PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles hadn’t drafted a running back in four years, since taking Bryce Brown in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL draft. They were light on the roster after trading DeMarco Murray to Tennessee back in March.
With the first of their two fifth-round picks Saturday, the Eagles chose West Virginia running back Wendell Smallwood.
My take: The Eagles got caught up in a small run on running backs in the fifth round. The New York Giants selected UCLA’s Paul Perkins with the 149th pick of the draft. Chicago took Indiana’s Jordan Howard one pick later.
So the Eagles grabbed the 5-foot-10, 208-pound Smallwood, who led the Big 12 with 1,519 rushing yards in 2015. Smallwood also caught 31 passes for 326 yards, an aspect of his game that will be important in Doug Pederson’s West Coast-style offense.
Smallwood was investigated for witness tampering in a murder case. No charges were filed in the case. Smallwood is a native of nearby Wilmington, Delaware.
