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A Look At The Options In The 2nd Round

The beauty of the first prime-time NFL Draft is that now we get to spend the next day not only analyzing what's happened, but to regroup, take a look at who is still left on the board and guess how the next two rounds of the draft will turn out. This is especially interesting for the Eagles, who own not only their original second-rounder (55th overall) but the 37th overall pick, the fifth in the second round, acquired in the Donovan McNabb trade.

Now, there are an almost limitless amount of possibilities for the Eagles on the second day of the draft. Having surrendered their two third-round picks to move up for Brandon Graham, it's possible that they look to trade down from one of the two second-round spots to acquire more picks. If they do stay where they are, there are a number of good prospects at positions of need, as well as some very highly-rated players who unexpectedly found themselves still without a team after the draft's first night.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen is widely regarded as the best player still available, and he could command a relative ransom in picks were a team to covet him. However, Clausen could have been had in the back end of the first round and no teams chose to trade up for him. While Clausen is a potential starting quarterback at the next level, it's highly unlikely the Eagles would pick him themselves and bring him in when they already believe they're set for the future at the position with Kevin Kolb.

So what other directions could they go in, specifically with the 37th pick? Let's take a look at a couple positions.

Cornerback

Now that the Eagles have further solidified their defensive line, the secondary appears to be the area with the greatest need. While some good prospects like Kyle Wilson of Boise State and Patrick Robinson of Florida State went at the tail end of the first round, there are still players available who could turn out to be starters down the road. First, Virginia's Chris Cook, 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, is perhaps the most physical cornerback remaining. He's a five-year senior who Tony Pauline says still has a lot of room to grow, but he offers perhaps the highest upside of any corner remaining. Click here to read Pauline's scouting report on Cook.

Alterraun Verner, 5-foot-10, 189 pounds, from UCLA and Brandon Ghee, 5-foot-11, 192 pounds, from Wake Forest could both also be targets at cornerback, as could Oklahoma State's Perrish Cox (5-foot-11, 195 pounds).

Safety

Two prime targets remain at safety as top-end second half selections. South Florida's Nate Allen is the most complete safety remaining. At 6-foot 1/2, 207 pounds, Allen has a productive four-year career at South Florida and is considered to be NFL-ready. There is also the physical marvel and fan-favorite Taylor Mays from Southern California. Mays, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, ran a blistering 4.32 40-yard dash at the combine and is a hard hitter. The question on Mays is whether he can cover at the next level. He has the talent to turn into a force, and by all accounts is a high-character young man, but he also has glaring limitations at the moment. Tony Pauline profiled both players, click here to read more about Nate Allen, and here for more on Mays.

Defensive Line

Another defensive end? Considering how highly the Eagles value pressuring the quarterback, you can't entirely rule it out, especially with a player like Texas' Sergio Kindle still on the board. Some think Kindle projects more as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but they said the same thing about Graham. Kindle, 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, was considered by many to be a mid-first-round pick, so he is another player that, if he's not enticing enough to the Eagles, could be a chip to use to trade down. Southern California's Everson Griffen also bears watching. Read Kindle's full scouting report here, and Griffen's here.

And what about defensive tackle? Two intriguing players remain on the board here, each of them offering something very different. Alabama's Terrence Cody, 6-foot-3, 354 pounds, is a behemoth of a man and is considered more likely to go to a 3-4 team as a nose tackle. But if the Eagles are looking to add some bulk to free up the linebackers on the second level, Cody could be their man. Click here to read Cody's profile.

In terms of a pass rush up the middle, UCLA's Brian Price would offer just that. Only a junior, Price, 6-foot-1, 303 pounds, was productive in each of the past two seasons and is a disruptive force in the middle. Read his report here.

Linebacker

Two players stand out at linebacker as possible early-Friday selections. Daryl Washington from TCU is likely a weakside linebacker at the next level, and the Eagles appear well set at that position, so he may not be the guy. However, Penn State's Sean Lee is an intriguing option. Lee profiles mainly as a middle linebacker, but some combination of him and Stewart Bradley could match up well in the future next to each other. Lee, 6-foot-2, 236 pounds, is much in the Penn State mold of Paul Posluszny and is a hard-hitting physical player who can hold up at the point of attack. Pauline profiles Lee here.

Offensive Line

This might be where the best value is at the moment. Three players remaining, all offensive tackles, were each considered first-round picks at one point or another. First is the combine star Bruce Campbell of Maryland. Campbell, 6-foot-6 1/2, 314 pounds, famously ran a 4.75 at the combine, the best ever time for an offensive lineman. Pauline actually has Campbell rated as the third-best tackle in the draft, so he could be worthwhile, especially considering head coach Andy Reid's penchant for moving college offensive tackles inside at the next level.

The other two highly-rated players here are Southern California's Charles Brown and Indiana's Rodger Saffold. Brown, 6-foot-5 1/2, 303 pounds, is still considered somewhat raw, despite having spent five years under Pete Carroll. However, he has the physical tools that profile to a potential dominant lineman. Saffold, 6-foot-4 1/2, 316 pounds, is regarded as a premier pass-protecting talent. You can read more about Saffold here, and more about Brown here.

Running Back

Finally, we highlight Mississippi's Dexter McCluster, the versatile jitterbug who many believe is a perfect fit for the Eagles offense. McCluster is only 5-foot-8 1/2 and 172 pounds, but he is a creative offensive coordinator's dream. McCluster can be lined up as both a slot receiver and a running back, or perhaps even a wildcat quarterback, and do significant damage on 15 touches a game. He is an explosive player who is an intriguing potential complement to LeSean McCoy. Read more about him here.

So what will the Eagles do? It won't be long before we find out.

-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 12:34 a.m., April 23

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