Eagles

NFL Mock Draft 2013: Eagles select Fisher, Manuel with top two picks

Eric Fisher is still projected to go to the Eagles in SB Nation's new mock draft. Their second round pick may surprise.

By Jon Benne@LordBenne Apr 8, 2013, 7:55pm EDT

Not much has changed for the Philadelphia Eagles in draft speculation. The top 5 is as murky as any class in recent memory, but projections for Philly's No. 4 pick remain fairly stable. It's what they do in the later rounds that could be interesting.

SB Nation's Matthew Fairburn released a three-round mock draft on Monday. As usual, he expects the Eagles to take Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher:

The Eagles offensive line is largely dependent on Jason Peters, who is coming off another major injury. Eric Fisher has solidified his place in the top five picks; it's just a matter of which team will draft him. Teams could be looking to trade ahead of the Lions to secure Fisher, but ultimately, the Eagles could use the talent up front.

Things get interesting in the second round, where Fairburn projects Philly to draft Florida State QB E.J. Manuel. There are rumors that Manuel could go in the first round, so even though the No. 35 spot is too high for some draft experts, it's a minor steal given how overvalued QBs usually are in the draft. Plus, with Michael Vick still in the fold, there won't be any pressure for the toolsy but raw Manuel to make an immediate impact. Here's Fairburn's take:

E.J. Manuel isn't among my top five quarterbacks in this draft, but I don't make the picks. Manuel fits Chip Kelly's new offense and has upside. That may be enough for him to land at the top of the second round.

In the third round, the Eagles select LSU DT Bennie Logan, another piece to help fill out Chip Kelly's 3-4 defense.

Check out Fairburn's complete mock draft at the link below.