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By Connor Byrne ; 03/01/06
With the NFL draft hype already having begun, many in Philadelphia are left to wonder who their Eagles will be taking with the 14th overall pick. They need help at a few select areas. For instance, Terrell Owens, the Eagles' star receiver, will definitely not return to the team next year. Will Philly fill that vacancy with its number one pick? Probably not. They will likely look to free agency for a veteran like ex-Buffalo Bills star Eric Moulds. Other than the receiver position, there are questions on both the offensive and defensive line.
With that being said, here are the likeliest candidates for the Philadelphia Eagles with the 14th overall selection in April's NFL draft. Now that the combine has come to a conclusion, it is certainly a good time to start wondering about the first-round of the two-day extravaganza.
Penn State defensive end Tamba Hali - At this point in time, it appears that Hali is the Eagles' best option with this selection. His motor is tremendous and he is one of the hardest workers that anyone could ever come across. Hali came from an incredibly difficult childhood in Liberia, where he saw neighbors and friends killed for absolutely no reason. He escaped, but hasn't seen his mother for over a decade. Expect those hardships to inspire Hali on the field and really help the Eagles' line opposite Jevon Kearse.
Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney - Currently, the Eagles have small back Brian Westbrook as their starter. Drafting the larger Maroney at 5'11, 205 pounds would help the Eagles greatly because they could employ a two-back set with "thunder and lightning" capabilities. Westbrook is a great threat at the receiver position, so lining both up in the backfield could be devastating for opposing defenses. A duo of Maroney and Westbrook would also take a great deal of pressure off quarterback Donovan McNabb. USC back LenDale White would be a better choice than Maroney, but he will probably be gone somewhere in the top twelve.
USC offensive tackle Winston Justice. One of the key protectors of quarterback Matt Leinart, Justice is supposed to go somewhere in the top fifteen of the draft. He played right tackle in college but it was basically left tackle since Leinart is a southpaw. Justice did a nice job of protecting the QB's blindside, but many question him at the next level. Justice stands at 6'6" and weighs approximately 300 pounds, but lacks the quickness of the next tackle on this list.
Auburn offensive tackle Marcus McNeill. After playing left tackle in college, it is expected that McNeill will shift to right tackle at the next level. The Philadelphia Eagles are allowing veteran right tackle Jon Runyan to test the free agent waters, and he likely won't return. At 6'8", 340 pounds, McNeil has the size to dominate, and he also has the quickness to go along with that. McNeil impressed at the combine, but the Eagles still might be able to trade down to acquire him.
Without question, Hali, Maroney, Justice and McNeil appear to be the Eagles' best options for where they select. If they can sign a good free agent wide receiver and fix themselves on the lines and running back position, Philadelphia could once again be dangerous in 2006. McNabb should return to full health, and that alone will propel the Eagles to a much better year than 2005.
With the NFL draft hype already having begun, many in Philadelphia are left to wonder who their Eagles will be taking with the 14th overall pick. They need help at a few select areas. For instance, Terrell Owens, the Eagles' star receiver, will definitely not return to the team next year. Will Philly fill that vacancy with its number one pick? Probably not. They will likely look to free agency for a veteran like ex-Buffalo Bills star Eric Moulds. Other than the receiver position, there are questions on both the offensive and defensive line.
With that being said, here are the likeliest candidates for the Philadelphia Eagles with the 14th overall selection in April's NFL draft. Now that the combine has come to a conclusion, it is certainly a good time to start wondering about the first-round of the two-day extravaganza.
Penn State defensive end Tamba Hali - At this point in time, it appears that Hali is the Eagles' best option with this selection. His motor is tremendous and he is one of the hardest workers that anyone could ever come across. Hali came from an incredibly difficult childhood in Liberia, where he saw neighbors and friends killed for absolutely no reason. He escaped, but hasn't seen his mother for over a decade. Expect those hardships to inspire Hali on the field and really help the Eagles' line opposite Jevon Kearse.
Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney - Currently, the Eagles have small back Brian Westbrook as their starter. Drafting the larger Maroney at 5'11, 205 pounds would help the Eagles greatly because they could employ a two-back set with "thunder and lightning" capabilities. Westbrook is a great threat at the receiver position, so lining both up in the backfield could be devastating for opposing defenses. A duo of Maroney and Westbrook would also take a great deal of pressure off quarterback Donovan McNabb. USC back LenDale White would be a better choice than Maroney, but he will probably be gone somewhere in the top twelve.
USC offensive tackle Winston Justice. One of the key protectors of quarterback Matt Leinart, Justice is supposed to go somewhere in the top fifteen of the draft. He played right tackle in college but it was basically left tackle since Leinart is a southpaw. Justice did a nice job of protecting the QB's blindside, but many question him at the next level. Justice stands at 6'6" and weighs approximately 300 pounds, but lacks the quickness of the next tackle on this list.
Auburn offensive tackle Marcus McNeill. After playing left tackle in college, it is expected that McNeill will shift to right tackle at the next level. The Philadelphia Eagles are allowing veteran right tackle Jon Runyan to test the free agent waters, and he likely won't return. At 6'8", 340 pounds, McNeil has the size to dominate, and he also has the quickness to go along with that. McNeil impressed at the combine, but the Eagles still might be able to trade down to acquire him.
Without question, Hali, Maroney, Justice and McNeil appear to be the Eagles' best options for where they select. If they can sign a good free agent wide receiver and fix themselves on the lines and running back position, Philadelphia could once again be dangerous in 2006. McNabb should return to full health, and that alone will propel the Eagles to a much better year than 2005.
