TRENT BAALKE: -- we felt we would still get one of the three guys we were targeting. Had an opportunity to move back again. Definitely ended up with a player that was rated very high on our board, a lot of value.
Q. What is it that you like about Harrison?
TRENT BAALKE: Coach (laughter)?
There's a lot of versatility, as well. We've got a plan for him, for sure.
Q. With the reports regarding Cam Robinson potentially missing time due to the suspension, how much did that sort of influence your selection today?
TRENT BAALKE: Everything plays into the draft. Everything plays into the pick. But, again, I can't stress enough, our board was set. We knew it was a pending situation for a while.
But our board was set strictly on ability, the value of the player. Coach and I talked a lot about it, just trust the board. Let's walk away from the first round with a player we really like and covet, regardless of the position.
There were multiple opportunities. If it was that big a deal, we would have obviously have made that pick and not traded back.
So we feel really good about how the day went. We got a lot of picks to go here in day two and day three.
Q. Doug, what kind of coaching did Anton get at Oklahoma? It seems like that's such a great pipeline, offensive line to the NFL.
DOUG PEDERSON: You can see it in his play. You can see it in his development. Obviously when we get our hands on him, Coach Rauscher gets his hands on him, he'll just be able to continue what he sort of has built, what he's put on tape.
There's a lot of consistency in his game. You love everything about his length and athleticism, how he moves, his strength, all things as Trent mentioned that will fit us.
We're just excited for Anton and just getting in that offensive line room, getting around the other guys in that room, getting to work.
Q. Trent, I know there probably were some guys still available that you didn't think might be there. Was this a hard decision to stay with Harrison or were you tempted with some of the other guys based on your needs?
TRENT BAALKE: Again, without going into where we had guys valued on the board, because that doesn't help us long-term, we felt really good about the pick. There was no sense in trying. Had opportunities to move back some more. We felt at that point in time there was too much risk involved. We felt really good about the pick. Coach and I looked at each other and said, Let's make the pick.
Q. Doug, Trent talked about Harrison's versatility to play different spots on the offensive line. Where is the plan for him to start working? He has to learn one spot first, right?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, obviously tackle is the spot to learn. We'll get him in here and get him going.
The biggest thing is just get him around the other guys and get him in that room, get him with Phil, Coach Washington, the guys, just start the learning process.
But right now tackle will be the first primary spot for him. But as he develops and grows, just see where he can best help us win games.
Q. Trent, with the extra draft capital that you have picked up, do you view that as possibly an option to move up a few spots if need be?
TRENT BAALKE: Yeah, absolutely. That was one of the things that coach and I talked about as the thing was unfolding. We knew we didn't want to make any big moves back, but when the opportunity came to move one back, pick up some draft capital, move two back, it was just too good a situation for us based on the way the board sat at the time.
Then when it got to the point where we made the pick, we just felt there was too much risk in going any further back. We had some opportunities, like I said earlier, to move back again.
Q. How nervous were you when there was that run on offensive tackles early? I believe this is the first time you picked and offensive tackle in the first round.
TRENT BAALKE: No.
Q. First time in a while.
TRENT BAALKE: Since I think 2010 draft.
Q. Emotions for you knowing that the edge rusher position is so critical, you just said last week addressing pass-rush is still important, but knowing you had to go this route?
TRENT BAALKE: We didn't have to go this route. Like I said, we had some players valued. We stick with the board. The value of the pick is important to us. That's our philosophy. Right, wrong or indifferent, that's how we set the board.
It's not based on need, it's based on the value of the pick. We felt at that time when we made the pick, he was the highest-valued player on our board. We made the pick.
Q. Trent, when you set your board, is it just about their talent or is it about what you can get now that you know you can't get later?
TRENT BAALKE: That's when you get into trouble, when you know that the position group may be thinned out. There's not enough numbers in the draft at, let's say, tackle. You start moving guys up, pushing their value above what their true value is.
We try to set the board. Coach and I worked tirelessly along with the other coaches and personnel staff, really worked hard at it, making sure when we pick a guy, place him on the board I should say, that the value is right, that we're going to get that type of player when we make the pick.
If we pick a player in the first round, we want to look back and say, You know what, that was good value.
Q. In terms of Anton as a person, was there anything, any cool story that you heard, any interaction you had with him that stood out to you?
TRENT BAALKE: For me, the interaction that we had with him at the Combine stood out. Really a mature young man. Good head on his shoulders. Spoke well about a lot of things. Spoke well of his family. That was important to him, that's important to us.
Just really felt the culture fit was really ideal for us.
Q. Phil obviously being able go to Oklahoma, watch his pro day, how big was that for your evaluation to get those eyes on him up close?
TRENT BAALKE: The more you get around guys, especially get your hands on them, get to feel them, especially the bigger guys, O-linemen, D-linemen, there's some value in that.
When you get the coach there, they cannot only feel the power, see them move in person, but then spend quality time with them, several hours on the board just talking to them, getting a feel for his football IQ, just his passion for the game.
He's a young man that checked all the boxes for us.
THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports