When it comes to which teams perennially draft well, Andy Reid and his Philadelphia Eagles seem to rise above the rest of the league.  The experts and analysts love what the Eagles do.  And it really is no secret.  The Eagles, year after year, draft for the trenches.    

Now whether it's for the OL or DL this philosophy of drafting in the trenches has rightfully gotten a lot of pub on this site.  Due in almost equal part 1/ our FO neglect toward addressing the lines and 2/ the fact that we absolutely can not stop the run NOR run the ball effectively ourselves - it became clear to me that I should look further into the Eagles draft history.  So if you are like me, firmly in the belief that we would be wise to replicate the success of a team like the Eagles, you may like this closer examination of their draft.  And from it, get a glimpse of what the Bills should do come late April.  

Since Reid began, the Eagles have had 10 1st round players selected  Of those 10 players, 5 were D Lineman and 1 was an O Lineman.  That's 60% of 1st round players drafted in the trenches.  And when you look at how many games they've won over the past 12 seasons, it's hard to argue the strategy.  After the jump you will see my selection on who the Bills will pick this year if they follow this Andy Reid blueprint for success....

.....Cam Newton!

Yes, it all began for Andy Reid and the Eagles when Donovan McNabb was drafted in 1999.  This pick single handedly changed the fortune of the franchise for a decade to come.  Although many in Philly did not appreciate the offensive minded head coach picking a mobile QB from a shotgun/gimmicky offense.  Sound familiar?  Wow, how wrong they were!  Granted Donovan never won a Super Bowl.  But the fact remains that this is a QB driven league.  And getting one early allowed their head coach a chance to mold him into the QB he envisioned, while their FO took care of the trenches in the subsequent years to follow (6 out of 9 now:).  

So when the Bills have an offensive minded head coach and a FO that IMO, understands ALL of this, what do YOU believe Rumblers?