Eagles hoping 2d-round pick Dickerson takes healthy turn
With their first pick on the second day of the draft, the Eagles selected the heir apparent to center Jason Kelce. But only if Landon Dickerson of Alabama can somehow stay healthy.
The 6-foot-6, 326-pound mountain of a man is coming off multiple ankle and knee injuries, most recently a torn ACL that ended his streak of 24 straight SEC starts in a career that began under Jimbo Fisher at Florida State.
In the third round, the Eagles traded back slightly to select defensive tackle Milton Williams of Louisiana Tech. The Eagles sent the 70th pick to the Carolina Panthers, who threw in a fifth-round choice.
After the Williams selection, the Eagles were part of an awkward but interesting moment shown on TV. General manager Howie Roseman was giving fist bumps to everyone in the war room, but front office executive
Tom Donahoe did so grudgingly, and Roseman threw his arms out in the old, what did I do pose?
“Yeah, I think when we were at pick 70 there were a couple of guys that we liked on the board,” Roseman said. “We moved back a little bit to see how it would go. A couple of guys that we liked went, as well. … You get favorites, you get guys that you feel really strongly about. At the end of the day Milton Williams is an exciting player for our football team. We’re excited to have him.”
As for Dickerson, save for a fourth-quarter cameo, he was unable to play in the national championship game for the Crimson Tide due to an ACL tear that still hasn’t healed.
“My recovery is right where I want it to be,” Dickerson said. “We don’t have an exact time frame. My ultimate goal is to be able to do whatever I can to make the team better no matter what stage I’m at this summer or whenever we get to the season. I want to be able to compete and be at practice by the start of the season, but obviously things may change. But right now, I’m right on schedule to where I want to be.”
At Alabama, Dickerson teamed up with wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who the Eagles took off the board in the first round of the draft.
Dickerson likely would have been a first-rounder had he been healthier. The Baltimore Ravens were rumored to be sweet on him near the end of the first round.
Though the Eagles are comfortable with the prognosis, time will tell.
With size, functional strength and leadership, Dickerson checks off all the boxes except the medical. Whether it’s horsing around doing cartwheels behind Mac Jones at the Alabama pro day or building a makeshift weight room in the carport of his place near campus, he’s the ultimate team guy.
Dickerson made no excuses about the injuries. He said he could play all five offensive line positions and would step in wherever the coaches thought he could best help. He has a bond with Birds offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who spent a chunk of his career in Tuscaloosa.
What Dickerson hates to do is waste time rehashing the injuries. Truth be told, Dickerson suffered seasonending injuries in 2016 (ACL) and 2017 (ankle) at Florida State, as well as 2018 (ankle). With ACL and tightrope surgeries in his medical records, he’ll fit right into the offensive line room of the Eagles, where Lane Johnson (ankle) and Brandon Brooks (Achilles’ tendon) are on the mend.
“I’m just taking it day by day right now,” Dickerson said. “I’m looking to get back as soon as I can and work on some things and doing whatever I can to make this team better. My favorite DeVonta Smith story? I may save those for another day. DeVonta is a great dude. I love him to death and I’m really excited to get to work with him and play for him.”
The Eagles selected Dickerson with the fifth pick of the second round, one with
several other options available.
Others were projected first-round picks Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the linebacker out of Notre Dame, Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. of Florida State.
At the same time there is no question the Eagles need depth inside and outside on the offensive line. Dickerson could be the fix.
The weight room was the ultimate team act, Dickerson opening it up when COVID-19 hit and resulted in the Crimson Tide players being forced out of their training center.
“It was out of necessity,” Dickerson said. “We didn’t have the ability to go work out at our facility, so I wanted to give the guys a place to work out. I come to work,
and I want to compete every day. I don’t let the past bother me. What’s in the past is in the past. You can’t change it. You’ve just got to live with it and move on.”
Speaking of Kelce and Brooks, Dickerson is eager to work with them. The early indications are they share his love for the line.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity,” Dickerson said. “Both of them are extremely talented players, extremely experienced. I’m really looking forward to talking with them to learn what the NFL is going to be like for me, and also learn more about offensive line play.”
Williams (6-3, 284) clocked a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day and has an athletic body lean and bend turning the corner. H was a two-year starter who last season registered 44 tackles, including 10 for loss and 4.5 sacks.