How the draft picks are faring (phillyBurbs.com) | Philadelphia Eagles
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. — When you draft a player, you really don't know what you have. You think you know but you really don't.
Not until those draft picks are in training camp, practicing every day with pads, can NFL teams start to get a true sense of what kind of pros they'll become.
The Eagles' rookies have been sequestered at Lehigh University for two weeks now. They've practiced 26 times. They've all had their good days and their bad days, and on Monday they'll each make their NFL debut.
For 2007 Eagles draft picks Kevin Kolb, Victor Abiamiri, Tony Hunt, Stewart Bradley, Brent Celek, C.J. Gaddis, Rashad Barksdale and Nate Ilaoa, these 21/2 weeks have been the start of NFL careers that may last years or may last weeks.
With the rookie draft picks now just two days from their first preseason game, when the Eagles face the Ravens at M&T Stadium in Baltimore, here is a progress report on the eight picks from Eagles general manager Tom Heckert.
Kevin Kolb, QB
Heckert: “He's doing very, very well, really well. He's got a good command of the offense and physically he's doing great. His arm's a little tired and that's going to happen, but now that we're pretty much done with two-a-days, he'll be fine.
“You never really know how a young guy is going to pick up the offense. You only get 15 minutes with them (at the Combine) and your contact is very limited, but we knew he was a super-smart guy and he's even been better than what we expected.”
Victor Abiamiri, DE
Heckert: “He's been really good. He's a little different kind of guy than who we have. He's a big, physical guy against the run, and that's a nice thing to add to our group of defensive ends. He's more of a combination guy than we've had in the past — those bigger guys are tough to find.
“The preseason games will be a good test for him because teams tend to run more in the preseason games, so we'll see how ready he is against the run. We'll try to use him a little bit inside (in nickel) like we do with (Darren) Howard.”
Tony Hunt, RB
Heckert: “He's been really impressive. I think he was a little big at minicamp, but he looks good now. He's picked things up really well. The passing game is so different here — the routes aren't like anything he's ever seen and pass pro is huge with us, and he's getting it down.
“He's a tough north-south runner, and he really showed up in the live period (last Monday). It's a big adjustment for him, but he's starting to get it. As he gets more and more comfortable, I think he'll just continue to look better and better.”
Stewart Bradley, LB
Heckert: “He's another big guy who can run. Right now, it's (Chris) Gocong's job, but he's right there and it's still going to be a battle. He's still getting better with the coverages, but, boy, he can run. Really, all those guys (Gocong, Tank Daniels and Bradley) are big, athletic guys who can run.”
Brent Celek, TE
Heckert: “He's been impressive. We've had some tight ends banged up, and he's gotten a ton of reps and I'm sure he's got some tired legs, but he's pushing through it. He's more of a combination guy than we've had — he's a good blocker, he's a good route runner, probably a little better than we thought — and he has good hands. He's not super speedy, but he's not bad. He's real smart, and he works his (butt) off.”
C.J. Gaddis, DB
Heckert: “It's just going to take him some time. It's definitely a major adjustment for him (from cornerback). There's a lot going on back there at safety. But he's physical, he can run and he'll hit you.
“He's made some plays on the ball, which is good to see. He just has to get used to all the coverages. He'll play a lot in the preseason. There's three guys (competing for the fourth safety), and he knows he's in a battle.”
Rashad Barksdale, CB
Heckert: “He's a very talented kid and fast, he's just raw. He needs all the reps he can possibly get. We'll see what happens. He's just a young guy who just needs a lot of experience. But he's got ability.”
Nate Ilaoa, RB
Heckert: “Nate shows up. I'll tell you what, he's not real fast, but he's got real good feet and he's a natural ball carrier and he's tough. We've got a lot of good backs, but he's done some nice things and we're happy with where he is.”
How the draft picks are faring
How the draft picks are faring
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