The defense made great strides in 2007. They were tough to move the ball on and tough to score on. One of the main reasons for the improvement was the play of the defensive tackles.

Mike Patterson had career highs in tackles and sacks. He played pretty well in his first two seasons, but he took his game up that extra notch last year. Hopefully Patterson can still get better.

The really intriguing player up front is defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley. His rookie year was essentially wasted because of a holdout. Bunkley was in top shape for 2007 and it showed in his play. He registered three sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss. Those are solid totals for a young player on the rise.

Beyond the numbers, Bunkley had a real impact. He was stout against the run. Blockers had a hard time controlling him. Patterson still got the majority of double teams, but Bunkley did his part by being disruptive. A defensive tackle doesn't have to actually make the play to do his job. He can get penetration and pressure the quarterback or cause the running back to alter his path. He can occupy multiple blockers and free up another player to get to the ball. He can also just "hold the point" on a running play. This is when a run comes to his gap. If the defensive tackle controls the blocker and clogs the gap, the runner is forced to change his path, which is generally a good thing for the defense.

Bunkley is only scratching the surface of what he can do. He's got excellent natural ability. He's incredibly strong and generates a tremendous amount of power when he plays with leverage. You won't find too many defensive tackles who are faster. He's also quick off the ball. He just needs to learn how to play, how to use his natural gifts. When technique meets talent, Bunkley will be a real force in the middle.

How good can Bunkley be? His best game last year came in the win over the Vikings. He was a major reason the Eagles were able to control Adrian Peterson. Bunkley really gave center Matt Birk and left guard Steve Hutchinson fits in that game. With another summer of coaching, I think he can play like that for 16 games. The area where I'm most curious is pass rushing. If he can ever become a six to eight sack guy, that would likely make him a Pro Bowl player. He does have that kind of ability.

Bunkley made a tremendous leap from 2006 to 2007. If he can play at an even higher level, the defense could become a great unit. The sky is the limit for 2008.

The Eagles On Turkey Day

I did not expect the Eagles to be playing on Thanksgiving. It has been more than 15 years since the Eagles took the field on Turkey Day. I have mixed feelings on that. It will be exciting to see them play that night, but then waiting 10 days for the next game will seem like an eternity. If the Eagles win, that long break will be much, much easier to handle.

Draft Rumblings

Less than two weeks until the draft gets here. You can bet that Andy Reid and Tom Heckert are busy running through draft scenarios trying to figure out who is likely to be available at the 19th pick.

I know a lot of people think teams get caught off-guard during the draft, but that is rarely the case. Teams prepare multiple targets for each pick so that they don't have all of their eggs in one basket.

I'm still leaning toward Vanderbilt tackle Chris Williams being the Eagles' primary target in Round 1, but that is just an opinion. For some reason neither Heckert nor Reid wants to tell me the teams draft plans. I'd only tell you guys. Everybody knows Eagles fans can keep a secret.

In order for Williams to have any chance of making it to the 19th pick, some players needed to go earlier than expected. The opposite is happening:

• Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly ran slow at his Pro Day. He has virtually no shot to go before our pick.
• Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling had sports hernia surgery. Teams don't know what kind of shape he'll be in for the season. That could push him to the bottom of the first round.
• Auburn defensive end Quentin Groves had a procedure to correct a "minor" problem with his heart. Yikes. That is not what a team wants to hear before writing a seven-figure bonus check to a player. I have no idea how that will affect his status. 
• Cal receiver DeSean Jackson seems to be a lock to go in the second round. 
• Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart had a chance to be a Top 20 pick before having foot surgery. He's now likely to go at the end of the first. 

To keep up with draft info be sure to regularly check ScoutsNotebook.com. I'm in the process of watching a lot of small school players and posting notes on them. We all know how much the Eagles have benefited from guys like Todd Herremans, Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan, Quintin Mikell and Brian Westbrook.