The 2001 draft was another bad one, although it was the first one I’ve analyzed in which Andy Reid wasn’t given full control over the team, so he doesn’t deserve all of the blame. The same case will be for this draft, although he still deserves some of the blame, as he clearly doesn’t deserve much credit for his drafting over the years anyway. It’s the second to last draft I’ll be analyzing. Here’s some quick info:
Important notes
Total picks: 7 (5 offense, 2 defense)
Notable picks: Corey Simon, Todd Pinkston, Bobbie Williams
1. DT Corey Simon
The Eagles took Simon with their first pick in this draft, who turned out to be a very solid player during the time he spent with the team. In five years he started every game he played in, recording 165 tackles, 32 sacks and nine forced fumbles. For a large defensive tackle, he had the rare combination of run-stopping and being able to sack the quarterback often, recording 7.5 sacks or more in three of his five seasons with the team. He even made the Pro Bowl in 2003. His career kind of fell off a cliff though. The Eagles gave him the franchise tag after 2004, but he refused to sign it, so they lifted it and he became a free agent. He started 13 games for the Colts in 2005 but didn’t record a sack. He also played four games in 2007 with the Titans, but never played again after that. He was seen as overweight and a bit of a locker room problem, and I guess he just couldn’t get another chance. Still, a quality player for the short time he was in Philly.
2. WR Todd Pinkston
A starting receiver corp featuring Todd “Stinkston” and James “Trash” was never a good one, yet that’s who they were passing to on a regular basis during this time period. After not doing much in his rookie year, Pinkston, a second round pick, continued to not do much in the next four years despite starting in 62 of 64 possible games. His best year was in 2002 when he totaled 798 yards and seven touchdowns, but he never got close to having another season like that again. Despite that, the Eagles signed him to a five-year extension after that 2002 season. Pinkston later missed the whole 2005 season with a torn Achilles, and then was released before the 2006 season when they signed Donte Stallworth. If you didn’t get the point yet, Pinkston was not worth a second round pick.
3. G Bobbie Williams
Williams had a long, successful career in the NFL. Of course, most of that wasn’t with the Eagles. In the four seasons he did play in Philly, he slowly worked his way up the depth chart. After only playing in one game his first two years, he started 11 games in 2003 when Jermaine Mayberry got hurt. His contract was up after that year though and the Eagles chose not to re-sign him. He went on to play eight seasons with the Bengals (starting every game at right guard in six of them), and then won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012. Like guys like Raheem Brock though, it’s impossible to give the Eagles credit for this one, as he did very little for the franchise.
4. WR Gari Scott
This is where the draft really starts to slide. Scott was taken in the fourth round and was inactive all of his rookie year. He then played in three games his second year, but only recorded two catches for 26 yards before being released. He never played in the NFL again.
5. RB Thomas Hamner
Hamner never played in a game in his one year with the team and was released. Yeah, that’s it. He doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page about his career.
6. DE John Frank
Frank was drafted in the sixth round, but never appeared in a game for either the Eagles or any other team in the league.
7. C John Romero
Similar to Hamner and Frank, Romero never played in a game in the NFL after not making the Eagles’ squad.
Well, this was once again not the result you want from your draft class. Simon had a good, albeit short, career with the Eagles, but that’s about all that can be taken away from this draft. Pinkston was mostly bad, especially for a second round pick, and Williams only played a couple seasons with the Eagles, starting only one of them. Scott played in a couple games and the last three guys never even made the team. It’s hard to call this draft a good one in any way.
Draft grade: D+
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