In his latest mock draft, ESPN NFL Draft expert Todd McShay has the Eagles selecting Florida cornerback Teez Tabor with their first-round pick.
Tabor, 6-foot-0, 201 pounds, is currently viewed by many scouts as one of the top two cornerbacks in the draft.
Why Tabor? McShay writes:
Tabor needs to cut down on the number of big plays he allows, but he has some PS of the best ball skills among cornerbacks in this draft class, with nine interceptions and 28 pass breakups in his past three seasons. He shows natural anticipation, if not the most consistent technique. Wide receivers Corey Davis or Mike Williams could also be in play if they slip this far.
ESP’s Eagles 7-Round Mock Draft
As for Williams and Davis, McShay has Williams going No. 10 overall to the Buffalo Bills, and in a surprising prediction, Davis going No. 5 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
Tabor makes sense for the Eagles, as their top need is cornerback, and it is unlikely there will be many good options on the free agency market.
NJ Advance Media’s Mark Eckel also has the Eagles taking Tabor with their first-round pick in his latest seven-round mock draft.
Here is more on Tabor, via CBS Sports:
STRENGTHS: Tabor sports an athletic v-shaped frame with good overall weight distribution, broad shoulders and long limbs. He has loose hips and light feet, which allow him to remain balanced while changing directions easily and without sacrificing speed. Like Hargreaves, Tabor’s quick acceleration and fluidity help him remain in the hip pocket of receivers while locked up in press coverage and he offers better size than his and patience than his former teammate, helping him contest throws to bigger receivers. Tabor’s size and route anticipation show up while in off-man coverage, where his ability to sneak peeks back at the quarterback and quick closing speed helped pad his PBU numbers. Tabor appears confident with the ball in the air, locating it quickly and showing good timing and explosiveness when leaping to compete on jump balls. Further, he times his collisions with receivers well to break up passes and shows good hands for the interception, including the ability to extend and pluck outside of his frame.
WEAKNESSES: A good athlete but Tabor appears to be quicker than fast and may not possess elite straight-line speed. Further, Tabor needs to show greater awareness of blockers in the running game and on quick screens, too often getting tied up or even knocked off his feet. He is generally a reliable wrap-up tackler but will duck his head and attempt to lasso the knees of bigger ball-carriers, leaving him lunging and occasionally whiffing. He comes with a troubling track record off the field, including twice being suspended from the team. He was suspended for the 2016 season opener following a fight with a teammate. Also was suspended a year earlier for declining to take a drug test and then sharing his disappointment on social media, tweeting that the Florida athletic department “sucks.” Tabor also made headlines when he tweeted that college football is a “modern form of slavery.” He later deleted the tweet and apologized, saying he “went too far.”
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Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.
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