Former Eagle and current NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger has one of the deftest eyes when it comes to spotting potential NFL talent in the college ranks. He took the time recently to discuss Thursday’s upcoming NFL Draft with Bleeding Green Nation as to what the Eagles may do with the 22nd overall pick, where some sleepers may lie, and who may be there for the Eagles in the later rounds that could be worth taking.
Baldinger, a color analyst for college games, probably knows college football better than anyone at the NFL Network.
“I think an offensive lineman is play, but so are edge rushers and so are cornerbacks, which are serious positions of need,” Baldinger said. “The safety position, with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, they resigned Reed (Blankenship), they drafted Sydney (Brown), so I think that they are okay there. They brought in Devin White, Naboke Dean is healthy, they brought in Bryce Huff. But if you look at it, Huff has never been a full-time player, Josh Sweat is back on a one-year deal, and they don’t know what Nolan Smith is yet. They feel good about Jalen Carter, they feel good about (Marlon) Tuipulotu, and Jordan Davis is a question mark.
“Defensive line is certainly in play, whether it’s (Illinois’) Johnny Newton at 22, or (Florida State’s) Jared Verse at 22, or (UCLA’s) Laiatu Latu at 22.”
If it were up to Baldinger, he does not hesitate who he likes of the Eagles to go with at 22.
“I would draft (Troy) Fautanu, the left tackle from Washington,” he said. “I think he can be an all-pro guard by the way he moves, his power, the way he is built. He is just under 6-foot-4, he has long arms, and he looks like a guard, a powerful guard like a Quenton Nelson or a Zack Martin. I think Fautanu can play tackle, if they needed him to, if something happened to Lane (Johnson) or (Jordan) Mailata, they can kick him out there. I know they drafted Tyler Steen last year, but I know if they drafted Fautanu, they would be able to plug him right in as a powerful guard.”
The Eagles lost six of their last seven games because of their defense. In the last month o the season, bleeding into the 32-9 Wild Card playoff loss to Tampa Bay, they were outscored 214-132 (by an average of 11.7 points per game), while getting outgained 2,729 to 2,293, giving up an average of 389.8 yards a game and outgained by an average of 62.2 yards a game.
The Eagles’ defense gave up the second-highest amount of passing touchdowns in the NFL, only behind Washington (39 to the Eagles’ 35). Philadelphia was 30th in the NFL in opponent red zone scoring percentage (TDs only) at 66.1%, and was No. 31 in passing defense, allowing an average of 252.7 yards a game. The Eagles were 30th in scoring defense (25.2) and allowed 51 touchdowns, the third-highest total in the NFL, behind only Washington (59) and Arizona (54).
The Eagles have the No. 22 overall pick, followed seven more picks, two in the second round (Nos. 50 & 53), one in the fourth (No. 120), three in the fifth (Nos. 161, 171, 172) and one in the sixth (No. 210).
“If they go defense, and I know this not what (Eagles’ general manager) Howie (Roseman) does, but I love (Texas A&M linebacker) Edgerrin Cooper (at 50), his overall speed, striking ability, and I know they picked up Devin White and Naboke is there, but that looks like a position the Eagles could get real value right there,” Baldinger said. “A little higher, I would look at Latu at 22, for sure, and I don’t know if Verse will be there, but Latu might be. At 50 or 53, guys like (North Carolina State’s) Payton Wilson or Edgerrin would be there. Both of those guys would be in play. At 50, (Kansas State guard) Cooper Beebe would be a nice second-round guard. You can plug him and play him at right guard. At 50 or 53, that’s a good landing spot for him.”
Defensively, Baldinger likes Michigan’s 5-foot-10, 183-pound cornerback Mike Sainristil, who Baldy feels is the best slot corner in the draft and is projected to go as high as the second round. Another defensive back on his radar is 5-foot-10, 197-pound Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. He had 10 interceptions and there were some games, Baldy said, in which he seemed to make every tackle. Khristian Boyd, a mammoth 6-foot-2, 330-pound defensive tackle out of Northern Iowa, could be there in the later rounds, Baldinger feels, and Mississippi State’s 6-4, 300-pound defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy is another attractive fifth- or sixth-round option.
“Personally, I think Howie is going to move up, because he has the ammunition to move up,” Baldinger said. “I don’t know if it will be for a receiver, a tackle or a corner who drops, but I could see if someone like (Iowa’s) Cooper DeJean or (Toledo’s) Quinyon Mitchell for some reason would drop, say past 15, I could see the Eagles moving up to get a guy like that.”
Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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