Eagles were active and bold in getting the player they targeted. Fans hope it pays off this fall. Birds pick what looks like Jason Kelce's heir apparent at center.
The Eagles stayed true their ongoing commitment to building their team starting in the trenches by taking massive defensive tackle Jordan Davis out of Georgia with the no. 13 overall pick in the draft.
The Birds moved from the No. 15 position the team held to No. 13 by trading with the Houston Texans who received the Eagles' No. 15, 124, 162 and 166 picks in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick.
Davis is listed at 6-foot-6, 340 pounds and certainly passes the eye test for those dimensions.
Then General Manager Howie Roseman addressed the wide receiver position in a big way, using he assets he accumulated over the last few years.
The Tennessee Titans traded Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Eagles for the No. 18 overall pick and a 3rd-round selection for Brown from the Eagles. The Birds agreed to a four-year extension for $100 million...$57 Million guaranteed.
Roseman was asked how the transaction came about. It seemed like there was a lot of posturing between the two franchises that went on well before they were on the clock.
“The trade was contingent on us getting an extension, so something we were working on during the course of the Draft,” Roseman said at a press conference late Thursday night of Day one of the draft. “We were just kind of trying to balance finishing that and if we didn't finish that, making sure we also got the right players. But it didn't matter – the receivers on the board. For us, A.J. Brown was somebody that we had studied coming out and spent a lot of time on, and we had a lot of love for A.J. Brown in that Draft. Obviously, things went a different way in that Draft.
“But really excited to get him just in terms of how Coach [Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni] can use him and his vision for A.J. Brown in this offense and how he complements the other guys that we have here. As you guys may or may not know his relationship with our quarterback, all exciting things. Looking forward to getting him into Philadelphia.”
The Eagles improved its defensive line then added a major weapon for quarterback Jalen Hurts to feast on in 2022.
Davis said winning a national title with line mates such as Travon Walker (first overall pick to Jacksonville), Jalen Carter and Devonte Wyatt helped make him a high first round draft pick.
“Every day we push each other to be the best and we talked about this day for a very long time,” Davis said. “Jalen Thomas comes in this time next year. So be watching out for that and you know, it's just we work together you know you those are the guys you have memories Wait, you bleed, sweat, you cry with them. And just to have that and those memories and the winning national championship alongside those guys. You're here forever.”
In the second round, the Eagles took Cam Jurgens out of Nebraska.
The 6-3, 290-pounder appears to be the heir apparent All Pro center Jason Kelce, who is expected to retire after the 2022 season.
Jurgens began his freshman season at tight end and appeared in one game before suffering a foot injury and redshirting the rest of the season.
After coming back, Jurgens began to practice at the interior offensive line.
Jurgens eventually moved to the center position and was named the Cornhuskers starter going into his redshirt freshman season. He started all 12 of Nebraska's games.
Jurgens started seven of Nebraska's eight games in the team's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. As a redshirt junior, he started all 12 of the Cornhusker's games and was named third team All-Big Ten Conference by the leagues coaches.
Jurgens declared that he would forgo his redshirt senior season and enter the 2022 NFL draft.
Jurgens also competed on Nebraska's track and field team in shot put for two seasons. *
Some information in this article was taken from Wikipedia.
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com