BRUTALLY NEWS: Philadelphia Eagles found SEC cornerback.
“There’s a certain slay to him,” says SEC cornerback
Before the 2024 NFL Draft, there are still a lot of miles to go. But for the time being, if Howie Roseman sticks with his current selection of Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at No. 22, then the present snapshot for former Philadelphia Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah has fallen on him. The redshirt junior was compared to Philadelphia’s five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Darius Slay, who has been one of the league’s top outside corners for ten years, by Jeremiah, who currently serves as lead draft analyst for NFL Media. Jeremiah described Rakestraw as his “third corner” in the draft during his yearly pre-scouting combine conference call on Thursday.
Terrion Arnold of Alabama and Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo are the only two better prospects at a position of need for Philadelphia, as Slay and James Bradberry are not quite ready for primetime, and 2023 rookies Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks are not quite developed enough to be taken seriously as ready players come September. If the general manager wants to go cornerback early, Mitchell is likely Roseman’s favorite option, but Jeremiah thinks that given the Toldeo product’s Senior Bowl showing, a trade up would have to be the ultimate goal there.
At No. 22, Rakestraw is where the valuation makes sense, and Jeremiah—a former Eagles West Coast scout who observed that Slay wouldn’t be a horrible player to mentor—also mentioned that “Kinda exudes a certain Slay. Regarding the redshirt junior, Jeremiah remarked, “Hey, he built kind of like Slay. Really simply fiery and tough. can exert pressure on you. plays with a lot of intensity, which I adore, and I believe they would enjoy themselves in Philadelphia.Just a passionate, vivacious guy who is also incredibly swift, agile, and resilient.
Rakestraw was ranked as Jeremiah’s No. 24 overall talent, regardless of position, in his initial top-50 prospect list. Jeremiah listed Rastraw as a rangy, agile cornerback who plays with guts and intensity in his initial scouting report. In news coverage, he is tangible and remains affixed both vertically and beneath. He has a relaxed athletic gait and a fluid hip flip. He performs admirably.
Rakestraw should “do a better job of finishing with the ball instead of simply poking it away,” according to Jeremiah. In addition, “he is awesome against the run; not only is he quick to key/read, but he attacks blockers, including offensive linemen.”
In addition to making Rakestraw an even cleaner prospect, strong run support is a rare quality in contemporary cornerbacks. “Generally, players at this position with this profile translate very well to the next level,” Jeremiah said in closing. Associated: Upcoming Eagles? Expert in Draft Makes His Preliminary Selections Clemson CB Nate Wiggins was also listed as a potential; Jeremiah thinks Wiggins will get better as the pre-draft process goes on.
Jeremiah remarked, “I’m curious to keep an eye on Wiggins.” He is large and incredibly quick. Really, really flexible child, and as we get through the process, I believe you’ll see him kind of come up.” Cooper DeJean of Iowa should also be considered by the Eagles as a potential; however, he is more of a flexible option who has the ability to play inside at the next level rather than at corner. Most draft pundits believe that the Eagles will only consider an outside wide receiver. If that is the case, Arnold and Mitchell are the trade-up choices, while the status quo options at the position are Rakestraw vs. Wiggins.
