The NFLDraftguys staff is going simulate playing the GM of each of the 31 teams picking in the first round and justify their picks. You can look forward to a new pick every day leading up to April 28, when the staff will be in Radio City Music Hall to see if they took our advice.
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Follow the progress of the On The Clock Draft Board, where you can see exactly how the first round would play out if the NFLDraftguys staff were making the calls in the war room.
Sean Baca
With the 26th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft the Philadelphia Eagles SHOULD take Jon Beason, LB, Miami
The Eagles made a strong push for Al Wilson after he failed the physical in NY which leads me to this pick. There are needs in the secondary as well but the push for a linebacker sells me on Beason who is a very fast and athletic backer. They signed Spikes as well but they are uncertain if he will be inside or outside. Beason has the quicks to get after QB's as well and that would be a needed quality in the blitz happy Eagles defense.
Beason is very fast and aggressive and creates a lot of havoc in the offensive backfield. There will be a few teams that pass on him and they will regret it because this kid is the real deal. It would also increase the pressure on the offense and that is how the Eagles defense and in turn the offense works best, aggressive.
Marc Faletti
With the 26th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles SHOULD select Eric Weddle, SS, Utah.
Eagles fans know Sean Considine isn't the answer at strong safety. Fortunately for Philly, one of the surest things in the draft will be available for them at 26: Eric Weddle.
Weddle strikes me as a NE-type player, a versatile footballer whose measurables may have a question mark but whose play always leaves a strong impression. In this case, Weddle's question mark is his strength; his 11 reps at the combine were confirmation that this is a concern.
But it's also not enough to discredit his excellent body of work. Though Weddle projects as a safety, he also played plenty of CB at Utah. In fact, one of his more memorable performances came against Calvin Johnson, who he shut down in the 2005 Emerald Bowl.
Other than "versatile" (see above), the two words repeatedly heard in conjunction with Weddle are "instinctive" and "playmaker." He can cover, play center field, wrap up aggressively, track the ball, fight for it, and he usually seems to make a play when it matters most in a game. Weddle will probably go in the early second, but a team like the Eagles should think long and hard about adding him to their secondary at the end of the first.
Cecil Lammey
With the 26th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles SHOULD take Jon Beason, LB, Miami Hurricanes.
The Eagles LB corps hasn't been what it used to be. Jeremiah Trotter is the perfect example, an aging veteran that can't play up to the level that he's used to. The offense has plenty of firepower, and some depth will be addressed later in the draft - but this early they need to get defensive help. Philly desperately needs playmakers and gamechangers on that side of the ball.
Jon Beason is an aggressive and instinctive player that can come up and stop the run very effectively. He can also cover RB's and TE's when they're going out for a pass. He has the athleticism to chase down plays from behind, and the strength to take RB's head on. He is projected as a weak side LB, but could play MLB.
Sigmund Bloom
With the 26th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles SHOULD select Michael Griffin, S, Texas.
The Eagles can go a lot of different directions with this pick. They are a team that likes to get out ahead of their needs before they become glaring, and one need that is coming up soon is finding the heir to Brian Dawkins. Michael Griffin's tools and big play mentality presents the best fit at this pick, and the key is that he'll have Dawkins to mentor him.
I'm not the biggest fan of Griffin's game - always going for the knockout punch and giving up big plays in the process - but I think he just needs a different perspective on the game. The Longhorns had three first day talents in the secondary last year and still were one of the worst passing defenses in the country. Something is off there, and I think Dawkins can fix Griffin, helping him harness his outstanding closing speed and hitting ability so that Dawkins can eventually retire knowing the secondary is in good hands.
