It took 223 total picks to come off the board, but they finally did it. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted a linebacker in the sixth round. And, in what has become typical Philly fashion, he’s not a traditional one.
The Eagles selected JaCoby Stevens with the 224th overall pick. The 6-foot-1, 212-pounder was a stud safety at LSU for the past three seasons after converting to the defensive side from wide receiver. Hybrid players have always been prized by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and Stevens is a human Swiss Army Knife. Stevens was listed at linebacker in a Twitter announcement and in his official team bio.
Stevens was a one-man wrecking crew at LSU where he literally played everywhere on 1,093 snaps: free safety, linebacker, nickel corner, edge rusher, special teams. He made 29 starts and finished his career with 190 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four interceptions, four fumble recoveries.
The scouting report on Stevens indicated that he struggled to play deep safety, hence why the Eagles might want to move him to linebacker. But the talented 22-year-old earned a reputation for filling up running lanes and being physical at the line of scrimmage (see: a very unpolished Malcolm Jenkins).
Roger Goodell is looking into suspending Jacoby Stevens for the rest of this gamepic.twitter.com/kuUiAd95pl
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 14, 2020
Philadelphia took Tulane edge rusher Patrick Johnson at pick No. 234, another guy they apparently intend to move to linebacker. Scouts had projected him to be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme at the next level. He recorded 24.5 sacks and 135 tackles (40 for loss) in 49 collegiate games. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder left Tulane as the school’s all-time sack leader.
Tulane's Patrick Johnson is one of my favorite stand up rushers in this class – there aren't many snaps where he's not going 100mph pic.twitter.com/vfAh9LRov9
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) April 4, 2021
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Eagles Add Defensive Tackle, Defensive End
The Eagles put a huge emphasis on defense in the later rounds. The team only drafted one offensive player on Day 3 — running back Kenneth Gainwell — and bolstered their defensive line with back-to-back picks in the sixth round. They took former USC defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu at No. 189 and then grabbed ex-Coastal Carolina defensive end Tarron Jackson at No. 193.
Jackson suffered a deep-thigh contusion four games into his freshman year. He received a medical redshirt and went on to record 195 tackles (44.5 for loss), plus 26.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 48 career games.
His 10 sacks in 2019 set single-season school record at Coastal Carolina while leading the Sun Belt Conference. Bleacher Report called Jackson a “rapid, violent pass-rusher” who could develop into an NFL starter with the proper coaching. The 6-foot-2, 254-pounder lacks great first-step quickness but his change of direction is off the charts.
Emotional stuff from 6th-round pick Tarron Jackson of Coastal Carolina talking about his uncle, a huge Eagles fan all his life, who passed away last year, and what an honor it will be to play for his uncle's favorite team.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) May 1, 2021
Tuipulotu sprained his left knee during his freshman season at USC, then suffered a back injury that shut him down after three games. He turned into a three-year starter for the Trojans following a medical redshirt and recorded 104 tackles (15 for loss) in 38 career games. The 6-foot-2, 302-pounder also tallied 8.5 sacks while earning first-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2020 at nose tackle.
He was a state wrestling champion in high school, so strength has never been a problem. Bleacher Report said “tackling is a suspect area of his game.” And scouts have knocked his athleticism and arsenal of pass-rushing moves.
DT Marlon Tuipulotu push-pulling the life out of IOL Drake Jackson pic.twitter.com/wx3eCoN7KI
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 27, 2021
Philadelphia started Day 3 with eight total picks but surrendered two in a trade. They sent picks No. 225 and No. 240 to the Washington Football Team in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick.
Philadelphia Eagles Connections Run Deep
Funny how life works out sometimes, right? Neither Tuipulotu nor Jackson hail from the Philadelphia area but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to bleed green. Both rookies have family members who support the Eagles and now they get to represent those colors every Sunday. Amazing.
“It’s funny, my oldest brother, he’s a big Eagles fan,” Tuipulotu told reporters. “So every Sunday when he is watching the NFL he’s always talking about his Eagles.”
That's a wrap, #Eagles:
1. DeVonta Smith, WR (10)
2. Landon Dickerson, C (37)
3. Milton Williams, DT (73)
4. Zech McPhearson, CB (123)
5. Kenneth Gainwell, RB (150)
6. Marlon Tuipulotu, DT (189)
6. Tarron Jackson, DE (191)
6. JaCoby Stevens, LB (224)
7. Patrick Johnson, LB (234)— Michael Greger (@mike_greger) May 1, 2021
Jackson’s story is a bit more emotional since his uncle was the Eagles’ fan in the family. He started to get teary-eyed talking about him since he died last year.
“My uncle, he actually passed before the season,” Jackson said. “The crazy part is his favorite team was the Eagles. I’m kind of getting emotional now. Being drafted to the Eagles, it means a lot to me.”
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