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The DiCecco Daily: Some Early NFL Draft Sleepers · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:07
  Speaker 1: What's going on. Everybody, welcome in.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: This is the check o'daly Andrew decheco here and we're
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: gonna talk today about some NFL Draft sleepers. I know
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: that we're starting to get through the top prospects at
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: key positions, but we talk about everything here on this podcast.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: And I like talking about sleepers because it puts a
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: lot of players onto the radars of those who are
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: really starting to consume a lot of draft content. And
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: there's a ton of quality prospects as you might expect
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: on Day three, and I'll look at some in particular
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: at positions of need for the Eagles, and we're gonna
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: start with Nadame Tucker out of Western Michigan six foot
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: one and some change two hundred and forty six pounds.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: Reminds me a little bit of josh Usha when I
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: watch him play, and he's well traveled. He began his
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: career in junior college Independence, then he goes to Hutchinson,
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: spends a couple of years at Houston, and then ends
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: up at Western Michigan. Produced fourteen and a half sacks,
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: really productive, tied David Bailey Texas Tech, who also had
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: the same number. And I look at Na Dame Tucker,
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: and I really enjoy talking to him at the NFL
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Scouting Combine because he was a senior Bowl prospect. He
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: was there, he gushed over Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurt.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: The Eagles had a formal meeting with him, and then
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: they had another meeting where they were kind of going
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: over tape and things like that. So there's interest there.
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: He's a little bit of an older prospect. He's twenty five.
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: He'll be twenty six by the time training camp rolls around.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: But a really interesting story. He went to t Neck,
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: New Jersey High School, was a basketball star there, and
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: it wasn't until he became a senior that he actually
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: started to play football.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: So he's a late bloomer.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: And when you look at some of those Day three
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: pass rushers and some who can be a DPR designated
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: pass rusher, that's somebody that I'm sort of keying in
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: on there.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: And I do think he.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Has some upside because he's so new to the position,
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: new to the sport. I should say that even at
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: twenty six years old, I do believe that there will
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: be a team a coach that can get a lot
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: more out of him, and if last season was any indication,
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: he's a player on the ascent and he should be
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: able to help in a complimentary role. Obviously, his size
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: is going to be detrimental to taking on a three
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: down role, but he is a player that has a
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: lot of intriguing qualities.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: Then we're going to look at Eli Heidenreich.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: He's a running back slash wide receiver out of Navy,
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: six foot, one hundred and ninety eight pounds. He is
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: someone who had seventy seven carries last season for a
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: shade under five hundred yards. He had fifty one receptions
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: for nearly one thousand yards. So he liked the dual
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: threat ability. There not a lot of tread on the tires.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: Played in thirty eight games there at Navy, and I
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: like his multifaceted skill set. He's not a burner, he's
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: not a blazer. He does have some dynamic qualities. He
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: can win vertically. He's a crafty route runner, good in space,
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: but not someone who I would describe as an explosive.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: Home run hitter.
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: But when you're the Eagles and you're looking for a
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: Day three player who might be able to help you
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: on special teams, and even in a role where he
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: can be a manufactured touch player. I've talked a lot
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: on this podcast that the Eagles lack for a manufactured
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: touch player. They imagine that they were getting that in
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: Anaya Smith that didn't pan out, And I think in
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: an offense like this, at least what we're expecting to
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: see with this new coaching staff and some of the
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: different principles that are expected to be in place, you
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: would think that they would look for a manufactured touch player,
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: and I think someone like that would really be a
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: peer in that regard. He's going to be a Day
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: three prospect, but I really like his dual abilities and
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: it seems to be something that the Eagles have been
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: sorely lacking. They don't have anything close to that on
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: the roster right now, unless you're counting Brittain Covey, who
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: probably could do that, but every time he gets tackled
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: it looks like a car wreck. DeVante Smith could in theory,
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: be used that way, but he's so slight of build
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: that you don't want to expose him to any unnecessary hits,
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: So you don't see those end of rounds or pop
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: passes because he's not going to break any tackles, and
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: he's much more effective lining up as a wide receiver
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: and being able to win with his route running precision
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: and downfield prowess and all the other intangibles that he
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: brings to the position and skill set that he brings.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: So long story short, they need a.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: Player like that, and I do believe that he can
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: certainly fulfill that role. John Michael Gillenborg is a tight
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: ended of Wyoming that you're probably not going to hear
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: a lot about, but you're gonna hear about.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: Him right now.
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: There's so many talented tight end prospects in this draft
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: class that someone like that is bound.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: To get overshadowed.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: Six foot five, about two hundred and fifty pounds, he
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: had a thirty five inch vertical ran a four to
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: six of the NFL.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: Scott In Combine.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: One of the players who I thought helped himself the most,
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: maybe elevated himself into the back end of.
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: The third round.
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: And he always had eighty receptions for just over one
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: thousand yards at Wyoming, So those numbers aren't going to
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: jump off the page. But what I like about him
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: is that he is a fluid mover. He can work
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: the seams. He strikes me that he as someone who's
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: going to be better suit to be a number two
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: tight end and compliment a player's headliner there at that position,
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: But I don't know. I like his size, his catch radius.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: He's very physical when it comes to attacking the catch point,
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: and when he's able to get in space, he is
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: able to get a full at a steam going and
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: he does have some quickness to him, which I think
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: is also appealing. I think the Eagles need to come
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: out of this draft with two tight ends. I understand
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: they don't have the draft picks to really carpet bomb
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: that position. You're gonna have to look at free agency
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: as well to supplement it. But I think that he
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: could be a good third or a developmental type of player.
