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PHILADELPHIA − For all of Howie Roseman's successes in the NFL draft, from Jason Kelce to Jalen Hurts to the Quinyon Mitchell and all across the defensive and offensive lines, there is one position that he has never hit on.
We're talking about safety. No other position comes close.
The last time the Eagles drafted a full-time starter at safety was in 2010 with Nate Allen in the second round and Kurt Coleman in the seventh. Neither was elite, and they didn't come close to replacing Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins, who was drafted in the second round in 1996 and spent 13 seasons in Philly.
The Eagles have missed badly drafting safeties ever since. Interestingly, the only starter to come out of the NFL draft since 2010 was someone who wasn't even drafted. That was Reed Blankenship, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Blankenship started five games as a rookie, then became a full-time starter in 2023.
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The Eagles have a chance to change that in this draft, which runs from April 24-26. But that could mean doing something they have never done in their history: drafting a safety in the first round. The Eagles pick 32nd and last in the first round.
Yet there are many reasons why Georgia's Malaki Starks could be that player, beginning with the fact that the Eagles already have six of his former Bulldogs teammates on their defense. The Eagles have been successful with four of those players in defensive linemen Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith, along with linebacker Nakobe Dean.
The Eagles have a need at safety after Roseman traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson last month, even though Gardner-Johnson had 6 interceptions last season, and 6 when he also played for the Eagles in 2022.
Yet for now, Roseman plans to turn the position over to Sydney Brown, whom the Eagles drafted in the third round in 2023 − the earliest the Eagles had drafted a safety since 2011.
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But Brown has started exactly one game at safety. Last season, after Brown recovered from a torn ACL, he wasn't even used as the third safety.
"From our perspective, that was one of the few positions that we had drafted a young player fairly high, and that player really hasn't had an opportunity to play again," Roseman said about Brown. "He's got to earn it."
Can Brown earn it?
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni mentioned all of the options the Eagles have. That consists of Brown taking the job, signing someone in free agency (veteran Justin Simmons is available), or drafting someone.
"We have some good options right now," Sirianni said. "The offseason is not over. You can continue to add guys. Long offseason, but we have some good in-house candidates. There's more time to add."
Starks, who's 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, has the versatility that the Eagles love for their defensive backs. Not to mention the speed as he ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine.
Last season, Starks played nickel after playing safety his previous two seasons at Georgia. If Brown does in fact win the job, Starks can play nickel and Cooper DeJean can move outside to replace Darius Slay, whom the Eagles released.
Or Starks could play safety, DeJean can stay at nickel, and perhaps Kelee Ringo can start on the outside. Ringo, by the way, is another Georgia player. The Eagles drafted him in the fourth round in 2023,
"I'm really comfortable in the slot, just having that experience," Starks said at the NFL scouting combine in March. "When I'm at the slot, I know what my safeties are doing and what my corners are doing. I'm just able to play with the defense, but also play my leverage as well."
But the Eagles might have to trade up to get Starks, who is expected to go late in the first round. That might necessitate getting ahead of the Baltimore Ravens at No. 27.
Of course, the Eagles could decide to stick where they are and take a defensive lineman with their pick.
"Obviously they love shopping at that (Georgia) store," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a recent conference call. "I think (Starks) could be an outstanding free safety, play over the top, roam and make plays. (But) I think the Eagles, given their druthers, they always like to start big ... But if they got wiped out on the offensive and defensive line, (Starks) would be a great fit."
Why have the Eagles had so much success with their players from Georgia?
"These guys come prepared," Jeremiah said. "They've played in NFL schemes. It's just like the minor leagues for the NFL ... Sometimes they could be a little bit beat up because of the intensity and the physicality, but man, I feel like you're getting real dudes when you go shopping at Georgia."
It certainly beats some of the other places the Eagles have shopped for safeties in the draft. Here is the list of safeties they have drafted since 2010, and the number of games they have started for the Eagles:
Other than Blankenship, who can become a free agent after this season, the Eagles have found success at safety by signing free agents, or via trade.
The Eagles signed Malcolm Jenkins as a free agent in 2014 and Rodney McLeod as a free agent in 2016. Jenkins spent six seasons with the Eagles and was selected to three Pro Bowls. McLeod also spent six seasons with the Eagles.
The Eagles traded for Gardner-Johnson in August 2022. Then he left in free agency in 2023 before returning to the Eagles on a three-year deal worth as much as $33 million. Then the Eagles traded him to Houston last month.
The Eagles had a chance to draft a safety in 2022 when they traded up from No. 15 in the first round to No. 13. The Eagles took Davis instead. The Ravens, at No. 14, took Kyle Hamilton, who has already been selected to two Pro Bowls.
That could end up leading the Eagles to Starks, who said he'd love to play with his ex-Georgia teammates on the Eagles.
"That'd be great," he said. "Those guys really played a big part in my role at the University of Georgia. It'd be an honor to go play with them."
Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why safety is Eagles' Howie Roseman's trainwreck position in NFL Draft
Continue reading...
We're talking about safety. No other position comes close.
