NFL Philadelphia Eagles

2015 NFL Draft: Philadelphia Eagles May Replicate Their 2002 Draft

sheldon brown lito sheppard michael lewis philadelphia eagles

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To put it mildly, the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2002 NFL draft was a thing of beauty.

Armed with three of the top 60 picks, the Eagles decided not to play it conventionally. Instead, the Eagles threw all those picks into one specific part of their defense, the secondary. The result was cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, and strong safety Michael Lewis. All three became long-term starters, Sheppard went to the Pro Bowl along with Lewis, and turned what was once a glaring weakness into the team’s strongest unit.

Oh, and the Eagles also went and got running back Brian Westbrook next, who just went on to become the NFL’s most dangerous all-around weapon. Yeah, 2002 was a nice year for the Eagles alright. It seemed risky at the time, but in the end, the strategy paid off in a big way.

Now, 13 years later, the 2002 draft repeating itself this year in Philadelphia could be more than just a slight possibility.

When you think about it, the idea doesn’t sound so crazy for two reasons. Firstly, it keeps the Eagles’ cap space out of free agency and into contract extensions. Players like Mychal Kendricks, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Boykin and Cedric Thornton could all stand to be locked into the Eagles’ future plans. They would be an excellent core to build around moving forward. Plus, money spent in free agency is much riskier than money spent on your own players.

Secondly, having a talented secondary has become more important than ever in this league. With the rules being what they are, teams are constantly striving to have potent passing attacks. The recipe for stopping those offenses is clear:  be able to defend the pass, and be able to get after the quarterback. Did you wonder why the Detroit Lions did so well this year? A monstrous pass rush and solid secondary play was the big reason why. The Eagles already have that strong pass rush, and if you add in a capable secondary to that mix, the Eagles would be a giant step closer to a Super Bowl run.

Looking at the draft projections as they are today, this strategy may very well be possible. Florida State’s PJ Williams will probably be available in the first round. With a little luck (or a trade up) LSU’s Jalen Collins or Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson may be around in the second round. And in the third round, Virginia’s Anthony Harris or Syracuse’s Durell Eskridge might be options with nice upside. A combination of those three players, combined with Boykin and maybe one free agent signing, would be both the overhaul Eagles fans are hoping for and a sizable step towards shoring up the back end.

Man, the rookie combine really can’t get here quick enough.

Doug Green is a blogger for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.  Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL

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