5. Rasul Douglas, Philadelphia Eagles
Drafted: Round 3, Pick 99
Position: Cornerback
2017 Season Statistics: 14 games played, 25 tackles, 13 passes defended, 2 interceptions
2017 Pro Football Focus Grade: 61.2
The Philadelphia Eagles invested their third-round selection in Rasul Douglas in 2017. The former West Virginia Mountaineers defensive back had flashed intriguing potential in college as a big-bodied ball hawk who pulled down eight interceptions in 2016.
Douglas is still in the process of figuring his game out in the NFL, but against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, he’ll need to be ready to step up.
Douglas was one of 11 rookies to record multiple interceptions in 2017, which is certainly a feather in his cap. He was fourth amongst rookies in passes defended at 13, trailing just Marshon Lattimore, Tre’Davious White, and Shaquill Griffin.
That establishes who Douglas is as a defender: Willing to take chances, and capable of getting his hands on the throws that come his way.
Against the Patriots, Douglas will need to be disciplined. Tom Brady has proven time and time again that he can make overzealous defensive backs pay, and Douglas could be the latest addition to the list if he doesn’t proceed with caution.
Philadelphia will ask him to be the player he’s most comfortably being, but one bad decision and he could be the goat in all the wrong ways. One big play and he could be hero.