Entering the final day of the NFL Draft, Howie Roseman had to be patient and hope that former Pittsburgh cornerback Avonte Maddox would be on the board 25 selections into the fourth round. The Eagles didn't want to sacrifice the resources necessary to move up.
Maddox was still available. And now he's an Eagle. The Eagles chose him with the 125th overall pick.
"This is a guy that fits in with our DB room," vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas said. "It's a group of highly competitive guys and he's going to blend in perfectly and even stand out to a degree. Even though he's not the biggest guy, he will attack and support. He was a productive tackler for Pittsburgh."
The 22-year-old Detroit native was a four-year starter for the Panthers, breaking up 34 passes and notching eight interceptions. He returned two of them for touchdowns. A team captain as a senior, Maddox brings kick return experience into the mix as well.
Maddox played primarily on the left side at Pittsburgh but has nickel experience as well. He tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine posting the fastest 60-yard shuttle among all players this year. Maddox also impressed with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, a 10-5 broad jump, and a 6.51-second 3-cone drill.
Maddox is 5-9, 180 pounds but the talent, athleticism, and character were too good to pass on.
"There's been plenty of productive corners who don't have ideal height and length," Douglas said.
The latest addition to a young cornerback group, Maddox joins Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, and last year's draft picks in Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas. The Eagles do have to replace the production from last year's nickel corner Patrick Robinson, who signed with New Orleans in free agency.
Take a look at the Eagles 2018 draft class.