Whenever an NFL season ends in as disappointing a fashion, the needs of any particular team are usually evident, if not obvious. Such is the case for Philadelphia for whom the issues game after game appeared to be repetitive and glaring. That being said, with the College season long gone and the April draft around the corner, the first round prospects for the Eagles are numerous, but the speculation must start somewhere, and that somewhere is North Carolina.
While the Eagles historically go with linemen with their first pick in the NFL draft, seven of the last nine years to be exact, Philly might fancy a change in this policy as this year their line-backing core has caused as many headaches, if not more, as any other area on the field. Up steps Zach Brown. Known for his speed and coverage skills while playing in a 4-3 system at North Carolina, the outside linebacker is a player that could help the Eagles sure up what had been a notorious problem area during the season.
While Jamar Chaney showed some promise as the year progressed, the rest of Philadelphia’s linebackers were far from awe inspiring and the UNC senior could turn out to be a wise pick. Brown is projected to be between the top 10 and 20, a look at some of his game footage shows why. Brown’s lateral movement is one of his greatest assets and the player is one who can get to the edges with much more ease than most college linebackers.
If there is one downside to drafting Zach Brown, it’s that he can get caught out against the run. Brown can be shown as slow to react to some run plays and considering the frequency with which teams have run against Philadelphia up the middle, the 
outside linebacker may experience trouble in that area. However, with maturity and great coaching usually comes improvement and progression, and if there’s in thing that is not in doubt, it’s that Brown possesses the physical assets needed to become a well rounded player.
With time, Brown could very much be the type of player that allows the Eagles’ coaches to rest a little easier when coming up against teams with pass catching Tight ends, while Brown also has the type of speed that could see him develop into, should he developing a good sense for reading plays at the line, one of the better pass rushers in the league. The prospects are numerous for Philadelphia, and there are choices aplenty in this draft, but Zach Brown is one that the team should not be taking their eyes off of. Drafting him is one of the many possibilities and it also may just prove to be a good fit.
A good player who will be on the Board when the EAgles Select at #15,
he’s probably the TOp pure OLB who plays behind the Line of Scrimmage in a normal 4-6 Base Defense..
I expect OLB Players like Melvin Ingram from South Carolina/Cortney Upshaw from Alabama to go before Brown who are more Demarcus Ware Types and really get after the QB as pass-rusher and would be better fits for 3-4 Schemes like the Bills,Cardinals, & Cowboys all emply..
I like Brown better than MLB Luke Kuechley for Brawn has much more upside and athleticim.. I still think the Eagles go DT here with a D Still, M Brockers or even DE with W Mercilus or DE, N Perry, if either are still on the board and then address OLB in the 2nd Round….
This guy apparently didnt look very good in the senior bowl. Highly doubt that we take him with the first pick.
As I stated before Hollis Thomas stated that the LB are taking a very unfair hit. Hollis Thomas stated that no LB in the NFL no matter what thier size can perform without the DT holding up the olineman. The DT on this team just rush the passer which allows the guards and center who weigh 330 pounds to blow up the LBs on this team. You could have Url;acher and Ray Lewis and they couldnt get off the blocks of lineman who out weigh them by 80 pounds. It really is common sense.
The knock on Zach Brown by Senior Week Draft Observors is that he was slow to react to running plays and had a difficult time disengaging when block and that he needs to improve his upper body strength and the use of his arms to shield and escape from blockers (as most young LB’s do.) His strength is dropping back in pass-coverages and running down plays where he can utilize his speed, he has long arms and good hands for a LB to make defelctions and INt’s … A Good Player with upside indeed, but I have him going from about the 25th to the 40th Selection which is late 1st Round or early 2nd Round.. There are other good OLB who will be on the Board when the Eagles have 2 Selections in the 2nd Rounds (45th & 47th Overall
Players like
Bobby Wagner (Utah State 6-0 240lbs)
Lavonte David (Nebraska 6-1 225lbs)
Ronnell Lewis (Oklahoma 6-2 245lbs)
Sean Spence (Miami 5-11 230lbs)
Wagner probaby received the best reviews from most observors during Senior week and has moved up the Rankings from a mid 2nd Rd pick to a late 1st/Early 2nd and many have him going ahead of Zach Brown in Mocks
Im confused why not just draft burfict and move chaney to strong and keep rolle on weakside..
