The Philadelphia Eagles have a wealth of options in the 2013 NFL Draft, because they could feasibly go in a number of directions with their first-round pick. They could take Geno Smith off the board at number five if Chip Kelly views him as the right man to lead his offense, they could go with Dee Milliner and add an impact corner, they could snatch Eric Fisher off the board, or they could go with a defensive lineman like Sharrif Floyd or Star Lotulelei.
Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Recently worked out by the Eagles, Lotulelei would make sense for the Eagles with the fourth pick. Why? Well, Peter King explained it in his recent Monday Morning QB column, “Hear they like Star Lotulelei a lot to play all along the line, even at nose.”
Lotulelei has the versatility to play anywhere in a three-man front, and King writes that the Eagles are looking for the best fits on the defensive line for their 3-4 defense. The Eagles would do well to nab the former Utah Utes star, but it will be interesting to see if the Eagles are reluctant to draft DTs with back-to-back first-round picks. My guess is that Kelly and the Eagles don’t particularly care, and they will draft Lotulelei if they think he is the best available player on their board.
By working out Lotulelei, the Eagles showed that they are more than willing to draft him, and they are definitely in a position to go “best available” in this year’s draft. Lotulelei could very well be the best available player on the board with the fourth pick, and the fact that the Eagles like his versatility is certainly a step in that direction. The fact that Lotulelei has the ability to play at the five-tech, three-tech, or nose is something that gets lost in the shuffle, because he isn’t just a nose tackle and wouldn’t solely play there for the Eagles (I would think that he would get significant time there).
You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe.