Recent Eagles Draft History

1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002

Red text denotes player is still with Eagles

1997 - John Who?

Rd.(pick)	Player	School
1.(25)	John Harris - DE	Virginia
Ugh. Traded down with Dallas to pick this heartless wonder. Could have had Trevor Pryce picked by Denver 3 picks later.
2.(57)	James Darling - LB	Washington State
Ray Rhodes drafted Darling to play in the middle but early legal trouble and mediocre play as an OLB relegated Darling to special teams and eventually a free agency departur to the NY Jets. He has done little to stnad out with the Jets.
3.(71)	Duce Staley - RB	South Carolina
Staley was a little known runner from South Carolina that played sparingly his first 2 years. Once Rickey Watters left Staley showed what he can do. Has had a couple of very productive seasons for the Birds but sullied his name with possibly the NFL's most ridiculous holdout during 2003's training camp.
4.(119)	Damien Robinson - S	Iowa
Robinson never made it out of training camp but latched on with Tampa and started alongside John Lynch. Went to the Jets when Herman Edwards took the head coaching job. He flamed out quickly.
5.(152)	Ndukwe Kalu - DE	Rice
Released after a lost '97 season to emerge as a pass rush specialist in Washington. Resigned as free agent in '01, Kalu struggled to contribute in his first year back. In 2002, Kalu became a dangerous pass rusher and won the starting right defensive end job in '03.
5.(155)	Luther Broughton - TE	Furman
Had a lot of physical talent but never really put it all together. Bounced around NFL for awhile.
6.(190)	Antwuan Wyatt - WR	Bethune Cookman
The Birds hoped the small school speedster could return kicks. He couldn't.
6.(198)	Ed Jaspar - DT	Texas A&M
Jaspar shuttled in and out of the tackle rotation in his 2 years with Birds. Caught in a numbers crunch and released after '98 season, Jaspar is now a key contributor to Atlanta's defensive front.
7.(207)	Koy Detmer - QB	Colorado
In his 5 years with the Birds is probably best known for being Ty's brother and the whip dance he unleashed against Green Bay in 1998. Stepped in for an injured Donovan McNabb in '02 and tore up the 49ers. He is a very popular teammate.
7.(225)	Byron Capers - DB	Florida State
Training camp casualty.
7.(225)	Deauntae Brown - DB	Central State
Training camp casualty.

1998 - Ray Rhodes redeems himself on his way out

Rd.(pick)	Player	School
1.(11)	Tra Thomas - OT	Florida State
After a sluggish start to his career Thomas has emerged as a dominating force on the offensive line. An All-Pro in 2001, Thomas has regressed a bit in '02 but is still as solid as they come. If only he could block Simeon Rice.
2.(41)	Traded to Jets
The Eagles stole defensive end Hugh Douglas from the Jets for their 2nd and 5th round picks. Douglas has been a Pro Bowl pass rusher since he arrived. The Jets subsequently traded this pick to Pittsburgh who drafted the forgettable Jeremy Staat. They grabbed LB Casey Dailey with the 5th rounder.
3.(72)	Jeremiah Trotter - MLB	Stephen F. Austin
After many teams were scared off by a past knee injury the Eagles snapped up this ferocious player. Trotter's first year was a wash and after Andy Reid tried to replace him in '99 Trotter emerged as a star. After an ugly contract dispute after the 2001 season Trotter was allowed to sign an expensive long-term deal with the Redskins. The Birds felt his injury history and position weren't worth the cash. He has been inconsitent in Washington.
3.(85)	Allen Rossum - CB	Notre Dame
Drafted specifically to return kicks Rossum proved to have shaky hands but could be dazzling when he got a full head of steam. Traded to the Packers in '00 for TE Jeff Thomasson. Rossum is now the kick returner for the Atlanta Falcons.
4.(112)	Brandon Whiting - DT	California
A small tackle, Whiting has emerged as a valuable and versatile starter at end for the Eagles. A fantastic 4th round selection.
4.(116)	Clarence Love - CB	Toledo
Had some talent but ultimately was released without ever making an impact. San Francisco grabbed Pro Bowl safety Lance Schulters 3 picks later.
5.(142)	Ike Reese - OLB	Michigan State
Reese is a special teams dynamo and also is very capable of filling in at weakside linebacker as well as an occasional pass rusher at end. Reese continues to be a versatile and valuable performer for the Eagles.
7.(220)	Chris Akins - DT	Texas
Training camp casualty.
7.(240)	Melvin Thomas - OT	Colorado
Thomas, the 2nd to last pick, was injured in '98 and spent some time on the practice squad. Never saw the field though.

