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BBV Community Mock Draft 2011: With The 23rd Pick, Philadelphia Selects ...

Nate Solder, OT, Colorado.

Playing the role of general manager for the Philadelphia Eagles is Bleeding Green Nation co-writer and long-time Big Blue View participant 'JimmyK.' Here is is rationale for the selection of Solder.

Drafting for the Eagles in these mock drafts is an exercise in futility since the Eagles have either traded up or traded out of the first round in each of the past four years:

  • Last year the Eagles targeted Brandon Graham, and traded up from 24 to 13 to get him.
  • In 2009, they traded up from 21 to 19 when Jeremy Maclin inexplicably fell to the back half of the first round.
  • In 2008, they traded out of the first round from 19, collecting the 43rd and 109th overall picks in 2008 from Carolina, as well as the Panthers’ first round pick in 2009.
  • In 2007, they traded back from 26 and got the 36th, 87th, and 159th overall picks.

With 10 total picks, I’ll be shocked if the Eagles don’t get aggressive and move up for the third straight year.

The Eagles also have a history of selecting who they think is the best player available, as opposed to drafting for need. In this case, there isn’t a single available player that jumps off the board at me as a great value at 23. The top four guys on my board here in no particular order would be Ryan Kerrigan, Muhammad Wilkerson, Adrian Clayborn, and Nate Solder. The pick is Solder, who excels in pass protection.

Historically, the right side of the Eagles' offensive line has been the hammer. When (or rather, if) they ran the ball, more often than not, they ran it behind Jon Runyan and Shawn Andrews, and before Andrews, Jermane Mayberry. The left side's primary job was to keep Donovan McNabb off his back.

The landscape of the Eagles' OL has since changed. The hammer is now the left side, as Jason Peters and Todd Herremans both excel in the run game, and when the Eagles absolutely need to run the ball, they're running left.

Almost coincidentally (and I say "coincidentally" because the Eagles certainly didn't plan for this), the Eagles now have a left-handed QB in Michael Vick. However, in contrast to the Eagles teams of the aughts, the OL didn't do a good job protecting the QB's blind side last season. Both Winston Justice and Max Jean-Gilles are below average NFL starters, and while Mike McGlynn showed promise at times this season as the starting center, he also struggled at times. That's not the personnel you want to have protecting the blind side of your star player.

Solder would be would be a nice fit at RT protecting Michael Vick's blindside, now that the traditional responsibilities of the left and right sides of the line are flipped.

My take: Somehow it always seems that the Eagles and the New York Giants are interested in, and selecting from, the same pool of players. Maybe that is why for the last decade they have consistently been the two best teams in the NFC East. This pick would once again give the Eagles a player who likely will strongly be considered by the Giants.

It is a good pick for the Eagles, although with a completely revamped defensive coaching staff I would not be surprised to the see the Eagles value defense right here. 'JimmyK' is also right that, given the Eagles recent draft history, it will be very surprising to see them draft at 23. Having collected 10 picks, they will likely target a player and move up past the Giants and into the top 15 to get the guy they want.

[Note: Apologies to 'JImmK' and the Eagles fans who tried to participate in this discussion in a calm, rational manner. The stupidity supplied in the comment thread by a certain member of BBV who has now been warned has been removed from the thread. Gang, you all know better. That is not how we do things here.]

Round 1

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
1 Carolina Cam Newton
QB
Auburn
Tito
2 Denver Nick Fairley
DT
Auburn
Mike Fiammetta
3 Buffalo Patrick Peterson
CB
LSU
Bigbluethruandthru
4 Cincinnati Blaine Gabbert
QB
Missouri
BitterEli
5 Arizona Von Miller
OLB
Texas A&M
gmen2thebowl
6 Cleveland Marcell Dareus
DL
Alabama
Bobely
7 San Francisco
A.J. Green
WR
Georgia
Pat19
8 Tennessee Da'Quan Bowers DE
Clemson
RealLT
9 Dallas
Prince Amukamara
CB
Nebraska
Simms-McConkey
10 Washington Julio Jones
WR
Alabama
jcalafiore
11 Houston
Robert Quinn
DE/OLB
North Carolina
daddyzander
12 Minnesota Tyron Smith
OT
USC
RolloT
13 Detroit Anthony Castonzo
OT
Boston College
Ed Valentine
14 St. Louis
Aldon Smith
DE
Missouri
GiantNomad
15 Miami
Mark Ingram
RB
Alabama
HenneGivenSunday
16 Jacksonville Cameron Jordan
DE
California
ct17
17 New England
Mike Pouncey
OG/C
Florida
Ryan Valentine
18 San Diego
J.J. Watt
DE
Wisconsin
Anthony P
19 N.Y. Giants Akeem Ayers
OLB
UCLA
Ed Valentine
20 Tampa Bay
Jimmy Smith
CB
Tampa Bay
willgfass
21 Kansas City
Phil Taylor
DT
Baylor
The Blood Of Eli
22 Indianapolis Gabe Carimi
OT
Wisconsin
dannymac56
23 Philadelphia Nate Solder
OT
Colorado
JimmyK
24 New Orleans



Charles L.
25 Seattle


Ejaay
26 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
27 Atlanta


pataroons
28 New England



Ryan Valentine?
29 Chicago


You're my boy, Blue
30 New York Jets



PlaxicoBurress
31 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
32 Green Bay



NYG28

Round 2

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
33 New England



Ryan Valentine?
34 Buffalo


Bigbluethruandthru
35 Cincinnati


BitterEli
36 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
37 Cleveland


Bobely
38 Arizona



gmen2thebowl
39 Tennessee


RealLT
40 Dallas


Simms-McConkey
41 Washington


jcalafiore
42 Houston


daddyzander
43 Minnesota


RolloT
44 Detroit


BigBlueIntervention
45 San Francisco



Pat19
46 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
47 St. Louis



GiantNomad
48 Oakland


G Fan In England
49 Jacksonville



ct17
50 San Diego



Anthony P
51 Tampa Bay



willgfass
52 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
53 Indianapolis



dannymac56
54 Philadelphia


JImmyK
55 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
56 New Orleans



Charles L.
57 Seattle


Ejaay
58 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
59 Atlanta


pataroons
60 New England



Ryan Valentine?
61 San Diego



Anthony P
62 Chicago



You're my boy, Blue
63 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
64 Green Bay



NYG28