Roseman traveling to watch two top college QBs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
It seemed at one point like the Philadelphia Eagles might wind up with three Top 10 picks in next April's 2022 NFL Draft.
At this point, with the Colts surging and the AFC South still an embarrassment of a division, odds are good Carson Wentz is going to will Indy to some more wins and out of the Top 10.
But it's still going to be a monumental draft for general manager Howie Roseman and the future of the Eagles' organization, and the decision-makers need to get it right.
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Perhaps that's why Roseman himself is headed on a road trip on Thursday night, ahead of the Eagles' Week 10 matchup with the Denver Broncos, to watch two of the top quarterbacks in college football.
Roseman, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Johnny McGonigal, is headed to Heinz Field to watch Pitt face North Carolina on Thursday, where Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett and Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell will face off:
Very interesting! Roseman obviously has a legion of scouts at his disposal, but when it comes to the most important position in the sport, you probably want to get your own eyes on the guys too. Can't blame him. (Plus, Pittsburgh rocks.)
Pickett has improbably inserted himself into the Heisman discussion this year with an absolute breakout season for Pitt, while Howell has been an intriguing pro prospect for a couple years now, but neither is a slam-dunk first round pick.
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Here's a look at their respective stat lines this year:
Pickett: 68.7% completion, 9.3 Y/A, 29 TD, 3 INT / 73 rush, 234 yards, 4 TD
Howell: 63.1% completion, 9.0 Y/A, 20 TD, 7 INT / 135 rush, 699 yards, 8 TD
If you're asking me to choose between the two, I'd take Pickett based on his taller frame and more pro-ready release, but I don't really care for either as a prospect at the next level.
Along with Pickett and Howell, Liberty's Malik Willis and Ole Miss's Matt Corral are also viewed as potential first-round quarterback picks. The Eagles reportedly had scouts at a matchup between the two last weekend.
In his mock draft this week, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro projected Corral to the Eagles at No. 3 overall:
"In Saturday’s win over Liberty, Corral completed 20 of 27 passes for 324 yards and a a touchdown. This season, he’s completing nearly 67% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and 2 picks. Even when he faced Alabama, he completed 21 of 29 passes. The big knock on him last year was that he threw too many picks, but he’s cleaned that up in 2021. Corral has a ton of physical tools as a passer and plenty of ability as a runner too. He has big upside and the Eagles might view him as a potential franchise guy. Would it be the right pick? Not sure. But with the Eagles, I wouldn’t rule it out."
Between figuring out if any of these guys are worth a first-rounder, and trying to envision a possible blockbuster deal for an established veteran, this is going to be one insane offseason.