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: He certainly helped himself with the combine that he had,
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: and I think that he may not wow you as
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: a blocker right now, but that frame suggests that he
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: can support more weight, he can get stronger and sort
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: of carve out a more well rounded skill set. Right now,
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: I think he's probably best suited to be a pass catcher.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: I think that's really what he's adept at doing. But
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: even last season just twenty four catches, two hundred and
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: seventeen yards and a touchdown in nine games. That's not
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: something that ordinarily would put you on NFL radars, But
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: he was at the NFL Scott and Combine for a reason,
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: and he made the most of his opportunity. If you
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: want a name of a late Day three guy at
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: that position, it would be John Michael Gillenberg Gillenborg, excuse me.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: Out of Wyoming.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: The last player I want to touch on today is
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: a player who happened to play cornerback at Toledo by
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: the name of Andre Fuller. Andre Fuller is six foot one,
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: two hundred pounds. I like his length, I like his physicality.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: I think he can thrive in zone or man. He's
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: more of a press man type of corner gets a
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: little handsy at times. But I thought that he really
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: seized his opportunity last season to be a starter and
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: really take on a much more expanded role there at Toledo.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: He ran a four to four to nine at the
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: NFL Scouting Combine, thirty and three quarters inch arms and
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: ten to nine broad jump, pretty good numbers for him there.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: I thought he did some good things I think I
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: go back to the length and the size and his
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: ability to time it perfectly where he's attacking the catch
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: point of the wide receiver that he's going up against.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: He's competitive, he's tough, and when I had a chance
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: to speak to him at the NFL Scouting combine, he
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: mentioned how Quinya Mitchell helped him adjust and prepare and
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: learn how to take every day, you know, one day
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: at a time, and be ready for your opportunities. He said,
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Quinya Mitchell really helped him there. And there's a tight
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: knit community that I've learned about the Toledo defensive backs.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: Whether it was.
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: Emmanuel McNeil Warren who talked about the group message that
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: all the Toledo defensive backs have. And Emmanuel McNeil Warren
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: is a player that is going to be I imagine one
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: of the higher safety's drafted in this class. I really
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: like his game and he's lengthy at six foot four.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: And he talked about the camaraderie that they have amongst
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: the defensive back.
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: So Emmanuel McNeil Warren was talking about that.
• 9:13
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• 11:18
  Speaker 2: And what Andre Ford was saying to me really supported
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: that he was a man of few words. But if
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: you look at what he was able to do last
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: season at Toledo, I think that he could be a
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: good Day three prospect. Look, I don't know that the
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: Eagles are going to be in position to draft a
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: corner knowing how many other needs they have. At the
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: top of the list you have tackle, offensive tackle, edge rusher,
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: tight end, and so the further you get away from
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: the cornerback position, and again it's all about best player available,
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: positional value and all of that. But all that being
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: taken into consideration, I just don't know if they're going
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: to be able to dressed the cornerback position adequately enough
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: that you're going to identify as starter on Day one
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: or day two because of the other needs.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: And so if you go for Day three and you
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: really want to take.
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: A corner and add to that group that you already have,
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: I think Andre Fuller would be a nice addition there.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: He was a first team All Max selection eleven pass
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: defended last year, ten pass breakups, forty nine tackles, So
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: he's always around the ball. He's active, he's physical, he's tough.
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: I still think that he's a little raw. I think
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: sometimes he bails on his technique and that'll get cleaned
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: up at the next level.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: But that's another Day three player.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: There's so many talented cornerbacks in this class, a lot
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: of nickel corners who I really like Chandler rivers at a.
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: Duke is one who immediately comes to mind.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: But if you're looking for a lengthy, prototypical perimeter corner,
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: you know the Eagles have that Toledo pipeline locked down.
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: And so I look at Andre Fuller as a player
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: that I would like more people to know about. So
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: for now, that's going to do it for this edition
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: of The Checko Daily. I'll have plenty more the Checko
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: Deep Cuts. That's not something that I can trademark because
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: Andrew Southchunis has a segment dedicated to me doing that
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: going back to last season. So all that being said,
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: there'll be more sleepers to come as I continue to
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: work through it. Wanted to give you guys four so
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: you can sort of process that, digest it, look into
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: some of these guys, and if you like that, I'll
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: have plenty more coming. We'll get into quarterbacks, We'll get
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: into some linebackers, safeties. Safety is a big position of
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: need for the Eagles, so we'll look at that. Michael
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: taff Out of Texas as a player who I really like,
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: but I've written about him. He went to Texas, so
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: I don't know that he can be considered a deep
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: cut or a sleeper, but he is someone that when
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: you look at the top end safeties in this draft class,
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: he's a little bit further down the list. I can
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: go on and on about this, but I won't. I'll
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: spare you that I'll continue this conversation at a later time,
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: but I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Checko Daily.
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: This is Andrew Decheco and I will catch you all
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: on the next one.