It appears three days out from the NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles have trimmed their draft board to just four players.
Last week general manager Howie Roseman held court with the media for over an hour discussing the team's draft philosophy and strategy. When prompted about how many players remained on the team's board, Roseman simply responded, "Four."
Bleacher Report has learned as has Walter Football that the four players remaining on the Eagles' radar are Oregon linebacker Dion Jordan, Central Michigan left tackle Eric Fisher, Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel.
It is far from a stunning revelation, given that the Birds front office has spent extensive time with all four prospects, they are all widely considered to be top-five talent and all fill specific needs for the type of team Chip Kelly is attempting to build.
There is no doubt that the Eagles desperately would like to come away from this draft adding one of the elite offensive tackles available, who would anchor the line for nearly a decade.
"This really is a meat and potatoes draft," the general manager pointed out. "It's not exactly the flashiest thing, but it's exciting because NFL teams really are built along the lines."
First, the selection would be an insurance policy for 31-year old Jason Peters who is returning this season after suffering two ruptured Achilles tendons last offseason.
Additionally, selecting a tackle would allow the Birds to eradicate the mistake of using a first-round choice on Danny Watkins in 2011 while allowing veteran Todd Herremans to slide back inside from right tackle to right guard, lessening the load on him as he returns from a significant knee injury suffered last season.
Finally, Kelly's offense is predicated on gap control, and one of this year's draft's elite tackles would certainly solidify that aspect of the offense for years to come.
However, offensive line, while possibly this team's biggest need, is far from its only concern after last season's disappointing 4-12 finish and 12-20 record over the past two seasons.
On the defensive side of the ball, new defensive coordinator Bill Davis Jr intends on building a hybrid 3-4, 4-3 attacking defense based around speed and playmakers.
Should Philadelphia pull the trigger on defense on Thursday night, Lotulelei may be the best fit to fill a glaring hole along the defensive line.
The 6'3", 311-pound defensive tackle would start immediately and be a wrecking ball for opposing offensive lines to contain. Free-agent signee Isaac Sopoaga is not expected to be a three-down nose tackle for this team, whereas Lotulelei would step into that role immediately.
Then there's the allure of Jordan, the University of Oregon's dynamic playmaking outside linebacker. Jordan is already drawing comparisons to Dallas' DeMarcus ware, before even playing a down in the NFL.
Having coached him in college, Kelly is obviously familiar with Jordan's ability not only to get in the quarterback's face all afternoon, but his prowess dropping into coverage. Last season, Jordan recorded 44 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass deflected.
Holding a top-five selection for the first time since 1999, the Eagles are in "can't miss" mode, and it appears that the front office has narrowed its focus to the four players that are as close to a sure thing as this draft will offer.
Matt Lombardo is also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
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