There were plenty of great story lines to take away from the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft on Thursday, but nothing was more of a surprise than West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith lasting the whole round without being selected.
Heading into Thursday night, Smith was considered one of the top draft prospects at quarterback and for the last couple of months he was expected to land in the first round. In fact, many believed Smith would even be a top-five pick considering how many teams had question at the quarterback position–especially the Philadelphia Eagles.
Instead of taking Smith at No. 4, the Eagles ended up going with Oklahoma‘s Lane Johnson to improve the offensive line–which was a solid move considering how terrible they were in this area during the 2012 season. Even if Johnson was the right pick for the team at No. 4, there are still plenty of questions for Philadelphia when it comes to the quarterback position considering this may be Michael Vick‘s final year with the team. Not to mention if Vick and the Eagles do end up parting ways after the 2012 season, Chip Kelly will most likely be looking for a running quarterback to fit into his offense.
If Smith is available at No. 35 in the second round–this should be a no brainer for Philadelphia.
The fact that Smith was considered a high draft pick over the last couple of months could make this move a low risk, high reward for the Eagles heading into the future with life after Vick. If Smith can work on a few areas in need of improvement and find a way to fit into Kelly’s offense–the Eagles could arguably end up with possibly two star rookies that were considered top-five picks at one point.
In other words–taking Smith at No. 35 if he’s available should be a no brainer for this team.
“Like” Dan Parzych on Facebook
Be sure to follow Dan on Twitter @DanParzych
