NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: Andre Dillard of Washington State reacts after being chosen #22 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) The Philadelphia Eagles draft Andre Dillard in Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft, and in doing so, they may have found their eventual replacement for Jason Peters. Are you starting to now see why you can’t put a ton of stock in mock drafts? Sure, they’re fun. Yes, it makes you feel smart when you get one right, but the NFL Draft isn’t an exact science. Recently, we ranked the best offensive tackle prospects in this year’s selection meeting, and Andre Dillard was second. Somehow the Philadelphia Eagles managed to land him at pick 22. No one saw that coming. We, at ITI, joked once that we didn’t know what the Eagles were going to do and that they didn’t either. It’s impossible to choreograph a draft. Once it gets rolling, there are surprises. Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman admitted Philly was surprised the man who might be the best pass protector in the draft was still available as their pick neared. Seeing an opportunity and knowing that he might not be available too much longer gave them the notion to trade up. They did so, from pick 25 to pick 22, and they got a guy who was high on their draft board (and everyone else’s). Here’s more from Roseman: When he started to fall, we just saw an opportunity to get a top 10 player. Again, when you have a top 10 player at an important position, it doesn’t matter about the depth on our team. We’re trying to load up on the lines. Here’s Pete Prisco of CBS Sports‘ take: He’s a good pass protector, but he didn’t have to put his hand in the ground. Eventually he’ll have to, but can he? He better be a guy you can plug in there and be a 10-year starter and make some All-Pro teams. Taylor would have been my pick in this spot. Grade: B- We go to Dan Kadar of SB Nation. They released draft grades shortly after round one was done. Grade: B- It’s imperative that Carson Wentz stays healthy. When Jason Peters retires, Dillard should be able to step in immediately and keep Wentz upright. The Eagles had to make a trade to make this pick happen. For those of you wondering why Philly had to trade up three spots to get him, here’s a clear answer from Ian Rapoport. The #Texans targeted athletic OT Andre Dillard at No. 23, but the #Eagles jumped ahead of them and took Dillard at 22. Their next Jason Peters. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2019 Philly sent a first-round pick (the 25th overall), a fourth-round pick (the 127th), and a sixth-round pick (the 197th) to the Baltimore Ravens to move up three spots. Here’s where they stand now in terms of picks: The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday night. Eagles great has his ideas on what Philly should do. We’ll have to wait a few more hours to see if Roseman and Joe Douglas agree with him.<doc-sep>Washington State Cougars left tackle Andre Dillard is officially a first-round pick: Dillard was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday. The Eagles must have really liked him: They traded up with the Baltimore Ravens to select him. “This is a guy we had ranked as one of the top 10 players in the draft,” Eagles executive Howie Roseman said. “This was the best tackle in the draft.” Dillard cemented his place in the first round with a dominant senior season. He was projected as a first round pick throughout the lead up to the NFL Draft, helping his cause with a solid performance at the NFL Scouting Combine and was projected as high as the No. 1 overall pick by some mock drafts. Dillard attended the draft on Thursday, completing a long journey from signing day in 2014 to the first round of the NFL Draft. Dillard arrived in Pullman somewhat under the radar, coming out of high school as a 2-star prospect by Scout and Rivals and a 3-star prospect according to 24/7 Sports. He only held offers from Idaho, Portland State and Eastern Washington. Part of that was because Dillard was a 240-pound offensive lineman who only began playing football shortly before high school. Once he got to Pullman, he didn’t take long to blossom into the stud he is now. Dillard redshirted his first year at WSU and only appeared in three games as a second-year freshman. He was then thrust into the starting lineup at left tackle as a sophomore, and he never looked back. He went on to start 39 straight games, anchoring the Cougars’ offensive line. He finished his college career as a two-time All-Pac-12 selection and was voted to the third team of the AP All-American team as a senior. Dillard certainly grew into his body, finishing his career at 310 pounds, while maintaining his athleticism. The combination of big, strong and athletic should fit just fine at the next level. Dillard becomes the 11th Cougar selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, and the first since Deone Bucannon was picked in 2014. He is the third WSU offensive lineman drafted in the last four seasons, joining Cole Madison last year and Joe Dahl in 2016. Dillard replaced Dahl as the Cougars’ starting left tackle.