Philadelphia Eagles: Andre Dillard in perfect early position

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select Andre Dillard in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft and he’s already being put in a great position at OTAs.

The mere way that the Philadelphia Eagles moved on Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft in order to get Andre Dillard highlighted how much they thought of the offensive tackle. Initially picking 25th, the Eagles traded up three spots with the Baltimore Ravens in order to leapfrog the Houston Texans (23rd) and grab the Washington State product.

Why the Eagles would want Dillard was obvious, as well. Philadelphia has long boasted a strong and veteran offensive line group with Jason Peters at left tackle. However, age and injuries have slowed down the long-time starter on Carson Wentz‘s blindside in recent years, so it stood to reason why the Super Bowl LII champions would look to draft his eventual replacement.

Moreover, Dillard showed tremendous promise throughout his college career with the Cougars. Under Wazzu head coach Mike Leach, the offensive tackle had the opportunity to develop into a tremendous pass-blocker. And, while he didn’t have much of a chance to both progress or even showcase his run-blocking, he showed the requisite athleticism to blossom in that regard.

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With all of that, the Eagles’ decision to move up those three spots to take Dillard was anything but shocking. They got a player that can contribute early on but, more importantly, can ideally sit behind Peters and learn before the stalwart left tackle rides into his NFL sunset.

As Dillard and the Eagles have been in the thick of OTAs, though, Peters has not been present as the veteran looks to preserve his body during the offseason. The result, however, has been Dillard getting valuable reps with the first team offense at left tackle. As reported by ESPN’s Tim McManus, the early returns have been promising:

"With Jason Peters absent from OTAs, Dillard has been manning the starting left tackle spot. Smooth and athletic, he looks like he belongs to this point. Several offensive linemen are cross-training at this stage, but the Eagles are working Dillard exclusively at left tackle. “Andre is different,” coach Doug Pederson said. “We’re just trying to get his feet wet with the playbook and get him moving around.”"

Head coach Doug Pederson states the obvious there, essentially saying that Dillard is a rookie that has a lot to learn. Having said that, the fact that Dillard is getting time as the starting left tackle can’t be understated. It’s somewhat of a baptism by fire but it’s experience that could prove invaluable.

While these aren’t padded practices just yet, which can’t be understated in terms of its importance to the development of young players in the trenches, those types of reps will certainly help the rookie learn the playbook and some nuances of the pro game quicker than he would performing and practicing against backups.

This would be great for any rookie offensive tackle but it’s especially important to Dillard and the Eagles. After all, the 37-year old Peters has battled injuries for each of the past two seasons and, given his age, it’s hard to imagine nagging lower-body injuries leaving him completely. Thus, the Washington State product could see significant time in his rookie campaign.

Subsequently, expect Dillard taking first-team reps at left tackle to be the norm throughout the offseason. This isn’t because he’s the Day 1 starter above Peters but, rather, to prepare him to be ready to fill in should Peters again have to miss time. Given all of the mitigating factors, though, the Eagles are clearly putting the 22nd pick in a fantastic position to succeed right away.