Philadelphia Eagles: A Seven Round Mock Draft

Jan 21, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad fullback Jalston Fowler of Alabama (45) catches a pass against safety Jaquiski Tartt of Samford (6) during Senior Bowl South squad practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Round Three (Pick #84): Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford

Clearly safety is a need for the Philadelphia Eagles. And the idea that the Eagles might wait until the third round to tend to that need might rub a lot of fans the wrong way.

But this is simply not a draft class that’s going to yield an immediate starter at safety. Instead, in Tartt, you get a player who only played one year of high school football before playing small-time college ball at Samford. Which means he’s likely only scratched the surface of what he could become.

Tart has the size (6’1”, 220 lbs) and the speed (4.46 forty) to do the job. And his play against big-school talent during Senior Bowl week turned a lot of heads.

He’s the kind of hard hitting run support safety than might find himself making highlight-reel hits, but he has enough fluidity of motion and height/limb length to develop into the versatile type of safety that Chip Kelly and Billy Davis covet: One that can play high and low interchangeably.

When the dust settles on this draft, Tartt will be one of the steals at this position. But teams will pass him in an attempt to nab a more polished but less talented player.

Since no one is polished enough to help the Eagles now… they might as well wait for the third round and bet on talent.

Next: Rowe-ling the Dice