Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly has either ousted himself or allowed his top three offensive playmakers to leave the team in the last two seasons. DeSean Jackson was released, LeSean McCoy was traded and Philly failed to re-sign Jeremy Maclin in free agency. That is a lot of offensive firepower gone. While second-year receiver Jordan Matthews impressed last year, there is no denying that the Eagles need to add bodies to their wide receiving corps. As such, it's more than possible that Kelly looks to the draft to do so.
ESPN Insider Kevin Weidl believes that Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith would be a good fit for the Eagles in the first round.
"Alabama's Amari Cooper, West Virginia's Kevin White and Louisville's DeVante Parker are the top three receivers in this draft, and all will likely be off the board by the time the Eagles pick at No. 20," Weidl wrote. "But Smith makes sense here as a good consolation prize. While he is an elite downfield threat and his best fit is with a vertical passing team, he is a more well-rounded receiver than he's given credit for, and he flashes the ability to ruin pursuit angles when he catches a seam as a runner. Philly may be better suited to wait until the second or third rounds to land a receiver, as this class has good depth at the position, but Smith is an intriguing option at No. 20."
Smith caught 33 passes for 931 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He stand just north of 6-feet, weighs 196 pounds and ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. However, ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. believes that Philly will opt for LSU cornerback Jalen Collins in the first round.
"Chip Kelly is in the midst of remaking the roster, but be it via trade or in free agencyhe's going to see it won't be easy to simply plug holes at cornerback, an area where the Eagles need help," Kiper wrote. "Collins is a high-upside play as a cornerback with good size, reach and athletic attributes. He can play phiscal but also turn and run with the fastest wide receivers in the league. He's not a complete package yet, but he can press, play off and shows awareness in zone. This is a big enough need that Collins probably won't be the only CB the Eagles draft."
Of course, the Eagles went out and spent big money on CBs Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond in free agency. Whether or not Kelly believes those additions firmly shore up the secondary is anyone's guess. We'll just have to wait until draft day to see which direction Philly goes.
