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The Philadelphia Eagles are going to be a very intriguing team to keep an eye on throughout the 2021 NFL Draft. With just a couple of days left to decide where they want to go with their picks, the Eagles need to fill quite a few holes. Among them are finding some help at wide receiver, cornerback, defensive end, and safety.
While there are a lot of concerns throughout the roster, there are also a lot of positives. Philadelphia seems very happy to roll with second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts as their starter. They made the big move to trade longtime starting quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the offseason.
Now, the Eagles simply need to add more talent around Hurts on the offensive side of the football. Defensively, they need to add more playmaking and pass-rushing. Thankfully, this draft class is full of a ton of talent at the positions of need that the Eagles need to focus on.
Last season, the Eagles finished with a 4-11-1 record. That record placed them last in the brutally bad NFC East division. If they want that to change, they will need to bring in a good wave of young talent in this draft.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at three perfect options for the Eagles with the No. 37 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Eagles NFL Draft targets:
3. Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE, Wake Forest
Should the Eagles choose to boost their pass-rush with this selection, Wake Forest standout Carlos Basham Jr. could make a ton of sense. He is projected to go in between the latter stages of the first round and early second round. If he's available with this pick, the Eagles would likely have a hard time passing on him.
In his four-year career with the Demon Deacons, Basham racked up 173 total tackles to go along with 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and eight defended passes. He is a threat off the edge and is solid against the run as well.
Basham may not be the sexiest pick that the Eagles could make at this point in the NFL Draft, but it would fill a major need. He would be able to come in and compete to be an instant starter. This pick would definitely help improve a major weakness for the Eagles.
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2. Asante Samuel Jr., Cornerback, Florida State
Next up, the Eagles could consider the son of a former NFL star cornerback. That would be Asante Samuel Jr., who is fresh off of a solid career at Florida State with the Seminoles. He is expected to be taken right around this area of the draft and it would not be shocking to see the Eagles end up snagging him.
Samuel put together big numbers in his three years with the Seminoles. He finished with 93 total tackles, one forced fumble, four interceptions, and 29 defended passes.
Philadelphia needs to find more playmaking in their secondary. Samuel may not be the best playmaking cornerback in this draft, but he has a very bright future ahead of him. A duo of Darius Slay and Samuel could wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
1. Elijah Moore, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
Finally, the sexy pick that we talked about earlier that would also fill a major need would be Ole Miss wideout Elijah Moore. He is one of the more underrated wide receivers in this draft class, but many believe he could develop into a star at the next level.
During the 2020 season with the Rebels, Moore caught 86 passes for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns. Those numbers show why the Eagles should take him if he is available. Moore would give Hurts a much-needed target to grow with in the coming years.
NFL.com has compared Moore to Antonio Brown, which is an incredibly intriguing and glowing comparison. Outside of the off-the-field issues that Brown has had throughout his career, he has been one of the best wideouts in the entire league. Moore has that kind of potential and the Eagles should strongly look to take him at No. 37 overall if he's available.
