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Philadelphia Eagles: Taking a running back in the first round is a mistake

By Jeremy Klump

ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers reacts after a two-yard reception for touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Notre Dame won 21-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers reacts after a two-yard reception for touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Notre Dame won 21-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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If the Philadelphia Eagles take a running back in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, they will be making a big mistake.

The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2018 NFL Draft fresh off of their first Super Bowl victory in team history. Complacency kills in the NFL, so the Eagles need to make sure they keep moving forward and keep getting better for the upcoming season. It is always hard to repeat as Super Bowl champions, but the NFL Draft is a big part of getting your team back to the top.

For the Eagles, they have the last pick (pick 32) in the first round (obviously). It remains to be seen what the Eagles should do with that pick, but one thing is certain: they should not draft a running back in the first round.

There has been a ton of talk about the possibility of the Eagles taking former LSU running back Derrius Guice with the 32nd overall pick. While Guice is a solid player, it would be a pretty bad pick for the Eagles, in my opinion. Last season, Philadelphia traded for former Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi. The former Dolphin is only 24 years old (he will be 25 in June) and will be the feature back for the Birds this season with the departure of LeGarrette Blount.

The addition of Ajayi is not even the biggest reason the Eagles should not draft a running back in the first round. That goes to the former undrafted free agent running back Corey Clement.

Admittedly, I was not a believer of Clement before the 2017 season. However, after an impressive rookie season and a 100-yard Super Bowl performance, Clement highlights the fact that taking a running back in the first round is not needed, and also makes no sense at this point for the Eagles.

Clement was an undrafted free agent and had a significant impact on the Eagles all season. It is said a lot, but is worth noting once more: you do not need to take a running back in the first round!
The combination of Ajayi and Clement will be one that will be dominant for the Eagles in 2018.

Both of these players bring something different to the table and having these two together gives the Eagles zero need at running back. Ajayi may be entering a contract year, but Howie Roseman and the Eagles have shown they are good at rewarding their guys, which should happen for Ajayi as well.

It is also worth noting that 2017 4th round draft pick Donnel Pumphrey will be returning from injury and a letdown rookie season. A lot of Eagles fans wrote Pumphrey off, but they should give him another chance because he may be a huge spark in the offense in 2018.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: Two rounds with massive trades

Guice is a great player and as NFL Network’s Mike Mayock would say, “He is a legitimate thumper.” However, the Eagles do not need a thumper, and they do not need another running back, especially in the first round. If the Eagles do take Guice in the first round, they will get a good player, but they will be making a big mistake. There are other glaring holes on the roster and adding another running back over those holes would not make sense. So, when the Eagles are on the clock on Thursday night at the 2018 NFL Draft, they should not take a running back.

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