2019 NFL mock draft: Christian Wilkins would be a steal for the Eagles

A year after winning the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles never really got things going last season. Star quarterback Carson Wentz missed the start of the season while recovering from a torn ACL, and when he did play Philadelphia’s results were middling. Wentz was eventually shut down for the season with a back injury, and the Eagles eked out a 9-7 finish and a loss in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

But if a fully healthy Wentz returns, the Eagles should make another deep run in the playoffs. Part of the reason is that the Eagles added some weapons for Wentz in wide receiver DeSean Jackson and running back Jordan Howard.

Those additions could lead the Eagles to looking for talent on defense in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Eagles should have some options on the defensive line or in the secondary. There could even be a top player sliding down to No. 25. That was the case for Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft.

Gowton: Christian Wilkins could potentially be a trade-up target for the Eagles, so the thinking here is the team would be sprinting to the podium if he’s still available at No. 25. Philadelphia prioritizes building through the trenches; it’s a strategy that paid off with a Super Bowl win in February 2018. It’s a no-brainer for the Eagles to add one of the best defensive linemen in this year’s draft.

Defensive tackle might not *seem* like an immediate need given that the Eagles have Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson starting at that spot. But the 29-year-old Jackson is coming off a season where he was benched, and Jim Schwartz loves to heavily rotate his defensive linemen in order to keep them fresh. The trio of Cox, Jackson, and Wilkins offers a lot of pass-rush juice. Wilkins finished with the second-highest pressure percentage among this year’s interior defenders, according to Pro Football Focus.

Quite simply, Wilkins checks a lot of boxes. He boasts production, athleticism, talent, leadership, durability, versatility … you name it. The Eagles would love to see him fall to them.

Analysis: Finally! This is singlehandedly the biggest steal in this year’s SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft. Although I have Jeffery Simmons rated higher than Wilkins, it’s understandable why the injured Mississippi State tackle would drop. Pairing Wilkins with Cox would give the Eagles one of the better interior duos in the NFL. Wilkins is an agile interior pressure player, and even has enough athleticism to play at end in certain situations. While the pick of Wilkins can be perceived as adding strength to a strength, the value is too good to pass up.

Some players are starting to fall from the best available. Will another drop off at 1 p.m. ET when Brett Mock of Stampede Blue checks in with his pick for the Indianapolis Colts?