Exactly three months from today, the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft will take place with the Philadelphia Eagles holding the 24th overall pick after reaching the postseason for the eighth time in 11 seasons under head coach Andy Reid. After a 34-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild-Card round, the Eagles know there are plenty of areas that need improvement this offseason, beginning with the defense.
Philadelphia knew entering the 2009 season the type of adjustment they would have to make on defense.
Not only did they part ways with safety Brian Dawkins–a rare leader who was the heart and soul of the defense–but they suffered a major setback when defensive coordinator Jim Johnson lost his battle with cancer back in July. All of a sudden Sean McDerott was expected to take over a defense that had built a reputation as one of the top defenses of the past decade who loved to blitz opposing offenses.
The last couple weeks of the regular season–especially the last two games against the Cowboys–showed how much improvement the Eagles’ defense needs in the offseason. The safeties are nowhere nearly as effective as they used to be when Dawkins was around. The linebacking core was inconsistent week after week. Even the blitzes McDermott was throwing at opposing teams was easily being picked up by offenses.
It’s no question the main area Philadelphia should focus on in the upcoming draft is defenses, which is why ESPN Analyst Mel Kiper’s suggestion of the Eagles selecting Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman seems tempting.
In the past, the Eagles have been known for using the draft to select players on defense and strongly develop them a few years before they become an impact. A perfect example is middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, who went from barely playing in his rookie season to flourishing the following year as one of the top leaders on the Eagles’ defense.
The 6′1″ 232 lbs Bowman has a lot of potential after an outstanding three-year career as a Nittany Lion. In his final two seasons with the team, he recorded 199 total tackles with seven sacks, three interceptions, and one touchdown.
While it may take some time to develop into a solid linebacker in the pros, there seems to be a lot of potential for Bowman at the NFL level. What better place to start off a career than with the Philadelphia Eagles, who have a history of developing their players on defense to make them one of the best in the league.
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