1999 - The Andy Reid Era Begins and A Franchise is Reborn

Rd.(pick)	Player	School
1.(2)	Donovan McNabb - QB	Syracuse
McNabb is on his way to joining the best of the best. No QB in NFL history has ever had the combination of freakish physical skills, leadership, and mental approach he has. The scary thing for the rest of the league is he's doing it all by himself.
2.(35)	Barry Gardner - MLB	Northwestern
Drafted to play MLB Gardner lost out to Jeremiah Trotter. Shifted to weakside in '00 where he played decently but was replaced by the speedier Mike Caldwell. Was a bit of reach this early. The Colts selected promising OLB Mike Peterson and the Skins took stud RT Jon Jansen with the following 2 picks. Gardner split time with Levon Kirkland in '02 and signed with Cleveland in 2003.
3.(64)	Doug Brzezinski - OG	Boston College
Started as a rookie and acquitted himself well but was replaced by John Welbourn in '00. Hasn't seen the field much since. Big Doug signed with Carolina in the off-season.
4.(97)	John Welbourn - OT	California
Started the '99 as the starting right tackle but was injured in the first game of the season. Began the '00 season as the starting right guard where he has been ever since. as developed a nice mean streak. Struggles a bit in the run game.
4.(128)	Damon Moore - S	Ohio State
Struggled on and off the field as a rookie as he watched Tim Hauck play strong safety. Broke into the starting lineup in '00 and came into his own in '01. Suffered a torn ACL in this year's NFC Championship game and released in '02. He signed with Chicago but personal problems derailed his career.
4.(130)	Na Brown - WR	North Carolina
Advertised a "hands" guy coming out, Brown has never made an impact as an Eagle outside of his playoff TD against Tampa in '00. Brown's hands have let him down on many occasions.
6.(172)	Cecil Martin - FB	Wisconsin
A solid 6th round pick, Martin was a good, not great, lead blocker with pretty decent hands. Had a touchdown catch against Chicago in the 2001 playoffs. A good person off the field, Martin signed with Oakland in the 2003 off-season but was released before the season.
6.(201)	Troy Smith - WR	East Carolina
Made the practice squad briefly before falling into NFL obscurity.
7.(208)	Jed Weaver - TE	Oregon
Started by the end of his rookie year, Weaver was released in '00. Bitched after his release by the Eagles. Weaver played for the Dolphins before signing with the 49ers in 2003.
7.(251)	Pernell Davis - DT	Alabama-Birmingham
Hurt for much of his time with the Eagles the huge Davis was released during '01 training camp as was resigned to the practice squad late during the season.

2000 - Two for Six

Rd.(pick)	Player	School
1.(6)	Corey Simon - DT	Florida State
Many felt the stocky tackle would be gone by the time the Birds picked and Travis Taylor or Plaxico Burress would be the choice. Simon had an outstanding rookie year, setting an Eagles rookie sack record. His second season was solid but was plagued by nagging injuries. Those injuries have followed him into '02 but he has combined with Darwin Walker to really improve the interior of the defensive line.
2.(36)	Todd Pinkston - WR	Southern Mississippi
After passing on some bigger name receivers in the 1st Rd. the Eagles select the quiet, rail thin kid from Southern Miss. After a quiet rookie season, thin on playing time, Pinkston was inserted into the starting lineup in 2001 where he showed he has some real playmaking ability. Pinkston became the main man in 2002 and is looking to improve even more in '03 after signing a big extension.
2.(61)	Bobbie Williams - OG	Arkansas
The Eagles traded their 3rd and 5th-round choices to Tennessee to move up and select the mammouth Williams who they felt would be the road grater they needed on the right side of the line to kick start their running game. Unfortunately Williams has played in exactly one meaningless regular season game in two and half years and doesn't seem to much chance of doing so anytime soon. Can you say bust?
4.(99)	Gari Scott - WR	Michigan State
Speaking of busts...Reid finally gave up on the Spartan wideout 2002 training camp. Scott was habitually injured and never showed a true grasp of the West Coast offense. He was never able to make a contribution on special teams which was his ultimate downfall.
6.(171)	Thomas Hamner - RB	Minnesota
Drafted to be Duce Staley's back up, the diminutive Hamner barely made it out of training camp and spent the majority of the season on the practice squad. Reid released him in May after the season when he ran into some off the field troubles. Mike Anderson was drafted by Denver 18 picks later.
6.(178)	John Frank - DE	Utah
Frank was a real sleeper coming out of the draft and then decided that football wasn't for him. Don't they do psychological testing before the draft? Frank tried to come back in 2001 but got cut after training camp. The Ravens drafted end Adalius Thomas 8 picks later.
6.(192)	John Romero - C	California
A practive squader in 2000 and then jettisoned during '01 training camp.

2001 - It Looked Good but...