<doc-sep>We have already taken a closer look at one potential draft prospect for the Miami Dolphins this year, albeit a prospect who may not be a pick for the team with the 13th overall selection. As we continue the list, we bounce from Florida pass rusher Jachai Polite back to the offensive side of the ball with our second offensive tackle of the series. The Dolphins are expected to focus on the foundation of the franchise this season - unless something weird happens in Thursday’s first round - with several of the picks likely to land on the line of scrimmage. With many of the first 12 picks on Thursday expected to address quarterback and pass rusher needs, the Dolphins could be in position to pick up one of the premier offensive linemen in the Draft. Washington State tackle Andre Dillard could be sitting there just waiting for Miami. Andre Dillard bio Age: 23 (March 1996) Born: Woodinville, WA High School: Woodinville High School, Woodinville, WA College: Washington State After a redshirt season in 2014, Dillard appeared in three games in 2015, starting twice, all at left tackle. He then started all 13 games in 2016 at left tackle and was named to the second team of the All-Pac-12 by Pro Football Focus. He again started all 13 games at left tackle in 2017 as a redshirt junior and was an honorable mention for All-Pac-12. As a redshirt senior last year, Dillard started all 13 games at left tackle and allowed just one sack on the season. He was named to the first team All-Pac 12, second team All-American by Sports Illustrated, and third team All-American by the Associated Press. Andre Dillard measurables Height: 6’5” Weight: 315 lbs. Arms: 33-1/2” Hands: 10” 40-yard dash: 4.96 Bench press: 24 Vertical jump: 29.0 Broad jump: 118.0 3-cone drill: 7.44 20-yard shuttle: 4.4 What they are saying Bill Marshall, Cat Scratch Reader - There will always be questions with left tackle prospects who play in an air raid scheme with wide splits. The purpose of the wide splits was to create passing lanes for the quarterback. In recent years, Mike Leach and other air raid coordinators have reduced the splits to run more power run concepts. Regardless, during Dillard’s time as a starter he was primarily seen in a 2 point stance. That shouldn’t be seen as a negative though. As a run blocker, Dillard isn’t the most technically sound. However, his core strength as a pass blocker does bode well for him to translate it as a run blocker too. Lance Zierlein, NFL.com - Talented four-year starter at left tackle with outstanding feet who offers an instant athletic upgrade for teams getting battered from the blind-side. Because of his scheme, Dillard will be a little behind in terms of his feel for set points and firing off the ball in the run game. While he could play with a little more ferocity as a finisher, he has the athletic ability to make all the blocks and the protection talent to become a good, early starter on the left side. Comparison: Eugene Monroe. Projection: 1st round. Joe Marino, The Draft Network - Dillard’s foot speed, length, lack of functional strength and ability to win on the move make him an ideal candidate to play tackle in an inside/outside zone running scheme. Dillard enters the NFL with a ton of experience but unfortunately the Washington State scheme translates poorly to what he’ll be asked to at the next level and his learning curve is fairly steep considering the new techniques he will have to learn. I like his ceiling, particularly in pass protection, but he’s more of a developmental prospect than his physical upside and resume suggest. Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports - Andre Dillard is an impressive athlete who started 39 straight games for Washington State. He excels in pass protection though he has limited experience in run blocking because of the offense he played in for Mike Leach. Strengths: Dillard has smooth feet, long arms, a good mirroring technique, and shows he can effortlessly deals with twists/stunts and passing blockers off to other offensive linemen. He also has the athleticism to get out in space on screen passes, and the ability to pull in the run game. Weaknesses: Played in a pass-heavy offense and was rarely asked to run block. Dillard doesn’t have the same anchor as Oklahoma’s Cody Ford, Florida’s Taylor, West Virginia’s Yodny Cajuste or Kansas State’s Dalton Risner but is more athletic than they are. Comparison: Terron Armstead. Gavino Borquez, USA Today Draft Wire - Dillard has great size and a compact build. He has some of the smoothest footwork in this entire class. He’s a mobile player, showing fluid movement skills with his lower body, core strength at the point of attack to control the edge, and active hands. He knows how to use his reach to shut down edge rushers by optimizing his wingspan. He can get out of his stance quickly and pull into space efficiently. Run blocking isn’t his strong suit, as he will overextend his hips, lunging and finding himself off balance. Dillard will need to get better at holding onto his blocks, showing poor hand placement at times. Charlie Campbell, WalterFootball - In the passing-driven NFL, teams are always looking for dependable left tackles who can help keep the quarterback healthy. It can be very difficult to find left tackles with Dillard’s natural size, speed and athleticism, so those qualities make him an intriguing prospect for the NFL. There are a lot of natural strengths to Dillard. He has very quick feet with surprising athleticism that allows him to get depth in his drop and neutralize speed rushers. He should be an asset to take on the fast edge rushers, as he can get off the corner and prevent them from running the loop around the edge. With his quick feet and ability to bend at the knee, Dillard doesn’t have to reach after rushers and is not a waist bender.