PHILADELPHIA -- Nate Allen will hear the names of Donovan McNabb and Brian Dawkins in his sleep.
The Philadelphia Eagles used the 37th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to select the South Florida safety Friday.
The Eagles have sought a free safety since allowing Dawkins to sign with the Denver Broncos as a free agent last year. Dawkins went to seven Pro Bowls in 12 years with the Eagles and made the trip last season as a Bronco.
"Just being in the NFL draft is an honor to me, just being considered with the whole Donovan McNabb thing," Allen said in a conference call. "I'm just so thrilled and excited, and I'm ready to get up there and start working hard."
The Eagles made several trades before selecting University of Washington defensive end/linebacker Daniel Te'o-Nesheim in the third round with the 86th overall pick. Te'o-Nesheim had a school-record 30.5 sacks and 194 tackles in four seasons.
"I think of myself as a high-effort guy, and I'll do whatever is asked on and off the field," Te'o-Nesheim said.
Always active on draft day, the Eagles parlayed their other second-round pick (No. 55) into five selections. They dealt the 55th choice to the Dallas Cowboys for No. 59 and a fourth-round pick (No. 125). They sent the 59th pick to the Cleveland Browns for one selection in the third round (No. 71) and two in the fifth (Nos. 134 and 146). Then they traded No. 71 to the Green Bay Packers for a third-rounder (No. 86) and a fifth-rounder (No. 122).
They now have nine remaining picks, including four in the fourth round Saturday.
"You evaluate the strengths of the draft by round, and we felt the latter part of the second round and into the third and fourth were the strengths," Reid said. "We're in good position if we're right."
The Eagles tried three different starters at free safety last season. Quintin Demps lost the job to rookie Victor Harris in the preseason, and Sean Jones took over before the midpoint of the season.
"I definitely want to come in and play right away, but wherever I'm needed, special teams, anywhere, nickel, wherever I'm needed to help them win, I'm there," Allen said.
Recruited as a quarterback, Allen also had several scholarship offers to play basketball. His father, Jackie Allen, played pro basketball in Europe. McNabb played basketball at Syracuse.
"It's a big step from being a college quarterback," Allen said of his experience under center.
Allen took over as the starting free safety at South Florida during his sophomore year and started the last 39 games. He finished with 224 tackles, nine interceptions, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Scouts say Allen's strengths are his size and athleticism. He has the potential to excel in coverage, but he also has been labeled an inconsistent tackler.
"That's their opinion," Allen said. "I'm just going to come in and try to show everybody that I can tackle, be a consistent tackler and just always improve. I can always improve in everything."
Reid had high praise for Allen's tackling skills.
"He's a ball hawk and he's a very good tackler," Reid said. "We're very comfortable with him. He's intelligent. He's an accurate tackler. A lot of hard hitters miss sometimes. He doesn't. He's strong in both the run and the pass and has a knack for making big plays."
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