Rd.(pick)	Player	School
1.(25)	Freddie Mitchell - WR	UCLA
The Eagles were in need of a stud wide receiver and the 2001 draft seemed to be knee deep in impact wideouts. Mitchell was a (and still is) a cocky kid from UCLA who made big play after big play in college. After a typical rookie season that showed promise Mitchell was expected to be the Birds #2 or at least #3 receiver in 2002. Mitchell had an unispired training camp which forced Andy Reid to bring in Antonio Freeman to be the slot man in three receiver sets. Mitchell never made it back and was forced to play special teams. There is still hope that he'll make an impact, but Mitchell's chances are beginning to wear thin. A strong 2003 training camp gives Eagles fans hope.
2.(55)	Quinton Caver - OLB	Arkansas
Nicknamed the "Range Rover" in college for the amount of ground the tall, lean linebacker could cover on the field, Caver was going to replace Mike Caldwell at weakside linebacker and provide some pass rushing skill and overall athleticism to the linebacking corps. Like many Eagles rookies before him Caver had trouble grasping the Jim Johnson's defense and sat the bench for most of his rookie season and being deactivated regularly. In 2002 he was expected to compete with Shawn Barber and Ike Reese for the same weakside spot. Once again, the Range Rover had a flat. His inability to grasp the defense led to his release midway through the '02 season. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs towards the end of the year. Another Andy Reid bust.
3.(63)	Derrick Burgess - DE	Mississippi
With depth issues along the defensive line the Eagles looked to Burgess, a young Hugh Douglas clone, to provide back up to starters Douglas and Brandon Whiting. After a slow start Burgess got his feet under him and ended the season with 6.5 sacks and showing that he wasn't a liability against the run despite his smaller stature. In 2002 Burgess was expected to once again provide line depth and come in on passing downs to rush the QB. Unfortunately Burgess injured his foot in the first game of the season and never made it back. Burgess was being counted on to play a large role in 2003 but alas, Burgess tore his achilles heel in a practice just days before the season started.
4.(121)	Correll Buckhalter - RB	Nebraska
Duce Staley was coming off his Lis Franc injury suffered in 2001 and the Eagles needed a fall back plan in case Staley was unable to return. After passing on Travis Henry, Kevan Barlow and James Jackson in rounds 2 and 3 the Eagles selected Buckhalter. Buckhalter never really had the spotlight to himself at Nebraska, sharing time with DeAngelo Evans and Dan Alexander during his Cornhusker career, but had the skills to thrive in the NFL. Buckhalter split time with Staley in 2001 and proved to be the Birds most skilled runner, rushing for 586 yards and coming up big in the playoffs. 2002 wasn't as kind as Buckhalter hurt his knee in during the team's first minicamp. Buckhalter returns this season but is somehow stuck behind Duce Staley again.
5.(147)	Tony Stewart - TE	Penn State
Even though Chad Lewis was coming off an All-Pro season the Birds felt they needed a player who they could groom to eventually replace Lewis as their pass catching TE. Stewart had some nice physical tools but unfortunately couldn't catch a cold. He was released in 2002 and signed by the Bengals.
5.(155)	A.J. Feeley - QB	Oregon
A lot of Eagles fans said "Who?" when the Birds selected the unknown QB from Oregon. Feeley had been a starter his junior year but got hurt and was replaced by a guy named Joey Harrington and never got to start again. Before that Feeley was overshadowed by Akili Smith. Reid saw something there and made Feeley his third QB. After a training camp battle with Tim Hasselbeck Feeley entered the '02 season as the 3rd stringer again. The Eagles waived Feeley early in the season because of roster problems but quickly signed him back a week later. Injuries to Donovan McNabb and Koy Detmer forced Feeley to the forefront in Week 12 and he proceeded to win the hearts of Philadelphians and save the Eagles season by going 4-1 in his 5 starts. Feeley is content to be a back up for now but expect a lot of teams to inquire about his availability this off-season.

2002 - Secondary is First Priority...

Rd.(pick)	Player	School
1.(26)	Lito Sheppard - CB	Florida
Sheppard got hurt in his first training camp and struggled to catch up the rest of the way. He only played in a handful of games, mostly on special teams, where he rarely excelled. Sheppard showed more grit during the '03 training camp and won the nickel corner role. He may prove to be too small to be a top flight corner.
2.(58)	Michael Lewis - SS	Colorado
Lewis was diagnosed with a hurt murmur shortly before the 2002 draft and it allowed the Eagles to pluck a future star. Lewis had to sit behind Blaine Bishop during '02, but got a chance to play when Bishop was injured. He proved he could make big plays and was always around the ball. He starts at strong safety in 2003.
2.(59)	Sheldon Brown - CB	South Carolina
The Birds surprised many by picking another corner but Brown has proven to be well worth the pick. Brown got some solid playing time in 2002, and made an impact on special teams. He'll start as the dime corner in 2003 but should surpass Lito Sheppard as the nickel corner before long.
3.(91)	Brian Westbrook - RB	Villanova
Westbrook became the Eagles' third-down back in 2002 and performed well. More will be expected in 2003 as the Eagles look for more athleticism on offense.
4.(124)	Scott Peters - C	Arizona State
Some felt Peters could win the starting center job in training camp but injuries and a bout with mono made 2002 a washout. Peters' injury woes followed him into '03's training camp and he became a camp casualty.
5.(162)	Freddie Milons - WR	Alabama
Milons was going to be the Eagles return man of the future but injuries in 2002 and inconsistent play in 2003's training camp ended his future in Philly.
6.(198)	Tyreo Harrison - LB	Notre Dame
Bounced between the team and practive squad before making the team this season as a special teamer.
7.(238)	Raheem Brock - DE	Temple
The Eagles apparently ran out of salary cap room to sign Brock who promptly signed with Indianapolis and started games for them in 2002. He proved to be a pretty decent pass rusher. Keep Harrison and dump Brock...good move.