This guy is Ernie Sims. Fast, undersized, athletic. We don’t need another LB that plays on roller skates like Sims
@trufan we need vantae burfict .. no other linebacker will do
Paulman’s Update Eagles Mock Draft for 2012
1st Rd (#15th Overall) – DE Whitney Mercilus (Illinois 6-4 265lbs)
2nd Rd (#45 Overall) – DT Kendall Reyes (U Conn 6-4 300lbs)
2nd Rd (#47 Overall) – FS George Illoka (Boise St 6-4 222lbs)
3rd Rd (#79 Overall) – MLB Audie Cole (NC State 6-4 248lbs)
4th Rd (#101 Overall) – TE Ladrius Green (La-Lafayette 6-6 245lbs)
4th Rd (#111 Ovreall) – OLB Kennan Robinson (TExas 6-3 240lbs)
5th Rd (#143 Overall) – OT Nate Potter (Boise St 6-6 300lbs)
Eagles then use their 3 Selections in the 6th Round to go after best players on the board at the RB,FB,WR,CB,OL positions
Eagles sign a Veteran Free-Agent WR (Robert Meachem) Back-up QB (Chad Henne or Dennis Dixon) and a LB (D’Qwell Jackson or David Hawthorne or Rocky Mintosh) To add with the Draft Class
The Eagles won’t take Burifit cause it makes the most sense and its what everyone wants them to do. They always have to look like they are smarter then everyone. Trust me there is no chance they select Burifit unless he slips to the 3rd round. which will never happen
paulman that is not a good draft we have a million DEs
Burfict will not be Drafted by the Eagles, he has too many character issues and has Dropped from a sure Top #15-#20 Pick in th e1st Round down to late 1st to mid 2nd Rounder.. He had a very poor Senior Season, Problems & Insubordination with his Coaches, Fights with teammates & Coaches problems at school and also with local Police Authorites in teh Phoeniz/Tempe,Az areas…
@trufan thats a shame . burfict is exactly what we need the eagles are a bunch of undersized bitches .. and he would give us toughness throughout the defense ..and put fear in opponents.. i would even take kuechey.. but we NEED burfict ..
They won’t take him cause it makes sense. This Defense needs some attitude on it. Instead they have a bunch of soft players that are model citizens. They had the same questions about Ray Lewis and they passed on him. I wonder how that turned out.
maybe they’ll surprise us for once.. i wouldnt mind taking michael floyd if they let desean go. those are the 2 players we need ..
DE W Mercilus is very simlar to 49ers Rookie Aldon Smith and the Giants JPP (who is stronger at this point) but the Eagles have a Season to groom him. and Mercilus definitely has the frame top get to 275lbs as a DE..
I look at DE postion and I see both Parker gone, and Tapp a likely Salary-Cap Casualty due to him scheduledto earn $3.8 Million in 2012 which isn’t going to happen (Eagles will try to re-work his deal, or maybe trade, or maybe flat Release him)
T Cole will be 30 this year and Babin will turn 32 Years old and the Eagles need to start planning for their Successors. Cole’s contract expires after 2013 when he will be going on 32 which we all know the Eagles most likely re-sign him afterwards..
B Graham is still an unknown and is probably in a make or break Season for him and P Hunt is still a Rotational Pass-rusher at best..
If all else is equal with teh Value of PLayers Avaiable at #15 and a good DE is on the Board at #15, You pick-him
M Floyd has bust written all over him and stay far,far away
He pussed out in his Final COllege Game during the ND Bowl game when he choose to sit out in the 4th Quarter after receiving a pretty good hit to the mid-section but with his team losing to Flaorida State and desperate for a WR to make a play, he sat on the sidelines rubbing his sides like a wuss-bag.. It’s yuor last damn COllege game for ND< suck it up and get your ass out there and even at the worse, he could have been a Decoy, with him on the Sidelines, Fla State double teamed the ND good TE and shut their passing attack down..