The last time the Eagles drafted a full-time starter at safety was in 2010 with Nate Allen in the second round and Kurt Coleman in the seventh. Neither was elite, and they didn't come close to replacing Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins, who was drafted in the second round in 1996 and spent 13 seasons in Philly.
The Eagles have missed badly drafting safeties ever since. Interestingly, the only starter to come out of the NFL draft since 2010 was someone who wasn't even drafted. That was Reed Blankenship, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Blankenship started five games as a rookie, then became a full-time starter in 2023.
Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book
The Eagles have a chance to change that in this draft, which runs from April 24-26. But that could mean doing something they have never done in their history: drafting a safety in the first round. The Eagles pick 32nd and last in the first round.
Yet there are many reasons why Georgia's Malaki Starks could be that player, beginning with the fact that the Eagles already have six of his former Bulldogs teammates on their defense. The Eagles have been successful with four of those players in defensive linemen Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith, along with linebacker Nakobe Dean.
The Eagles have a need at safety after Roseman traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson last month, even though Gardner-Johnson had 6 interceptions last season, and 6 when he also played for the Eagles in 2022.
Yet for now, Roseman plans to turn the position over to Sydney Brown, whom the Eagles drafted in the third round in 2023 − the earliest the Eagles had drafted a safety since 2011.
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But Brown has started exactly one game at safety. Last season, after Brown recovered from a torn ACL, he wasn't even used as the third safety.
"From our perspective, that was one of the few positions that we had drafted a young player fairly high, and that player really hasn't had an opportunity to play again," Roseman said about Brown. "He's got to earn it."
Can Brown earn it?
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni mentioned all of the options the Eagles have. That consists of Brown taking the job, signing someone in free agency (veteran Justin Simmons is available), or drafting someone.
"We have some good options right now," Sirianni said. "The offseason is not over. You can continue to add guys. Long offseason, but we have some good in-house candidates. There's more time to add."
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Why Malaki Starks would be a great fit for Eagles
Starks, who's 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, has the versatility that the Eagles love for their defensive backs. Not to mention the speed as he ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine.
Last season, Starks played nickel after playing safety his previous two seasons at Georgia. If Brown does in fact win the job, Starks can play nickel and Cooper DeJean can move outside to replace Darius Slay, whom the Eagles released.
Or Starks could play safety, DeJean can stay at nickel, and perhaps Kelee Ringo can start on the outside. Ringo, by the way, is another Georgia player. The Eagles drafted him in the fourth round in 2023,
"I'm really comfortable in the slot, just having that experience," Starks said at the NFL scouting combine in March. "When I'm at the slot, I know what my safeties are doing and what my corners are doing. I'm just able to play with the defense, but also play my leverage as well."
But the Eagles might have to trade up to get Starks, who is expected to go late in the first round. That might necessitate getting ahead of the Baltimore Ravens at No. 27.
Of course, the Eagles could decide to stick where they are and take a defensive lineman with their pick.
"Obviously they love shopping at that (Georgia) store," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a recent conference call. "I think (Starks) could be an outstanding free safety, play over the top, roam and make plays. (But) I think the Eagles, given their druthers, they always like to start big ... But if they got wiped out on the offensive and defensive line, (Starks) would be a great fit."
Why have the Eagles had so much success with their players from Georgia?
"These guys come prepared," Jeremiah said. "They've played in NFL schemes. It's just like the minor leagues for the NFL ... Sometimes they could be a little bit beat up because of the intensity and the physicality, but man, I feel like you're getting real dudes when you go shopping at Georgia."
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A long list of Eagles misses at safety
It certainly beats some of the other places the Eagles have shopped for safeties in the draft. Here is the list of safeties they have drafted since 2010, and the number of games they have started for the Eagles:
- Jaiquawn Jarrett, 2nd round, 2011: 2
- Earl Wolff, 5th round, 2013: 7
- Ed Reynolds, 5th round, 2014: 3
- Blake Countess, 6th round, 2016: 0
- K'Von Wallace, 4th round, 2020: 7
- Reed Blankenship, undrafted, 2022: 34
- Sydney Brown, 3rd round, 2023: 1 (other 5 starts were at nickel)
Other than Blankenship, who can become a free agent after this season, the Eagles have found success at safety by signing free agents, or via trade.
The Eagles signed Malcolm Jenkins as a free agent in 2014 and Rodney McLeod as a free agent in 2016. Jenkins spent six seasons with the Eagles and was selected to three Pro Bowls. McLeod also spent six seasons with the Eagles.
The Eagles traded for Gardner-Johnson in August 2022. Then he left in free agency in 2023 before returning to the Eagles on a three-year deal worth as much as $33 million. Then the Eagles traded him to Houston last month.
The Eagles had a chance to draft a safety in 2022 when they traded up from No. 15 in the first round to No. 13. The Eagles took Davis instead. The Ravens, at No. 14, took Kyle Hamilton, who has already been selected to two Pro Bowls.
That could end up leading the Eagles to Starks, who said he'd love to play with his ex-Georgia teammates on the Eagles.
"That'd be great," he said. "Those guys really played a big part in my role at the University of Georgia. It'd be an honor to go play with them."
Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why safety is Eagles' Howie Roseman's trainwreck position in NFL Draft
Continue reading...
