After a long hiatus, I’m back!
The Eagles 2023 season imploded and as a result, Jeff Lurie presumably gave Nick Sirianni an ultimatum of, “bring in better guys or get out.”
Sirianni did just that, hiring new coordinators who bring experience and proven track records of success. The offense will hopefully evolve under Kellen Moore and the style of defense Sirianni has been chasing will be implemented by the originator, Vic Fangio.
With all that said, its draft season and I wanted to take some time to look at some players at positions I think are important. Today I want to bring the attention to the Nickel/Slot defensive back and cornerback positions.
The Eagles have two 30-year-old outside corners and a nickel that can’t stay healthy, which is not a recipe for success. Yes, they do have a handful of young corners on the roster, most notably Keele Ringo but it’d behoove them to continue to add to that spot to ensure you’re set up for the future.
If we presume that the Eagles move on from James Bradberry (which they should), and give Ringo a shot then they need one of two things: 1) A nickel corner to fortify that spot or 2) A player that can play nickel this season and bump out when Slay is no longer on the team.
Today we’ll be looking at three players who can play in the slot immediately and have the potential to move outside.
CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
Background
Lassiter is another CB from UGA listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds. He’s started the past two years logging most of his snaps at outside corner. However, this year he earned valuable reps in the slot specifically in the Missouri game to cover their best receiver.
Lassiter looked comfortable and his ability to read, react, and trigger downhill, held Missouri WR Luther Burden, who earned first-team All-SEC honors following a stellar sophomore season, to 2 catches for 14 yards when going against Lassiter.
Lassiter also looks very comfortable mirroring receivers and playing through the catch point, disrupting a good amount of passes and at times running the route for the receiver. One knock on him like many of the defensive backs in this class, is his lack of ball production, having only 1 career interception which came all the way back in 2021.
Fit with the Eagles
Lassiter’s fit with the Eagles is probably the smoothest out of everyone on this list. He comes from a complex scheme where the matching principles and split field looks are similar to what he would see with Fangio.
He can slide inside and be effective in the passing game with matching receivers downfield. His eyes and instincts would allow for success in underneath zones and he also shows the ability and willingness to tackle. All of these traits would also allow him to slide outside in the near future. He also shows the long speed and ability to match on the boundary which is important in quarters and the version of Match Cover 3 that Fangio favors.
DB Jarrian Jones, Florida State
Background
I recently got put onto Jones by a buddy on Twitter and even after a few clips I was in.
He is six feet, 195 pounds, and started his career on the outside before moving inside and becoming a very good nickel corner. This past season he racked up 25 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 3 interceptions.
Those numbers indicate a player who has the ability to make plays at the position. He also recorded the second-lowest passer rating of any nickel corner, at 31.7%. The clips I have seen show a defensive back who is competitive when pressing and at the catch point. Jones can mirror and carry receivers on crossers and has the read-and-react quickness to attack downhill on quick throws or runs. He also shows good ball skills but may be a bit too aggressive and grabby which could get him into trouble.
Fit with the Eagles.
I think if the Eagles wanted to wait until potentially late day two to address the Nickel spot, Jones is the ideal candidate. He can compete now and start with room to grow, develop, and become a good starter down the road.
He’s a little more comfortable in man coverage which could be beneficial with what the nickels will be tasked to do in Fangio’s defense. I am uncertain if he would be able to slide outside but at minimum, there would be one less DB spot to worry about moving forward.
DB Tarheeb Still, Maryland
Background
Still is listed at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds, and has played both inside and outside in his career at Maryland. He was tied for sixth in the nation with 6 interceptions, along with 45 total tackles and 7 pass break-ups.
Still seems to be comfortable in being able to mirror and match from press and does a good job of being patient as receivers run their routes. From my limited exposure to him, early on when he played in the slot he showed a good feel in the short zone areas and did a good job of closing on ball carriers. The few questions I have have to do with long speed and overall experience in zone coverage.
Fit with the Eagles
I think Still is another player who can come in and compete for the nickel job right away. Like the others mentioned, Still could potentially slide outside if needed.
Though he’s more experienced in man coverage and will need to grow as an underneath zone defender, Still has the tools to be a solid nickel or outside corner.
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