Floys also decided to skip the Senior Week after initially accerpting their invite… and he does have 3 Seperate Arrest's involving Alcohol Related issues and fights with the Police while at Notre Dame..
This guty is bad news and another Golden Tate which is Bust CIty..
Zach Brown is an athletic LB who is NOT worth a first round pick…. he has the tools but needs coaching and patience… he is a legit 2nd round pick who could play inside or outside in the NFL.
The Eagles need to look at 3 players with their 1st round pick: S Mark Barron, LB/DE Courtney Upshaw and DE/LB Melvin Ingram….
the Eagles need a playmaker on the defensive side and all 3 of these players can bring it…. in round 2, the Eagles have 2 picks and can use one on a LB, where the value is better…a la Zach Brown, Vontaze Burfict, Donta Hightower, LB Levonte David.
@Paulman
that Eagles draft sucks dude…Mercilus is a 1 yr wonder and couldnt hold the jock of Ingram or Upshaw…. who are legit hybrid playmakers on the defensive side… the safety from Boise is a 4th round pick at best man…c’mon….are you really Howie Roseman in disguise?
A couple of Suprise Picks for the Eagles in the 1st Round really can be based on what happens during Free-Agency.. Remember, that Free-Agency starts early March and will end mid-April which is before the Draft in late April,so we will have a lot better idea on Eagles Draft needs based on who leaves, who re-signs and who the Eagles obtain from a large pool of Free-Agents
For Example
If Eagles fail to re-sign LG Mathis,
Then Eagles select could OL Dave DeCastro (Stanford 6-5 315lbs) and could plug him right in at LG to replace MAthis so they could keep Herremans at RT
IF Eagles let D-Jax walk
Then WR Kendall Wirght from Baylor at 5-10 190lbs with 4.42 Speed who is a much more polished Receiver coming out of College than D-Jax was and would be a perfect fit into D-Jax’s role in the Eagles Offense..
If Eagles were to trade/release CB A Samuel, then maybe a CB is on the Radar
Someone like a Dre Kirkpatrick (6-2 195lbs) or Janoris Jenkins (5-10 195lbs) though both of these players have some off-the field issues with the law concerning some past drug/marijuana arrests
I love both Ingram/Upshaw myself but don’t see the Eagles selecting either since they are both suited for 3-4 Schemes and are really more pass-rushers from the OLB position (similar to D Ware, T Suggs) and the Eagles don’t run that type of Defense.. so my selections are based on what I think the Eagles will do and not neccessarily what I wish they would do…
I would really like them to get Safety Mark Barron in the 1st Round But I can’t see them taking a Safety that high after using 2 2nd Draft picks in the lat 2 Drafats to solidify that Position..
Problem is that Ingram/Upshaw are 265-270 lbs and cannot play well in pass coverages.. IF you have either of them on the field, then COle or Babin have to come off.these players are pass-rushers… Now Upshaw I would say could be groom as a MLB and then come off the field in opassing situations but neither Ingram/Upshaw are OLB in a 4-3 scheme, they just are not.. They would be a Demaruc Ware who is listed as a OLB in a 3-4 but is really a DE playing while standing up and rushing the QB
hey paulman how bout this we trade asante to the lions for 2&4rd picks.Now we trade d-jack to the 49ers for there1st rd pick and that backup mlb that they have and that were done with trades.you can add up all those picks now fa we sign mario super williams,and D’qwell jackson and were done with fa now in the draft 1st rd pick at #15 stills from penn state and with the other 1st rd pick we get the best wr left on the board
That would be awesome Gloomy,
I am not sure if Samuel brings both a 2nd and a 4th Rd Pick in a trade..
The 49ers do have 2 1st Round Picks and maybe the Eagles get their 2nd 1st Round Pick for D-Jax if they worked out a sign and trade deal
floyd may have some maturity issues but as far as skill .. hes the best wide receiver in the draft ..
He doesn’t have heart Larrwd… The Eagles already have enough of those players.. Give me players who have a passion to play and I don’t see it with Floyd at all . .
