The Eagles Draft, And Draft, And Draft

I realize I'm late to this, and far from your best choice for such analysis, since I don't know college football more than college lacrosse. But what the hey, not knowing too much about a subject hasn't kept members of the fully paid sports media from weighing in, so let's have at it.

First off, here are the picks.

1 (13) Brandon Graham, de, Michigan.
2 (37) Nate Allen, db, South Florida.
3 (86) Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, de, Washington.
4 (105) Trevard Lindley, db, Kentucky.
4 (121) Keenan Clayton, lb, Oklahoma.
4 (122) Mike Kafka, qb, Northwestern.
4 (125) Clay Harbor, te, Missouri State.
5 (134) Ricky Sapp, de, Clemson.
5 (159) Riley Cooper, wr, Florida.
6 (200) Charles Scott, rb, LSU.
7 (220) Jamar Chaney, lb, Mississippi State.
7 (243) Jeff Owens, dt, Georgia.
7 (244) Kurt Coleman, db, Ohio State.

Most observers are giving them fairly high grades for getting extra fourth round picks in a deep draft, and loading up on the defense in a time of need. I suppose, but...

1) I'm really not sold that Graham was the right pick at 13. Earl Thomas, the safety that the Seahawks took with the next pick, seemed to be the better value there. Some have speculated that the move was to prevent the Giants from getting Graham at 15, and if it winds up that Graham's an impact player and Jason Pierre-Paul is a bust for Big Blue, well, maybe. There's also something to be said for the idea that if you can't cover, you better get to the passer. It's not really the traditional Andy Reid way of running a defense, but given the way that the refs call defensive pass interference these days, maybe it's the better way to go.

2) Doubling up on speed rushers, assuming that Graham is a DE and not an LB, is always curious, especially for a team with multiple needs. It's also something this team has historically done under Reid, most notably with defensive backs. But it rarely inspires faith in the front office, since it just seems like a hedged bet.

3) I kind of hate that a team with Kevin Kolb would go for a QB in the fourth; it's just too early, IMHO, for a team with more desperate needs, specifically at center, where Jamal Jackson's recovery is far too important. And while I get that Harbor might be a fullback in a power set with Leonard Weaver taking the HB role, I also kind of hate that they'd spend a fourth round pick on a TE when they've got Brent Celek and the rehabbing Cornelius Ingram, who they liked last year in training camp before he got hurt. Where are the spare DBs and RBs that usually provide value on special teams early in their career? And can you really trust any QB that you can describe as Kafka-esque?

4) Finally, note how all of these picks are from pretty big name schools, which has kind of been the way for this team in recent years. Let other teams find gems from small schools; the Eagles will fish from the top tier factories, which just seems limited to my eyes. Or maybe I'm just jealous of the Cowboys, with Miles Austin (Monmouth), DeMarcus Ware (Troy) and Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois). Especially in a draft where you've got extra bullets in the chamber, in a year where everyone knows that you are playing for 2011 and beyond.