Philadelphia Eagles should avoid drafting first round defensive linemen
Recently, one of the articles I read about the NFL Draft had some thinking that defensive end Jonathan Allen would fall to the Philadelphia Eagles pick at number 14. Now, nothing against Allen because he truly is one of the best defensive line players in this draft class, but the Eagles have much bigger needs and holes to resolve this year.
Namely, the holes that still exist on the Eagles roster include two open starting cornerback roles, running back, long term options at wide receiver, and many other positions across the roster. Heck, the only place on this roster that is really set is the quarterback position with Carson Wentz and the tight end position thanks to the strength of the unit as a whole.
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While Jonathan Allen would be the best player available should he fall to the Eagles at pick number 14, he is not the player the team should consider taking. Given all of the holes that we mentioned earlier, it is almost guaranteed that the Eagles can find a player near Allen’s talent that would also fill one of the team’s biggest needs.
Add to this that Allen is suffering from a shoulder injury and the risk could be too great for the Eagles. After all, look at the Buffalo Bills pick last year of Shaq Lawson. Though the team thought he could play through his shoulder injury, he ended up needing surgery before the season and did not return till the midpoint of the year.
Players like Dalvin Cook, Marlon Humphrey, Jabrill Peppers, John Ross, and Mike Williams should all be potentially available when Philly makes its first round draft pick. All of the above would fill a need for the Eagles. Allen on the other hand, would provide the talent teams love but doesn’t fill a major need.
Having invested so much money in the defensive line over the last few years, the Eagles should avoid Jonathan Allen with their first round pick. Filling holes across the roster first, the Eagles need to get their team to the point where it can make the playoffs before it begins to address areas that are already stacked.
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