"And with the 14th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select-"

Please be anyone that isn't a running back. The Eagles are in a good position to draft another contributor this year, a player who, like Carson Wentz during last season, can become an immediate impact player this coming year. The position that the Eagles most desperately need help with is cornerback, seeing as Jalen Mills may be the only trustable player at the position. But there are also some positions that will need help, or have the potential to need help. The Eagles need to add a running back at some point (though absolutely not in the first round), they need to draft another pass rusher, they could use a little more depth at defensive tackle, now that Bennie Logan is gone, and they will most likely be in need of a linebacker, with the news that Mychal Kendricks' is being shopped. Oh, and I'm among those that believe that the Eagles should, and will, draft a wide receiver this year, even with the additions of Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith.

So, with that 14th overall pick, there are many directions that the team can go in. Here are the directions that I would approve of, in regard to which players make sense for the Eagles to draft.

Note: I will not include players that will almost definitely be gone by the time the Eagles draft (ex. Myles Garrett, Leonard Fournette, etc.).

1. Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

Barnett has gotten a lot of criticism for being an early/early mid first round pick, and scouts have pointed out that he doesn't have the quickest feet. He is, however, considered to have an amazing hand game when attacking linemen, and his production is nothing to laugh at. Barnett beat the Tennessee school record for seasons in a career, usurping that throne from the legendary Eagle, Reggie White. So, Barnett, if not being of great value at 14, is at worst a stretch of about 5 picks. As noted above, defensive end is an underrated need for the team, and this could add to Jim Schwartz's "fastball" pass-rushers.

2. John Ross, WR, Washington

This is one of the most unpopular opinions among Eagles fans, so I'll lay out both sides of the debate, and in the end, I believe one may see the absurd potential that Ross could add to the team. If Ross was drafted, it would be to give Carson Wentz a deep-threat wide receiver, having beaten the combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash. So, the usual reasons for not wanting to draft Ross:

The Eagles signed Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith already this offseason, and should not spend another resource on the wide receiver position, with Smith being a "deep threat" type of player

Ross has a history of getting injured a lot, particularly in his legs

The team has more pressing needs that can be addressed in the first round (this almost definitely means cornerback)

That's really it for reasons why not to draft Ross at 14, the most valid in my opinion being the point of drafting a corner. And for why the Eagles should draft Ross:

Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery are signed for three years and one year, respectively. Smith's production has dropped pretty gruesomely ever since signing with the 49ers, leading to his release from the team. Who knows how well Jeffery will play, entering a new system and having new expectations for a team that was starved of wide receiver talent, and has ruthless fans. Wide receiver isn't as locked down, in my opinion, as of yet

Torrey Smith is fast, but he isn't 4.22 40-yard dash fast. In fact, NOBODY has ever been that fast at the NFL Combine. That should not and cannot be understated. Ross is the fastest straight-line runner entering the NFL since the combine became an official scouting event in 1985. Eagles fans, remember how you would be watching the game on the television and see McNabb/Foles/Vick seemingly launch the football off the screen, to finally fall into the arms of DeSean Jackson for massive plays? Ross is faster than Jackson in his prime. The potential for such plays can only increase. Oh, and DeSean Jackson also personally trained John Ross on tracking the ball when going deep.

Having a deep-threat in Torrey Smith can make a defense prepare for the deep ball, but a player like John Ross can scare defenses into preparing for the deep ball. That means the Cowboys safeties have no choice but to line up 20 yards deep in case Wentz feels like bombing it to his rookie wide receiver. This opens up so much in the way of passing, leaving weapons like Jeffery, Smith, Jordan Matthews, Darren Sproles, Zach Ertz, and Trey Burton to be left in single coverage. Adding Ross could give Wentz so much more than a deep ball player, he can give him the easiest reads, the easiest throws, and the easiest matchups for a suddenly talented receiving corps. Could you ask for more in an up-and-coming "future MVP"?

I don't think it's really an argument anymore. Ross may not be the best choice at 14 (a top-notch corner would probably be better), but Ross is by far not a bad choice.

3. Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama

Reuben Foster is the best linebacker in the draft. It's as simple as that. For this reason, it is unlikely that he will be available at pick #14, but it is not impossible. I have seen at least one mock draft that has Foster falling to pick 15, which is enough to give me hope. Jimmy Kempski (my favorite Eagles beat writer) wrote on the possibility of him falling far enough that the Eagles could trade up and draft him, which you can read here. Beyond that, Foster could fill the void left behind by the soon-to-be-departed Mychal Kendricks, or the could-be-suspended Nigel Bradham. Foster could take the linebacking tier of the Eagles from good to great, adding another layer to a defense that could very soon be elite.

Also, I'm superstitious with names in the NFL. "Reuben Foster, a linebacker from Alabama" sounds horrifying.

If you need convincing, watch the following video. Mind you, Foster is hitting the 240 lbs., 4.51 forty-yard dash running human train, Leonard Fournette, who will be a top-10 pick this year.

Wow.

4. Any cornerback, pretty much

This doesn't need much explanation. The Eagles' #1 need is cornerback, and with Sidney Jones tearing his achilles and dropping out of the first round, there is suddenly no clear option at corner for pick 14. Names like Marlon Humphrey, Gareon Conley, Tre'Davious White, and Quincy Wilson continuously show up as possibilities for the Eagles, and at this point it would be a matter of the personal preferences of Schwartz, Roseman, and Dougie P. If we base it off of Schwartz's preferences, keep an eye on White, who apparently taught Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills his trademark "finger wag."

Friendly reminder: these are not players that the Eagles will draft, but instead are players that the Eagles, by my standards, are allowed to draft in the first round without me losing my mind. Notice how there is no talk of trading up for a running back, or how "Christian McCaffrey is a perfect fit for the Eagles" (even if he is a great fit). The Eagles can fill some dire needs and do great things with the players above.