Eagles coaches 'blown away' by Jalen Mills' versatility

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Presumed to be an early round selection by experts, some off the field issues drove him down to the seventh round, where Philadelphia tagged the versatile defensive back. Mills played corner his first two seasons at school and safety the last two, against the best competition in the nation every week in Southeastern Conference play. It’s that kind of preparation that Eagles coach Doug Pederson has seen so far in his team’s offseason program.

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Since joining the Eagles, Mills has retained the skill set that endeared him to scouts: that first step off the snap, agility in open space, and the knack for throwing receivers off their rhythm off the line of scrimmage. His best season was three years ago, when he collected 67 tackles and three interceptions, and finished his LSU career with 216 total tackles and four sacks. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz thinks Mills checks all the marks for the defensive back he’s looking for. “He has shown he’s a very good athlete,” Schwartz said. “He can play the ball, and he’s comfortable being on an island. I think if you were check-marking things for corners, those would be three near or at the top.”

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