Brady blew the game with his bone-headed intentional grounding for a safety and with the late pick that looked like a Kevin Kolb play. That’s a 4-point turnaround.
Giants win another Super Bowl with a clutch highlight catch. Eagles just don’t have it. Vick is nowhere close to Brady or Manning. Eagles receivers would have been avoiding hits. Brandon Graham has a long way to go if he can ever catch up to Jason Pierre Paul. Eagles are a second rate organization with no heart. Juston Tuck Vs Victor Abiamiri or Star Vs Inactive in every way. One more year for Reid is just another wasted year.
The Eagles don’t need another Keenan Clayton, I mean, Brian Rolle, I mean, Casey Matthews, I mean, Akeem Jordan, I mean, Moise Fokou, I mean, Zach Brown. Draft a big, ugly, nasty MLB and sign D’qwell Jackson. I’d like SS Barron at 15 and Hightower or Burfict in the 2nd. Use your two picks to move up in the second if you must to get him. Get a “space eater” of a DT later in the draft.
I’d like to trade Brandon Graham and Jeremy Maclin to the NYG for Hakeem Nicks and Jason Pierre Paul please or better yet – Andy Reid and Howie Roseman to the Giants for Perry Fewell
the Eagles’ defense is weak and they must remove the 2nd round timid safety draft picks ( Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett) — one is too weak and gets run over (Allen) and the other is too short and gets carried for an extra five yards (Jarrett) ———- Nate Coleman is their best safety and he is below average ——- Draft Dre Kirkpatrick and trade both 2nd round picks and a 3rd for his Alabama partner SS Mark Barron
My first choice for the birds in this years upcoming draft is as i stated before go DT Devon Stills, hes the most dominant DT in this years draft and commands a double team and resembles a beast. 6’5 310pounds, can rush the passer and stops the run cold. Hes like another Vince Wilfork/ richard seymour type. Take him if hes there. Vontaze Brufict may be our 2nd round selections if a team like the cowboys or giants dont nabb him first.. I said this before the eagles will not draft a safety in this draft, they already have investing heavily in that position the past 2 drafts.,they go DL/Oline/LB this year but as mentioned we ll have a better grasp on where they may go after we see what they do in Free agency.
there must be a Burfict conspiracy or something…Burfict will be by far the best Linebacker that have come out of college in the last decade…paste it right now… we’ll draft a bum that no one will remember 3 years from now.
I don’t care where burfict drops….I know who ever get him will have a fierce competitor offenses will fear.
I don’t get caught up with the draft garbage of rating a player higher because of character. I want a low character guy who is the a near murderer as our linebacker.
Here’s a character guy for you… Lawrence Taylor …How about ray Lewis up on murder charges?
If Burfict have Character issues with all the speed and fierce tackling ability his stock should rise…shouldn’t it?
Well, let’s get some bum ass average player with good character.
Songs–i agree the kid brufict has potential through the roof but some teams shy away from guys that have serious character issues, you know guys that have been told how great they are since they were little, from pop warner-HS-College (example djax) so you have to expect character issues being that most of these guys dont come from great backrounds, areas, living conditions, many are fatherless children among other things. So sports is all they have, im not sure about Vontaze Bruficts backround but he has some serious character issues that will most likely cause him to slide in the draft… Maybe the birds will take a chance on him…
TO JH
The Cowboys are already set at ILB with Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and Bradie James nad have no need for Burfict, why do you keep saying the Cowboys are interested..
Now a team like the Ravens,Giants would be interested and have strong leadership in their Locker Room to cope with his cahracter issues..
Cowboys would have no interest since they don’t have a need at ILB,
Cowboys need CB’s/Safeties & OL
And for the record, I am not sure how many of you have seen Burfict play during his Senior Season, he wasn’t very impressice at all and his play was y undisciplined which is why many Draft/Scout Guru’s have downgraded him down to a Mid -2nd to late 2nd Round and possible even Early 3rd Round down from a Top #15-#20 Pick from 3-4 Months ago..
jon hart…..what do a guy sliding have to do with whether or not he’s the best athlete at his position?
