National Football League

Eagles get their man and then some

Published Apr. 24, 2010 10:45 p.m. ET

foxsports

They traded up to get their man and stockpiled picks by trading down again and again and again.

When the NFL draft concluded Saturday, those wheeling and dealing Philadelphia Eagles had selected 13 players, made six trades and filled several needs.

It was perhaps the most crucial draft for coach Andy Reid since his first one in 1999. The Eagles overhauled their roster after an 11-5 season, parting with several veterans who played important roles in the team's success over the past decade.

Gone are quarterback Donovan McNabb, running back Brian Westbrook, cornerback Sheldon Brown, guard Shawn Andrews and others. The Eagles are a much younger team now. If some of their picks pan out, they just might be a better team, too.

Desperate to upgrade a defense that was exposed by Dallas in consecutive losses at the end of last season, the Eagles chose two defensive linemen and two defensive backs with their first four picks. Nine of their 13 picks were on defense. They also drafted a No. 3 quarterback to play behind Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick, and added depth at the skill positions.

The Eagles addressed nearly every need they had with the seven players they took in the first four rounds. The only position they didn't upgrade was the offensive line.

Brandon Graham, a defensive end from Michigan, was Philadelphia's top prize. The Eagles wanted this pass rusher so badly they dealt their own first-round pick and a pair of third-round choices to Denver to move up 11 spots and land Graham with the 13th overall selection.

Graham is expected to compete for the starting spot at left end opposite two-time Pro Bowl right end Trent Cole. He could be pushed by a pair of draft choices. The Eagles took Washington defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim in the third round at No. 86 and Clemson defensive end Ricky Sapp in the fifth round at No. 134.

``I haven't sat on the bench for so many years, and I'm not trying to start now,'' Graham said. ``I'm trying to come in and get as much done as I can. I'm trying to learn as much as I can, and I'm just going to show it. I don't like to talk about it too much.''

With the pick acquired in the trade that sent McNabb to Washington, the Eagles got a player to replace Brian Dawkins. They took South Florida defensive back Nate Allen at No. 37. Allen will get a chance to be the starting free safety, but he also can play cornerback.

Allen already knows he has big shoes to fill.

``He's Brian Dawkins,'' Allen said. ``You don't need to say much. They said something about it, and it's an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as him, too. I'm just going to come in and be myself and play my game and just try to help the team win.''

After choosing Allen, the staff in the war room really hit the phones. The Eagles made three trades, parlaying a second-round pick (No. 55) into five picks. They used one of those on Te'o-Nesheim, a versatile linemen who can also play defensive tackle in pass-rushing situations.

All those trades left the Eagles with four picks in the fourth round. They took Kentucky cornerback Trevard Lindley, Oklahoma linebacker Keenan Clayton, Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka and Missouri State tight end Clay Harbor.

Lindley could help fill the void created by the departure of Brown, a longtime starter. Clayton plays a position where the Eagles had problems last year, so he could make an immediate contribution. Kafka will be groomed to back up Kolb. Harbor can see action in two tight-end sets.

The Eagles jumped on Sapp with their first pick in the fifth round. Sapp had been projected to go higher in the draft, but dropped down after tearing a knee ligament in his junior season.

``I'm not sure what scared them away, because I went to the combine and pretty much showed them my knee was healthy,'' Sapp said. ``I know the Eagles took a chance on me, so I'm just going to prove everybody else wrong.''

The Eagles' last five picks were: Florida State wide receiver Riley Cooper (fifth round), Louisiana State running back Charles Scott (sixth round), and Mississippi State linebacker Jamar Chaney, Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens and Ohio State strong safety Kurt Coleman in the seventh round.