ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay released his 2016 NFL mock draft 3.0 on Wednesday.
For the Eagles at No. 13, McShay is sticking with Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin. Conklin had an impressive showing at the combine and seems to have solidified his place as the third-best offensive lineman in the draft.
Here is what McShay wrote about Conklin going to the Eagles at 13:
"This would be an ideal situation for Conklin. Based on the tape I've watched, he has the skill set of a right tackle. But his athletic testing at the combine -- 5.0-second 40-yard dash, 7.63 three-cone and 4.57 short shuttle -- and his long arms (35 inches) suggest he could potentially be a left tackle someday. If he went to Philly, Conklin wouldn't be pressured to protect the QB's blind side from Day 1, given that the Eagles just signed Lane Johnson to an extension."
Curious that McShay doesn't mention the fact that Jason Peters appears to be coming back to play left tackle in 2016. Can Conklin come in and play guard right away next to Peters or Johnson? It would be a projection seeing as he didn't play the position at all in college. He would provide the Eagles great depth and youth in case Peters doesn't hold up.
Fuller at the combine
Philly native and Roman Catholic alum Will Fuller had an impressive showing in Indianapolis. After a highly productive run at Notre Dame, McShay said it was important for Fuller to display at the combine what you see on tape.
"He's a vertical threat," McShay said in a conference call on Wednesday. "He ran the fastest time of all the receivers at the combine (4.32). Now you know for sure. There's no question. There were some other vertical threats we thought would run fast and they didn't run as fast.
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"I thought he was very consistent catching the ball in drills. He had a great workout so it certainly didn't hurt him and if anything it will help him a little bit."
Fuller hauled in 62 catches for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2015. That's a whopping 20.3 yards per catch. Fuller is a fringe first-rounder. If the Eagles are able to sneak back into the second, Fuller could be a target to help stretch the field along with last year's first-round pick, Nelson Agholor.
A gruesome knee injury is really going to affect the draft status of Fuller's Fighting Irish teammate Jaylon Smith.
The linebacker was a dynamic playmaker for Notre Dame but suffered his injury at the Fiesta Bowl. His medical examinations at the combine didn't go so well. McShay said that some of the teams he talked to had Smith as the No. 1 prospect in the draft prior to his injury.
"The value is still somewhere in the first round but will someone be willing to part with the 2016 season?" McShay said."It all comes down to medical. He would be a top-5 pick highly likely if that injury did not occur. It's a terribly unfortunate situation for him."
Not only did Smith tear the ACL and MCL in his left knee, but he also has nerve issues, which could be the biggest red flag. If Smith can ever fully recover, the value would be great for the team selecting him.