2018 NFL Mock Draft: Philadelphia Eagles Select OT Connor Williams at No. 32

With the 32nd pick of the 2018 DBN Community NFL Mock Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select...

Connor Williams, OT, Texas

The selection and write-up were made by Adam Rice:

To wrap up the first round are the newly crowned Super Bowl champs, Philadelphia Eagles. A team who, like many Super Bowl winners coming into the draft, don’t have a lot of needs that must be addressed immediately in this round. In all likelihood, GM Howie Roseman is looking to trade down from this spot with a team aching to have that 5^th year option that comes with picking in Round 1. That said, trading is not allowed in this Community Mock and I must make a selection.

Without further ado, with the 32^nd pick in the 2018 DBN Community Mock Draft the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles select…Connor Williams, Offensive Tackle, University of Texas.

Williams, a junior, looked like the next sure thing at the tackle spot his first couple of years at Texas. A Freshman All-American in 2015, he immediately jumped in at left tackle and started all 12 games for one of the premier programs in college football. He followed that impressive start up in 2016 by becoming a First Team All-Big 12 & Consensus All-American. His measurables draw comparison to former Top 10 pick Jake Matthews, and his early tape show strength in the run game and elite level agility in pass pro.

Unfortunately, a knee injury set him back in 2017 and he only started five games. And his tape from this year looks much more inconsistent which is why he has fallen to this point of the draft. Whether or not this is due to his injury and a lack of confidence in his knee, or weaknesses that have always been there coming to light, it’s clear that Williams has ground to make up and something to prove coming to the NFL. Which is why falling to Philly is perfect for a prospect like him, and potentially, a place for him to thrive. With Pro Bowl LT Jason Peters not getting any younger, Williams is in position to sit and learn from one of the league’s best in Peters as he continues to recover from his knee injury and can acclimate himself to the NFL from the sideline.

As stated above, the Eagles will likely trade out of this spot and let someone else make the pick. However, just short of a surprise player falling this far, I think Connor Williams would be the best guy for Philadelphia if this is how the draft falls on Thursday.

Pokorny: “It is remarkable just how quickly Philadelphia re-stocked with talent, to the point where they should be the favorites in the NFC again with a lot of sustainability potential. I like the justification behind taking an offensive tackle here. Just like Philly has an insurance policy at QB with Foles, they get one on the offensive line here.”

The Cleveland Browns are up next, led by fjblessi.