Philadelphia Eagles Mock Draft: Building for the present and future
The Eagles get depth and talent to close out this 2022 Mock Draft
5. Fifth Round: Christopher Hinton, DT, Michigan
Plenty of times, a player who has had their father suit up in the trenches of the National Football League will have some success or at least perform well enough to make their old man proud. In the case of Michigan’s Christopher Hinton, the elder was once a stout offensive lineman for the Colts, Falcons, and Vikings. Notably, he was involved in the legendary John Elway and Jeff George deals.
The younger is part of a Wolverines defensive line that has played superbly throughout this season, evidenced by a berth in the College Football Playoff. Despite not garnering the name brand like Aidan Hutchinson, Hinton has shown that he can be a quality player that, if developed well, could work into a starting lineup. For the Eagles, they will undoubtedly be glad to rotate him in at first.
Hinton has violent hands and his awareness, having learned well from his father, cultivates him as an intriguing prospect. Moreover, by having someone who played in the league in the family, technique and fundamentals won’t be an issue. Hinton will likely slip due to more prominent names, but the Eagles could not be more fortunate upside-wise.
5. Fifth Round: Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan
If you go all in, you continue to go all in, and for the Eagles, the Wolverines are this year’s pipeline. Though Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell have significant roles in the backfield, they could use a third man in that room. Why not go with a player with excellent leadership intangibles, a resume of performing in big moments, and who is built like an Eagle in Michigan’s Hassan Haskins?
Jim Harbaugh takes pride in his running backs, and Haskins was fortunate enough to have a great offensive line with big holes that allowed him to fluctuate at a high level. Moreover, given that the system is built like a pro-style offense, Haskins won’t have much to learn except how to make his own holes because it’s not as if the Eagles have concrete granite blockers up front, least not yet.
As is often the case, some running backs will slip in the draft because of the position they play, and this draft is littered with defensive playmakers and trench players. In that case, sneaky offensive skill players will slip through the cracks, and those who are wise will pounce and benefit from their services. Haskins will thrive in Philadelphia if Nick Sirianni creates the right situations and schemes.
5. Fifth Round: Jarrett Patterson, G/C, Notre Dame
Though he has been projected as one of the better linemen in the draft, Notre Dame’s Jarrett Patterson finds himself slipping in this mock draft, leading to Philadelphia salivating at the chance to take him and potentially mold him into a starter down the line. Granted, a fifth-rounder doesn’t automatically start right away unless the position needs help, but Patterson has the upside to start sooner than later.
At 6’5″ 305, Patterson has the size locked down, so that won’t be an issue moving forward. Additionally, he comes from a program that takes pride in developing offensive linemen to play at the next level. Best of all, he has quickness for such a large individual, in addition to upper body strength that can help with his leverage.
Concern, however, lies within his reaction awareness. There have been times he has diagnosed the attack point late, and it has come up a bit on tape, including an upset loss to Cincinnati. While Patterson played well, there were times that the Bearcats took advantage of the matchups. He also has had trouble when getting an early pushback from faster defensive linemen. With proper coaching, he should perform just fine at the next level.
6. Sixth Round: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
The sixth round is where teams are looking for diamonds in the rough, or likely looking for athletes with upside and worth taking before the risk of losing them to UDFA. In the case of Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell, he may not be as high as others on draft boards, but he does look down on them, given his height.
At 6’5″ 243, Campbell is one of the taller linebackers in the draft. At the same time, he may be one of the more violent ones. Despite hailing from Iowa, Campbell plays with an aggressive edge that is often unnoticed, mainly because of where he hails from and the others alongside him. That doesn’t take away from his big gifts, versatility, and leadership.
His calling card is his awareness, which can be lackadaisical at times, even though he showed improvement at times in a Big-10 Championship game loss to Michigan. Also, given his height, he plays a bit too tall at times; getting low may just help him in the long run. Early on, he may be placed in running situations as his coverage skills are going to need a sharp tuneup before he gets more playing time. A special teams role is where he is likely going to thrive best.
6. Sixth Round: Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
With the draft winding down, the Philadelphia Eagles will look to add more depth pieces with physical traits that can translate to the league right away. To close out the draft, they take a flier on Syracuse cornerback Garrett Williams.
His best trait? Explosiveness. A quality required at the next level and one that Williams can challenge any of his draft colleagues with. He can make plays and has good instincts when the ball is in the air. Additionally, Williams has played both outside and inside, so versatility and the ability to adapt won’t discourage coaches. He’s also not afraid to get involved in stopping the run.
However, what hinders him right now is his consistency in maintaining balance when opening up in coverage and staying in stride. Additionally, despite not being afraid to help out with the run, his tackling could use some work.
Plus, with the cornerback position being a premium, it may hinder his chances of getting drafted early, which isn’t necessarily his fault, but it’s how the board operates. Still, he lands in an ideal situation, and that’s more often than not what every player wants.