Eagles Offseason Part 5: The Draft

With the NFL Combine behind us, it is officially draft season! Of course, we still have to wait two more months until the first pick on April 23rd, but draft season nonetheless. During that eternity, there is going to be a lot of changes due to workouts, trades, and especially free agency. Still, I want to get ahead of not only what the Eagles need, but what you can expect from Howie Roseman and company.

Picks

Round 1 – 23rd
Round 2 – 54th
Round 3 – 68 (from Jets)
Round 3 – 98 (comp pick – Milton Williams)
Round 4 – 122
Round 4 – 137 (comp pick – Josh Sweat)
Round 5 – 151 (from Falcons)
Round 5 – 179 (comp pick – Mekhi Becton)
Round 6 – 203

More Picks?

While having 9 picks is pretty good, there is still a potential for more, or at least different, picks. Obviously, I am talking about trades. While the media’s focus is on potential trade packages for AJ Brown, the guy we should really be talking about is Tanner McKee. The Eagles would be foolish not to trade him. He is a free agent after this season and probably deserves a chance to start somewhere else, like the Jets, Cardinals, or Dolphins. If the Eagles are offered a 2nd rounder or even the Cardinals 65th pick, they should jump on it. We might know McKee’s fate as early as the next 2 weeks.

Who Might Trade for Tanner McKee 2.0

My other possibility is a Zack Baun trade. While this has met with a ton of resistance from the fan base, it cannot be discounted. The idea is that if the Eagles want to resign Nakobe Dean, that would mean dealing away Baun to make room for Jihaad Campbell. While this is not likely, it would mean the likely addition of a 2nd round pick.

There are chances for others to get traded as well, most likely Tyler Steen in favor of Willie Lampkin. If this were to happen though, it would be much closer to the start of the season and involve 2027 picks. The same would likely be true (though not necessary) in any AJ Brown trade.

Positions of Need, Positions of Value

The Eagles subscribe to a value system in terms of draft positions. The markets for running backs, centers, guards, linebackers, safeties, and tight ends lag behind other positions. Though a great player at those positions can no doubt change a team, the free agent version of those same positions will not cost nearly as much as quarterbacks, tackles, receivers, corners, and EDGE rushers. For this reason, the Eagles will look to the more expensive positions in the first round because these are frankly cheaper comparatively. They also love their succession plans. It was no coincidence that Jalen Carter and Cam Jurgens were drafted at the end of the careers of Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce.

Of course, last year the Eagles took LB Jihaad Campbell at #31. At one level, this was out of the norm in terms of position value, but on the other the team clearly feared that Nakobe Dean wasn’t just hurt but would also be leaving via free agency.

Right Tackle
- Lane Johnson will play this season, but next year is now a big question mark. The Eagles are infamously 18-27 when he doesn’t play compared to 110-57-1 when he does. He missed 7 games last season. Even if he plays 2 more seasons, the Eagles simply can’t afford to not have his replacement ready to suit up at any moment.
- This should be the Eagles #1 priority. Before the combine, Monroe Freeling and Kayden Proctor were popular predictions, but they improved their stock to the point where the Eagles would need to trade up to get them. Still, this is a good draft for offensive tackles.
EDGE
- Depending on what happens in free agency, the Eagles are either very healthy or very weak. That is the variability that comes with Jaelan Phillips. With him, Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt complete a solid rotation that could see late round flyers join the team as lottery tickets. However, should Phillips leave and no one take his place, all of a sudden this is a big problem position that could challenge RT for top priority.
- Pass rusher fits the Eagles priority model and could provide too much value to pass up even with a Phillips return. If that happens, Nolan Smith could be on the trade block.
Tight End
- Rumors have been that the Eagles are both negotiating with Dallas Goedert and definitely moving on from him. Thanks guys. It really doesn’t matter though as tight end is a long overdue position of need. Something always seems to get in the way of getting that replacement though.
- If Jaelan Phillips comes back and the Eagles have sufficient depth on the lines, the next starting tight end is probably the most pressing long-term need. Kenyon Sadiq is the clear cut #1 but after him there is a clear drop off that may carry as far as the 3rd round with Eli Stowers, Max Klare, Jack Endries, and Michael Trigg.
CB2
- With established monsters entering their 3rd seasons in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, now would be a solid time to invest a Day 2 level pick in cornerback. All you need is a guy to hold his own likely covering the 3rd best receiver on the field. The Eagles tried to finesse this position last year and failed. CB makes for a good investment too
- The Eagles thankfully have two 3rd round picks. Either one would be a good place for a CB with either an athletic upside, small school pedigree, or high production with decent testing. The blemish on the armor will drop them from the 1st and 2nd rounds and end up being perfect for our needs.
Safety
- The Eagles selected Drew Mukuba as the final pick in the 2nd round last year. He started slow but came on before getting wrecked by Sydney Brown. The Eagles are not going to go back-to-back years on Day 2 safety picks especially when late season addition Marcus Epps stepped in and played well.
- Safety ranks last for me in terms of the Eagles using draft resources to find a starter. I see the Eagles bringing in a veteran safety before a veteran CB this year. This is likely a Day 3 depth pick.
WR3
- Since 2021 when the Eagles drafted DeVonta Smith 10th overall, do you know how many receivers they have taken with their 39 draft picks? 2, Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson. Smith didn’t make it to year 2 and Wilson is a tight end waiting to happen (look at these size numbers). They haven’t taken a speedy WR3 type since John Hightower and Quez Watkins in 2020 (Ainias Smith was a Jalen Reagor type who was supposed to be fast but wasn’t).
- Obviously if AJ Brown gets traded, things change, but otherwise expect the team to add a threat that they haven’t had since…Torrey Smith? Does he even count? The two fastest receivers in the draft, Brenen Thompson and Zavion Thomas, both profile as Day 3 picks of interest.
Line Depth
- When in doubt, draft an interior lineman on either side of the ball. It’s the best way to fill out a roster.

Oddities

It could be a coincidence, but for some reason, before 2021 the Eagles were heavily invested in the Pac-10. Washington, Washington State, Stanford, Oregon, and USC were the targets yielding some pretty terrible picks like Andre Dillard, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, and Sidney Jones. That bad strategy was mercifully euthanized with the drafting of DeVonta Smith out of Alabama. Since that pick, the Eagles have gone ham on the SEC and specifically Georgia and Alabama. They still don’t draft from LSU and Ohio state very much though…

The Eagles and Avoiding College Football Royalty

[I ended up writing way more on this and it turned into a separate article]

Too Long, Read Anyway

1st Round – Right Tackle of the future unless Jaelan Phillips leaves (he won’t)
2nd Round – Edge
3rd Round (2 picks) – Tight End and CB2
4th Round (2 picks) – Fast WR and Safety
5th and 6th rounds (3 picks)¹ – DT and Guards

There is damn near a 0% chance they make all these picks without trades, so these round guidelines don’t matter as much as the number of picks ↩︎

Philly Front Office