Draft Aftermath: Depth Chart

Most analysts issued the Eagles a favorable grade for Chip Kelly's first off-season as a head coach. The one thing that stands out to me is that when Kelly was hired, the front office developed a sound plan, and stuck to it.

In free-agency, the front office didn't jump on any of the hot commodities. Rather, they let the market develop on the first wave, not over-paying for an injury-riddled Jake Long, or 29 year-old safety Dashon Goldson. They picked up young guys who fit Kelly's mold and signed them to reasonable deals. They even picked up Connor Barwin and Cary Williams after seeing their markets dip.

Round 1: Expect a Frenzy

In a draft full of uncertainties, one thing we know is that the first round will be unpredictable. Last year, there were nine first round trades. This year could match that.

- I wrote an article earlier about the possible trade options for the Eagles at number four. There's plenty more teams that are expected to be on the move.

- It is reported that Cleveland is looking to jump Detroit, possible all the way to number three, to nab BYU DE/OLB Ziggy Ansah or LSU OLB Barkevious Mingo.

2013 Draft: Top 30 Defensive Players

After countless hours evaluating the defense, I've finally ranked the top 30 overall defensive prospects for the Eagles. Remember: I'm ranking them based on how they fit in Philadelphia, not their overall skills. So players like Bjoern Werner and Sheldon Richardson are going to fall a bit.

Here's my rankings:

A Plan for the Eagles to Trade Back

Sources have reported the Eagles have already made calls about moving back, as have Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and Miami. The Eagles however, are in the best position to move back due to one position: Left Tackle.

Most analysts have pinned Luke Joeckel to the Kansas City Chiefs at one. According to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, many GMs and Personnel Directors believe Jacksonville will go offensive tackle at number two as well, likely Eric Fisher. With Oakland likely to nab a top defensive prospect at three, that leaves the Eagles on the clock.

Making the Case: Geno Smith Over Eric Fisher

Calm down, I'm not saying the Eagles should draft Geno Smith over Eric Fisher, should Fisher drop to them at four. I'm making the case as to why this move isn't completely absurd.

After taking to Twitter to gauge the predictions of Eagles fans, the consensus picks are Dion Jordan, Eric Fisher or Lane Johnson. Only one fan mentioned Geno Smith and his words were, "Unfortunately... Geno Smith." So it's safe to say the majority of Eagles fans would cringe if Roger Goodell uttered Smith's as the pick.

2013 Draft: Ranking the Safety Class

The safety position has been unstable, to say the least, since Brian Dawkins left. In my opinion, that position was the weakest area for the 2012 Eagles. Blown coverages, missed assignments, all-around confusion marred an already poor defense.

The Eagles signed former Patriot and Oregon Duck Patrick Chung to a three-year deal, and also signed former Giant and first-round pick Kenny Phillips to a one-year deal. While competition at the position has improved, Chip Kelly might want to add some more talent to the position.

In my opinion, the Eagles need a physical player who owns the middle of the field. Dawkins had a legendary emotion that the team's been lacking ever since his departure. In today's NFL, you can't completely compromise coverage for a great tackler, but whiffing on the ball carrier has plagued the team since 2008.

Perseverance and Triumph: The Story of Shamarko Thomas

With his NFL dreams only a little over a week away, Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas has had a much harder road to this point than most prospects. Thomas has endured way more pain and suffering than a young man should.

After a breakout campaign as a freshman, expectations were high for the electric young safety. But a couple months before his sophomore season, Thomas' life changed in the blink of an eye.

Eagles Make Another Trade

In an off-season not short on excitement, the Eagles have made another roster move, trading RB Dion Lewis to the Cleveland Browns for ILB Emmanuel Acho. 22 year-old Acho was a 6th round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2012 and spent the entire season on IR with a knee injury.

Let's start with Lewis. He's been a solid backup since being drafted by Philadelphia, actually productive in his time on the field. However, there really wasn't a roster spot for Lewis under new head coach Chip Kelly. LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown are locks to make the roster, and second year back Chris Polk adds special teams value, which Lewis doesn't. He was the odd man out.

Now let's take a look at Acho. He has decent size (6'1" 240 lbs) and according to Adam

2013 Draft: Ranking the CB Class

Nnamdi Asomugha is now a 49er and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is now a Bronco. I don't think Eagles fans will miss this frustrating, underachieving tandem. Howie and company signed former Rams CB Bradley Fletcher on the first day of free agency and later signed former Ravens CB Cary Williams. They are the projected starters at this point, but they Eagles need to add more talent here.

Chip Kelly likes certain types of athletes at each position. Fletcher and Williams are both long, physical athletes who tackle very well. That should give us a decent idea of what he's looking for.

The Eagles have worked out four corners as of April 9th: top prospect Dee Milliner, Darius Slay, Brandon McGee and Sanders Commings.

Here are the top 10 CB prospects for the Eagles in this years draft: