
I like the Clayton pick more than I like Lindley coming to Philadelphia. Clayton is a decent sized linebacker that has a good motor and plays with a lot of energy. I know that gets said about almost every Philadelphia pick, but the fact remains that players like Clayton are what Andy Reid wants with the Eagles, so that is what they are going to get. He's got decent size for a linebacker, and while he certainly won't start right away, it's a solid pick. Some people may think he's a bit of a reach, but the Eagles needed to find some extra linebacker help, and Clayton is a good start.
Grade: B
Fourth Round, Pick 3: Mike Kafka-Quarterback
Once again, the Eagles draft in a need position. While Kevin Kolb looks like the starting quarterback for the future, Kafka is a good, developmental quarterback that can grow into a solid backup as time goes on. To be fair, my grandfather went to Northwestern, so I might have a little bit of a bias here, but I think Kafka is a good pick. He's going to take some time to learn the Philadelphia system after playing in the spread offense in college, but he's a smart kid, and can do just that. With a little time in Philadelphia, I see him as an A.J. Feely type player. That's what the Eagles wanted, and it's what they got.
Grade: B
Fourth Round, Pick 4: Clay Harbor-Tight End/Fullback
Aside from having a great name, Harbor is a big guy that can play on the end of the offensive line and provide extra protection for a quarterback. Weighing in at 253 pounds, Harbor is the type of player that the Eagles usually look for in the later rounds of the NFL Draft. He has the potential to be a decent player, but I don't know how long it will take. I don't think most other people do, either. I think this pick could have been better spent on an offensive lineman, but Harbor is decent for the position.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 1: Ricky Sapp-Defensive End
While there are people out there wondering why the Eagles would take another defensive end, the truth is that Sapp should have been a second or third round pick had it not been for his knee issues that he's had. I really do like this pick, though. With Sapp sitting there in the fifth round, the Eagles had to take a flyer on him, and I don't care if he's another defensive end. With a talent like this sitting there in the fifth round, the Eagles had to take him, and they did a good job here. I like the choice, and I hope that he can make the team and contribute, which I see him doing.
Grade: A-
Round 5, Pick 2: Riley Cooper-Wide Receiver
Cooper looks like a decent possession receiver, much like Brandon Gibson was in the draft last year. He does have a few questions with him, which is why he fell down into the fifth round, but he's a good pick here. His hands aren't the best, and he's coming from the Florida offense, which is about as far as you can get from a pro style, but at almost six foot four and 225 pounds, he can bang in the middle of the field. The Eagles need another receiver like this to help compliment Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson, and hopefully Cooper can do just that. He certainly has the build to.
Grade: B+
Round 6, Pick 1: Charles Scott-Running Back
After grabbing Mike Bell in free agency, the Eagles decided to take a chance on another power back in the later rounds. Scott had mid-round talent, but fell in the draft because of a poor senior year and a bad showing at the combine. Regardless of those issues, he's a big back, weighing in at almost 240 pounds, and he can certainly help the Eagles in short yardage situations. LeSean McCoy is the starter, but Mike Bell and hopefully Charles Scott can help the Eagles on offense where they need the most help: in short yardage situations.
Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 1: Jamar Chaney-Linebacker
Going into the seventh round, do I really expect many of these players to make the team? No, but I still have feelings about each pick. Jamar Chaney is another good athletic pick that fits in well with the Philadelphia defense. He has a high motor and can play well, with most people thinking he would be another midround pick. However, he slipped, for whatever reason teams had. He's had some injury issues, and his intelligence has been called into play, but his size and skills are very good for a seventh round pick. Will he do anything this season? I don't think so, but he could become a decent special teams and situational player down the road.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 2: Jeff Owens, Defensive Tackle
Aside from Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley, the Eagles don't have much depth at defensive tackle. Owens was projected to go a round or two higher than this, but he's not the biggest defensive tackle around, and he's had some issues with injuries. He's still a decent pick here, no doubt about it. I like this pick if he can stick around with the Eagles for a few years, because he could certianly develop into something pretty good. I doubt he could be a full time starter, but as a rotational player, he has potential.
Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 3: Kurt Coleman, Defensive Back
Coleman is a little undersized for his position, but he's a very good pick for where the Eagles took him. Just like their other two seventh round picks, several sites had him going in the middle of the draft, rather than right at the end. I do like this pick for its value at the end of the seventh round, but I don't know how much we should expect from Coleman in the next few years, if he makes the team. The Eagles could use him on special teams, but with Nate Allen penciled in at safety for a few years, the chance of Coleman breaking through is slim. Regardless, he should be a decent special teams player, and they're very important.
Grade: B
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think the Eagles had a solid 2010 Draft. I still don't like what they had to give up to get Brandon Graham, nor do I think trading down three times through the second and third round was that smart, but in the end, the Eagles came out with 13 players. I'm hopeful that most of them will end up helping the team. Graham ended up being considered one of the best picks of the first round by most people, and I think Nate Allen was the best pick that the Eagles made in the entire draft.
The rest of the picks were spent on need, save for Ricky Sapp, but I'm not complaining about that one. Mike Kafka is a good quarterback prospect, and Charles Scott could get some short yardage situations as long as he makes the team. The only issue I have with the entire draft is the lack of concern about the offensive line. I think the Eagles may have thought that Donovan McNabb was responsible for some of the sacks he took, but in the end, they had to do something on the line, and they didn't. Unless everyone comes back healthy next season (and Jamaal Jackson won't be back until mid-season...at least), this line is still questionable. I have faith that the Eagles will be able to find some rookie free agents, but I don't want them starting next season. They really needed to grab someone in the middle of the draft, and they didn't. Just for that, I have to knock their grade down a bit, and I thought that the Eagles had a good draft. I know a lot of people don't feel the same way I do, but if you look at the long run, this draft, save for the offensive line, was solid.
Overall 2010 Draft Grade: B
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