Biggest post-draft questions still to be answered by the Philadelphia Eagles:
Who will start at cornerback? They dedicated two picks to the corner position -- a second-rounder on Washington’s Sidney Jones and a third-rounder on Rasul Douglas of West Virginia -- but can’t bank on immediate returns. That’s particularly true for Jones, who is recovering from an Achilles rupture. It’s unknown exactly when he’ll be available. A group that includes Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Ron Brooks, C.J. Smith and Douglas will have to figure it out in the meantime, barring a veteran being added to the group.
Who will carry the load at running back? The Eagles have three intriguing options at running back in Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood and fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey, but no obvious workhorse back. Pumphrey, like Sproles, is undersized, and while he toted the ball more than 300 times in each of the past two seasons, it’s unlikely he’ll come close to those numbers in the pros. Many teams successfully rely on multiple backs, but the Eagles don’t have a pure short-yard, between-the-tackles option.
Is a tackle of the future on the roster? Eagles exec Joe Douglas went against popular opinion and stated that there was some offensive line depth in this class, but the Eagles didn’t dedicate a single pick to the offensive front. Left tackle Jason Peters is in the twilight of his career. Lane Johnson will take over that spot eventually, but it’s questionable whether the future right tackle is on the team. Depth is a question mark.
How will the wide receiver competition shake out? The Eagles drafted North Carolina’s Mack Hollins in the fourth round and West Virginia speedster Shelton Gibson in the fifth. They’ll be added to a group that currently includes starters Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Jordan Matthews as well as 2015 first-round pick Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham. The roster battles should be fun to watch this summer.
How will Vinny Curry respond to the drafting of Derek Barnett? The Eagles inked Curry to a five-year, $47 million deal last offseason but got minimal return on that investment in Year 1. They then spent a first-round pick on Barnett, who will be competing for the starting spot opposite Brandon Graham. Curry’s reaction to this move is something to watch.