These guys are young and coaches are getting paid to coach top talent.
Djax with all his character issues have 2 pro bowls under his belt. Do you think teams who passed on him regret not choosing a player with 2 time pro bowl material?
Warren Sapp slid because of salary…remember?
We picked Mike Mamula. How did that avoiding the bad character guy work?
It seems these bad character guys with a chip on their shoulder excels.
Burfict is a beast that will kill anything in his path…..there’s not one linebacker in the draft with his upside. period.
correction ….sapp slid because a character issues…our answer to avoiding the character guy?
MIKE MAMULA
You are already overrating Burfict, Songs, there are plenty of good LB’s in this Draft, He’s a physical player,no doubt about it.. but his fundamentals,and smarts are definitely in question.. If he can’t put his teammates in positon as a Signal-Caller, then he’s actually harming the Defense which was part of the problem he had his Senior Season at Arizona Start, he was changing plays himself goign against Coache’s Called Coverages,which got him benched and then into fights with his Coaches and Teammates.. He walked out on practices,etc,etc.. He has been labled as uncoachable which is why his Rankings have dropped..
I only saw Burfict play once and he is huge — he belongs in the NFL whether he is plays like Brian Urlancher or Lavar Arrington is a question only he can answer on the field but he is a NFL football player
I only saw Burfict play once and he is huge — he belongs in the NFL whether he is plays like Brian Urlancher or Lavar Arrington is a question only he can answer on the field but he is a NFL football player
In no way, shape, or form, do you draft him at 15. He is rated, in many mocks, as a 20-40 pick. Also at 15, other than Upshaw, we will have the pick of the litter of LB’s.
As far MLB Position goes
Luke Kuechely will go first and probably go Mid to Late 1st (#15 thru #25)
Hightower will go next and be towards the end of the 1st Round (#20 thru #32)
Burfict will likely be the 3rd MLB selected in the Mid-2nd Round (35 thru #45)
Wonder if the eagles just hand him the starting job like they did with matthews last year or if they make him go out and earn the starting spot.
Andy Reid will draft a Nigerian Miner, because he has a good motor, is tough as nails and and tore his ACL while hauling out a bucket of diamonds. It will also show how much smarter he is then the rest of the football universe.
Plus he has to top last year’s Offensive line coach to defensive coordinator stunt, with a side order of the AARP offensive lineman drafted 1st last year.
It’s a tall order, but since owner Jeffie Loser does’nt care as long as there are people filling up the Linc, Andy can do whatever he wants. Nice…
13 years of “I’ve got to do a better job” and he still has a job.
Can’t wait till TMZ fines the intimate photos of Jeffie Loser and Crystal Ball Andy.
Only that would explain why this bum is still head coach.
I like his teammate Dwight Jones at WR…projected to be picked in the 3rd, 4th round, 20TD’s in the last two seasons 6foot3 pretty good speed…
I’d go Hightower from Alabama before Brown, but definitely won’t be disappointed if he is selected by the Eagles
WR Jones had a poor Senior Bowl Week in MObile per most Observors RT777,
knock was that he doesn’t play to his size and was shy about contact and didn’t fight for the ball versus good Defensice Coverages.. I think the Eagles have enough of these Types of WR on their Roster Already.. Stay away from WR Jones..
If Hightower is there, he has to be our. He is an athletic freak, with the football smarts to be a great 4-3 LB. Not to mention he is monster at 6-4, 260+ with speed. Burfict, character issues aside, is #2 on my list.
Hightower is 2 Down LB which will hurt his stock a little..
I see the Ravens grabbing him late in the 1st Round as the eventual replacement for Ray Lewis..
I hear you Paulman, if I were to base it on Senior Bowl week I’d agree or even base it on the game he played against Clemson..There were only two games in 2011 where he had less than 5 catches…against louisville 4 receptions 91 yards, 2 receptions against Clemson…But if we look at his career or as recent as this last season where he had 85 receptions in 2011 for 1200 yards, I have a feeling just possibly the observers may be incorrect…