Reid's prescience is about to pay off.(NFL Preview)(Andy Reid)

Sometimes, draft picks look curious on draft day. When the Eagles took defensive backs with their first three picks in 2002, some folks were puzzled. Why would the Eagles do that when they already had Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor and Brian Dawkins?

Folks, Andy Reid was thinking ahead. Sure, that trio gave the Eagles perhaps the most formidable secondary in the league. But at the time, Vincent was 30, Taylor and Dawkins were 28, and Reid knew he'd lose them eventually to injuries, the free-agent market or Father Time. Sure enough, cornerbacks Vincent and Taylor played in the same game only five times last year, and both left as free agents. Dawkins returns at free safety after missing nine games with a foot injury.

Suddenly, good young cornerbacks are just what the Eagles need. Enter Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, who were taken 26th and 59th overall, respectively, in the 2002 draft. For two years, they were tutored by Vincent and Taylor. They sat with them in meetings, worked out with them, practiced with them, played with them. From their first minicamp, when Vincent stood behind Sheppard for every walkthrough and coached him on ...