With the 2013 NFL Draft approaching, Around The League will examine one big question facing all 32 teams. Next up: The Philadelphia Eagles.
Will the Philadelphia Eagles draft a quarterback?
Coach Chip Kelly's squad is the biggest mystery of the draft. The Eagles could go in absolutely any direction with the No. 4 overall pick.
Kelly's former Oregon charge Dion Jordan makes sense as a pass rusher as the Eagles transition to a 3-4 defensive attack, but so do defensive linemen like Shariff Floyd and Star Lotutlelei. Outside of defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, the team is starting over on the defensive line. Linebacker similarly is lacking long-term solutions, while the entire starting secondary consists of low-cost, free-agent gambles.
On offense, it's worth wondering if Kelly sees wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin as fits for the coming years. Drafting an offensive tackle like Oklahoma's Lane Johnson could give the Eagles the most talented tackle combination in the NFL. (In this scenario, Todd Herremans could move inside.) In short: No one knows anything when it comes to the Eagles. That's just how Kelly likes it.
The options are endless with the No. 4 overall pick, although it's hard to imagine the Eagles taking a quarterback. There just isn't a play-caller in this draft who looks worthy of a top-10 pick. But it's worth wondering if Kelly wants to wait a year to find a young quarterback he can groom from scratch.
The Michael Vick experiment under Kelly is a year-to-year proposition. Kelly has talked about quarterback Nick Foles' potential, but there are questions about how well he will fit into the offensive scheme. To put it another way: If Foles was in this draft, would Kelly select him? If the answer is no, Kelly still might not want to wait a year before investing another pick on the position.
The Eagles' quarterback depth chart is crowded with Dennis Dixon also in the mix, but it lacks clarity. My guess: The Eagles showed what they thought about this draft class with their offseason moves. They paid Vick. They kept Foles. They added a known commodity in Dixon as a reserve.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
