10 Wide receivers that must be placed on the Eagles' draft board

By Fansided and Geoffrey Knox/FanSided via Inside the Iggles
Published

You can best believe the Eagles will address their wide receiver concerns with the one of their first two picks.

What a difference a year has made for the Philadelphia Eagles. Well, hold on a second. That isn’t necessarily true. The NFL Combine is literally a little over a month away, and the Eagles will spend a fair amount of time looking to fix two of the same problem areas they looked to face a year ago.

Cornerback and wide receiver are the Eagles’ two biggest weaknesses heading into the off-season (with the running back position coming in very closely at third). The 2017 draft figures to be the spot where teams can figure out both positions. If some of these scouting sites are correct, receivers in the “decent” to “very talented” categories can be picked up as late as the third round.

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    With that being said, we hope the Eagles can find a corner with their first pick and pick up one of these guys very shortly afterwards. Mike Williams from the Clemson Tigers won’t be among the ten players listed in this piece because he probably could have been the first receiver taken in the 2016 draft if he hadn’t spent the 2015 season on the Tigers’ injury list. As you know, he made his return in 2016 and, again, figures to be the top receiver taken. He, most likely, won’t be around when the Eagles have a shot to make their selection midway through the first round.

    Here are our ten receivers the Eagles need to place on their draft board (in no particular order):

    1. Courtland Sutton, SMU Mustangs

    You may not know him now, but you will come April. Sutton is 6’3 and 205 pounds. His size would make you question his speed, but throw on some tape and those questions get answered quickly.

    2. Curtis Samuel, Ohio State Buckeyes

    Samuel played both receiver and running back for the Buckeyes and was a playmaker at both positions. We figure him to be a full-time receiver at the pro level and a potential selection at the end of the first round or an early selection in the second.

    3.Corey Davis, Western Michigan Broncos

    Davis is already becoming a popular name thrown around any circle that includes Eagles fans. He pulled in just under 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns last year.

    4. JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC Trojans

    If Nelson Agholor hasn’t scared the Eagles away from the USC program, Smith-Schuster may be the guy who can restore this team’s faith in it.

    5. Malachi Dupre, LSU Tigers

    Here’s a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It would have been interesting to see what Dupre could have done if he would have played his entire career for Ed Orgeron. He’s talented and should excel on a team that throws the ball.

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    6. Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington Eagles

    This isn’t exactly a “sexy” pick, but Kupp has good hands and is fast. Some see him as a second rounder. Some think he can climb some boards before it’s all said and done.

    7. DeDe Westbrook, Oklahoma Sooners

    The last time the Eagles had somebody named Westbrook, things worked out pretty well. This version amassed 126 receptions, 2267 yards and 21 touchdowns during two seasons in Norman.

    8. Travis Rudolph, Florida State Seminoles

    If you’re looking for skill players who can make an impact in the NFL, you can’t ignore Florida State’s program or their best receiver can you?

    9. Amba Etta-Tawo, Syracuse Orange

    Amba Etta-Tawo will get second guessed, and that may be unfair. Some will say he only produced in his final season with the Orange, but 94 receptions and 14 touchdowns shouldn’t be ignored by any franchise.

    10. Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech Hokies

    Eagles fans will like Ford because he has the ability to stretch defenses and go deep, and that’s something this team has been clamoring for lately.

    Honorable Mention: John Ross of the Washington Huskies and Artavis Scott of the Clemson Tigers are top-tier players but may be suited to play in the slot at the pro level. The Eagles are set there with Jordan Matthews. We like Noah Brown as well from Ohio State but wonder about how much he’ll produce at the pro level. He had 32 receptions for 402 yards and seven touchdowns for the Buckeyes last year.