Eagles 2008 NFL Draft Review: DeSeans Jackson and Trevor Laws were brilliant picks

I'm back from a vacation and ready to get into some Eagles draft coverage.  This article highlights my thoughts on the Eagles' first two draft choices: Trevor Laws and DeSean Jackson.  Coverage on the remaning picks will soon follow.Eagles 2008 Draft Selections:Round Pick Player Position School2. (47) Trevor Laws DT Notre Dame2. (49) DeSean Jackson WR Cal3. (80) Bryan Smith DE McNease State4. (109) Michael McGlynn OG Pitt4. (117) Quentin Demps S Utep4. (131) Jack Ikegwuonu CB Wisconsin6. (184) Michael Gibson OG Cal6. (200) Joe Mays ILB North Dakota State6. (203) Andrew Studebaker DE Wheaton7. (230) King Dunlap OT AuburnWhen I saw that the Eagles traded their first-round pick, I was less than thrilled.  I was really hoping the Eagles would take Branden Albert, but he was off the board.  Jeff Otah would have been a mediocre pick, but the fact that the Eagles traded away the 19th pick shows that the Eagles didn't rate Otah too highly.  Unless they thought Otah was going to be a stud at tackle there was no point in drafting him and I'm glad they didn't.I was then hoping the Eagles would be able to draft Brian Dawkins' heir to be: Kenny Phillips.  I was livid when Phillips ended up going to the Giants with the 31st pick, but there's a reason 30 teams passed on him and it appears that his game has major flaws.  Since he'll be forced to be a starter next year in New York since Gibril Wilson left to sign with with the Raiders, those flaws should be exposed by most teams.At the conclusion of the first round, not a single receiver was taken, which relieved my fears that this year's draft would become a disaster.  I was then hoping the Eagles would be able to trade up to land James Hardy, but with the plethora of teams with WR needs, I knew that it was highly unlikely.  With two second-round picks, I was confident the Eagles would still be able to walk away with a solid defensive talent and a wide receiver.  That's exactly what happened when the Eagles selected Trevor Laws and DeSean Jackson two picks later.I found both picks rather curious, but I think they were both wise choices.  James Hardy, the top receiver on my board, was snatched up by the Bills. Devin Thomas also went a few picks earlier to the Redskins.  When the Eagles were up after the Laws pick, DeSean Jackson, Limas Sweed, and Malcolm Kelly were options for the Eagles.I put Sweed and Kelly ahead of Jackson, but the Jackson pick makes much more sense after I gave it a second thought.  Jackson may never be more than a third receiver in his career, but I think the pick was better for the Eagles than Sweed and Kelly for a number of reasons.  First, Jackson's role as a kick returner is a good enough reason to draft him over Kelly and Sweed.  Additionally, when a team drafts a receiver, they rarely contribute as a rookie and don't contribute much in their second season either.  Typically, a receiver takes about three years to finally come into his own.  With that said, if the Eagles took Kelly or Sweed, guys with potential to be the "No. 1 receiver" Eagles fans want, they wouldn't be able to reap the benefits of that player until a few years down the road.  With Jackson, the Eagles not only have an excellent Hester-esque kick returner, they have a speedster they can immediately put on the field in three- or four-receiver sets who can stretch the field and give Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown more room to make plays.  Basically, with Jackson on the field, it will create more mismatches for defenses and it gives the guys around him a better chance to make plays -- "the Reggie Bush effect."  I also think Jackson is a great fit in the West Coast system since he has the ability to turn a short catch into a ton of yards.  A receiving trio of Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, and DeSean Jackson should work much better together than if you interjected Limas Sweed or Malcolm Kelly into the mix.When the Eagles selected Trevor Laws, I was slighly disappointed because I would prefer to address a position of need over a position where the Eagles are set.  The Eagles used their 2005 and 2006 first-round picks on their two starting DTs Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley, and last year they were both outstanding.  The Eagles love rotating linemen, so the pick makes sense because outside those two guys, the Eagles didn't get much contribution from any reserve DTs.  I truly believe the Eagles took the best player available at that spot.  I'm absolutely shocked a team with question marks at DT, like the St. Louis Rams or Cincinnati Bengals, didn't pull the trigger to get Laws in the second round.  Laws is easily the third best DT in the 2008 draft class behind Glenn Dorsey and Sederick Ellis.  Laws is the only lineman to amass over 100 tackles in 2007 with 112 tackles, including 8 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and 3 blocked kicks.  The guy has a non-stop motor.  The Eagles learned their lesson after the New Orleans playoff loss two years ago and improved immensely against the run last year with the development of Bunkley and their young linebackers.  With another year of experience for their young front seven and Laws in the mix, the Eagles should rank in the top five against the run in years to come.  Although I may have scratched my head at the first two picks at first, I'm going to have to say that they were rather brilliant picks. more...