<doc-sep>Cincinnati Bengals fans know what to watch for on the leadup to an NFL draft. One of the biggest moments is the prediction thrown out by color commentator Dave Lapham. As the Marvin Lewis era came to a close, dating as far back as 2012, Lapham has reliably predicted the pick correctly most years. In past years, Lapham predicted Kevin Zeitler, Tyler Eifert, Darqueze Dennard, Cedric Ogbuehi, John Ross and Frank Ragnow, with Billy Price as the backup option. This year? He predicted the No. 11 pick would be Washington State’s Andre Dillard on the Bengals Booth podcast with Dan Hoard. Which makes perfect sense. Dillard, 6’5″ and 315 pounds, was a four-year starter at a big program who projects as a nice starter on the left side. Wanting instant impact from their first-round pick, the Bengals would find a way to use him somewhere right out of the gates. Whether Lapham fully has his finger on the pulse of what the Bengals will do now that Zac Taylor is head coach remains to be seen. But for now, Bengals fans should have a close eye on Dillard. Gallery Picking a EDGE for the Bengals in each round of the 2019 NFL draft View 7 photos Gallery Picking a QB for the Bengals in each round of the 2019 NFL draft View 7 photos<doc-sep>
With the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Eagles traded up to select Andre Dillard, offensive tackle out of Washington State. Elite athlete for the left tackle spot with a surprisingly power anchor and above-average awareness of stunts. Short, powerful punch, and his feet continue to move as he mirrors edge rushers. Not much run-blocking experience in college, but he has the refined talent to be a franchise left tackle in today's NFL. Draft tracker: Get grades for every pick Eagles: B- Pete Prisco: He's a good pass protector but he didn't have to put his hand in the ground. Eventually he'll have to, but can he? He better be a guy you can plug in there and be a 10-year starter and make some All-Pro teams. Taylor would have been my pick in this spot. Looking for your daily fix of NFL news and analysis? Look no further than the Pick Six Podcast. CBS Sports senior writer Will Brinson (and guests) gets you up to speed each day in about 30 minutes with what's trending in the NFL world so that you're always in the know. Go subscribe right now! Fantasy impact Dave Richard: The Eagles are doing themselves a favor by drafting Andre Dillard. He's a safe, solid offensive tackle who can step in to replace Jason Peters when he gets hurt this year or retires in 2020. The move has no real impact in Fantasy drafts this season. NFL comparison: Terron Armstead Chris Trapasso: Armstead is more explosive of an athlete than Dillard, which gives context for how gifted the Saints left tackle is, because Dillard was the clearly the most athletic tackle at the combine. However, their styles are very comparable. Armstead wins with sheer quickness to the pass-rushing apex -- where edge rushers either turn the corner or are pushed off it. He's also fantastic with his punch timing and accuracy as a pass blocker. So is Dillard. He fires back into his kick slide and is tremendous with his hands. Because Dillard and Armstead are so fast, they rarely look uncomfortable as pass blockers and get the extra split second needed to sink their hips and anchor if they see a bull rush coming. When Armstead entered the league out of Arkansas Pine-Bluff, he was behind as a run blocker. The same goes for Dillard, who simply didn't get the normal amount of run-game reps in Washington State's Air Raid system. College career Ryan Wilson: After appearing in just three games in 2015. Dillard played in 13 games in each of the next three seasons. After allowing nine sacks in his first two seasons as a starter, Dillard allowed just one sack last season while protecting quarterback Gardner Minshew. Among all FBS offensive tackles in 2018, Williams ranked sixth in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking-efficiency metric and was in the top 20 in pressure -- inside, outside or bull rush -- allowed. Strengths Ryan Wilson: Dillard has smooth feet, long arms, a good mirroring technique, and shows he can effortlessly deals with twists/stunts and passing blockers off to other offensive linemen. He also has the athleticism to get out in space on screen passes, and the ability to pull in the run game. Weaknesses Ryan Wilson: Played in a pass-heavy offense and was rarely asked to run block. Dillard doesn't have the same anchor as Oklahoma's Cody Ford, Florida's Jawaan Taylor, West Virginia's Yodny Cajuste or Kansas State's Dalton Risner but is more athletic than they are.