NFL 2010 Draft Day Two: Philadelphia Eagles- Grading the Draft

In the 2nd round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles again chose a defensive player, selecting safety Nate Allen from the University of South Florida. Using the fifth pick of the second round and the 37th overall pick secured from the Washington Redskins in the Donovan McNabb trade, the Eagles upgraded their young secondary, focusing on a safety position that was unsteady throughout the 2009 season. A solid pick up for the Eagles, Allen had 80 tackles and five INTs in 2009. Allen should be a very good ball-hawking center-fielder with a strong NFL up-side. This is a solid pick that will compliment the selection of defensive end Brandon Graham in the first round.

Day Two NFL Draft Analysis- Philadelphia Eagles

With a young, dynamic offense, the Eagles are now focused on upgrading a defensive unit that was somewhat inconsistent in 2009. While Allen may not contribute immediately, he should see time on special teams, and has the potential to develop into a very good NFL player. The 4th ranked safety in the draft, Allen has above average size and athletic ability. Possessing an above average skill-set, Allen has shown the ability to play well in both zone coverage and read and react situations, which will fit nicely with the Eagles blitzing scheme. Allen is a solid open field tackler with a decent burst of speed. He plays the game with physical toughness and displays decent movement skills from sideline to sideline. In a best case scenario, the Eagles would love to see Allen eventually replace the departed Brian Dawkins, providing the team with a solid one-two punch between him and starting safety Quintin Mikell. Time will tell how quickly he develops, and Allen is up to the task. According to Bo Wulf of philadelphiaeagles.com Allen stated, "I'm at a loss of words, I'm so excited. I had no idea. I was just waiting. I was just praying to the lord and whatever was going to happen was going to happen. I just put it in the lord's hands and I'm just excited. I'm glad the Eagles are giving me a chance and I'm so thankful for this opportunity." Many experts feel that Allen will provide depth and quality to the Eagles defensive backfield, eventually working his way onto the starting unit. If that happens, then this will prove to be two very good days for the Eagles.

2nd Day NFL Draft Grade- Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are clearly focused on upgrading their defensive unit. Based on the first two round of the NFL 2010 draft, they have done a good job of meeting that goal.

I give the Eagles a solid B in this round.

Sources
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/2010NFLDraftCentral.asp
http://www.wtsp.com/sports/story.aspx?storyid=130519&catid=4
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/ne http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=20946ws/Story.asp?story_id=20945