Only so many of the 30 visits NFL clubs are permitted to host for draft prospects can be legitimate candidates for a given team's first-round pick. There can be little doubt, however, that one such prospect will be mingling with Chip Kelly and his staff Tuesday.
LSU defensive back Jalen Collins visits the Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday, according to csnphilly.com, and would be a strong fit for the club in more ways than one.
First and foremost, the Eagles need help in the secondary. Opposing quarterbacks torched Philadelphia for 265 yards per game last year against the NFL's 31st-ranked pass defense. The free-agency addition of Byron Maxwell was a big step in the right direction, but another step must be taken in the draft. Collins, a cornerback, has the talent to stabilize an Eagles secondary that, as the report notes, is facing significant turnover from last season.
Collins could also be a nice value fit for where the Eagles are picking in the first round.
The Eagles hold the No. 20 overall pick, which is in the neighborhood where Collins is expected to fall. NFL Media analysts Bucky Brooks and Charles Davis, in fact, project Collins as the Eagles' pick in their latest mock drafts. Collins could thus fill a significant need without requiring the Eagles to trade up or down in the draft to land him.
Collins told College Football 24/7 at his pro day that he had also scheduled visits with the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars. Both have a need at the cornerback position as well, and the Ravens pick at No. 24. Jacksonville's first two picks are Nos. 3 and 36, too early and perhaps too late to land the former Tigers star without a trade.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
