Just over a month ago, the Philadelphia Eagles were hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on their shoulders after a rout of the three-peat-seeking Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. As the offseason begins, there is likely one goal on the minds of everybody in the Eagles organization: do it again.
As the NFL enters free agency and the new league year, a handful of key contributors have left the team. Two anchors on the defensive line, tackle Milton Williams and edge-rusher Josh Sweat, left for big deals with the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals respectively. Veteran cornerbacks Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers also departed for one-year deals with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. Mekhi Becton, last year’s reclamation project for renowned offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, left for a new deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Finally, veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Houston Texans for next season’s Jeff Stoutland reclamation project: offensive lineman Kenyon Green.
With longtime stars defensive end Brandon Graham and cornerback James Bradberry retiring, the roster has a few holes. The handful of free agent role-players signed to cheap, one-year deals signals that General Manager Howie Roseman primarily intends to reload the roster via the draft at the end of April.
The Eagles have eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, all in the top five rounds. Because they won the Super Bowl, the team is last in the 32 team draft order. However, I believe there will still be plenty of talent available for Roseman to draft when the Eagles are on the clock that can begin filling the shoes of the departed vets and help the team repeat last season’s success.
The Eagles have a few position groups that they should restock with the draft. With the losses of Sweat, Graham, Slay and Gardner-Johnson; an edge rusher, outside cornerback and safety are all must haves.
Twenty-twenty-three first round edge-rusher Nolan Smith Jr. carved out his role as a big-time playmaker during the team’s Super Bowl run. However, with the departure of Sweat, there is little quality depth at the position behind Smith. Signing Azeez Ojulari from the New York Giants is seemingly more of a stopgap measure, and while I was really high on former-Troy edge-rusher Jalyx Hunt in last year’s pre-draft process, he was a third round pick for a reason and probably fits best as a rotational Robin to Smith Jr. and a new starter’s Batmen.
Last year’s first round pick Quinyon Mitchell delivered immediate results when plugged in at outside corner opposite Darius Slay. I do not see last year’s rookie sensation Cooper DeJean being moved out of the nickel position and no other corner currently on the roster will likely be anything more than a rotational piece, so another starting outside corner is a must.
With the loss of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a new starting-quality free safety is needed to slot in next to strong safety Reed Blankenship, and none of the depth currently on the roster really fits that description.
There are also a few positions where reinforcements would be a “nice to have” rather than a “must have.” Insider reports say that the Eagles are looking for the heir apparent to tight end Dallas Goedert, and taking a swing on a tight end prospect in a loaded class would be a savvy move to give the rookie time to learn while Goedert still has some gas left in the tank, similar to how Goedert was drafted while Zach Ertz was still on the roster.
While the Eagles still have some nice depth at defensive tackle, adding another big nose tackle to that room to fill the void left by Milton Williams should be a priority.
With backup linebacker Oren Burks leaving in free agency, adding more depth to that position group behind Nakobe Dean and Zach Baun should also be an area of focus. With a torn patellar tendon potentially sidelining Dean well into the 2025 season, adding a guy who could hold down the other starting spot would be prudent.
A sneaky need may be running back. With the departure of longtime backup Kenny Gainwell for the Steelers, the depth behind Saquon Barkley is alarmingly shallow. With this year’s running back class being an embarrassment of riches, now would be a good time to add to this position group.
Now that we have an understanding of the Eagles’ roster needs, below is my mock draft of some of the players I would potentially select if I was in Howie Roseman’s shoes during this year’s draft. For the sake of simplicity, I am assuming the Eagles make no trades to move up or down the board; a likely outcome based upon the team’s recent draft history.
With their first round pick (32nd overall), the Eagles should draft an edge rusher and give Nolan Smith Jr. his long-term partner-in-crime. My personal pick here would be Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College. He is one of the most complete prospects at his position with a history of production, erupting for 16.5 sacks this past season. His superior bend and arsenal of pass-rush moves allows him to quickly shed blocks and get around offensive linemen to drop the quarterback or halt a run play. His only negative is his inconsistency with converting his speed to power due to being slightly undersized, which could hinder his effectiveness when making the jump from attacking ACC to NFL offensive linemen. However, the Eagles have a loaded room of defensive line coaches who could help Ezeiruaku add weight and refine his technique.
In search of their long-term starting outside cornerback, Benjamin Morrison from Notre Dame could be a good option for the Eagles with their second round pick (64th overall). Over his three-year career with the Fighting Irish, Morrison has consistently performed at a high-level, earning First-Team All-Independent and Independent Cornerback of the Year honors during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He brings elite athleticism, physicality and football IQ to the table, and his stat sheet proves it. He was only able to play in five games this year (his junior season) due to a season-ending hip injury, which sank his draft stock from the mid-first to mid-to-late second round. Notre Dame defensive backs have a history of success at the NFL level, and since Morrison should make a full recovery, he would be a steal at pick 62.
To replace Gardner-Johnson, Texas safety Andrew Mukuba would be a good use of the third round pick (96th overall). During his four years roaming the defensive backfield with Clemson and Texas, Mukuba often showed why opposing quarterbacks should not throw his way. His superb coverage skills, nose for the ball and knack for being in the right place at the right time have earned him a ball-hawk reputation and make him a great candidate to succeed as a part of the Eagles’ secondary. His only concern is his thin frame for a safety, being under 200 pounds, but the Eagles staff could likely find a way to add some more weight.
In the fourth round (134th overall), I have the Eagles finding their Goedert successor in Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans. While not the flashiest offensive playmaker, Evans possesses good fundamentals in both the blocking and passing game, complementing his sturdy, durable build with a large catch radius and sticky hands, often proving to be a valuable outlet for quarterback Riley Leonard when a play broke down. While the Irish’s run-centric offense and lack of a deep passing attack limited his production, Evans could follow in Goedert’s footsteps and develop into a reliable third option with blocking upside.
The Eagles have four picks in the fifth round (161st, 164th, 165th and 168th overall) which I would argue should be used to add quality backups at those “nice to have” positions.
An option at 161 could be Oregon defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell. While lacking in high-end production at Oregon due to playing next to a slam-dunk first round prospect in Derrick Harmon, his tape there and at Houston shows a rising player with impressive, but unrefined tools who has the quick twitch and motor to succeed at the next level in both run defense and pash rush.
Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser would be my selection at 164. (Can you tell I like the Irish?) Kiser’s game has shown constant improvement throughout his career, proving to be one of the best all-around linebackers in this class: a sure tackler who can cover, blitz and defend the run effectively while emerging as a leader on a stacked defensive roster. While he will already be turning 25 during his rookie season, his wealth of experience against high-level talent allows him to contribute immediately.
At pick 165, I find Central Florida running back R.J. Harvey to be a suitable backup to Saquon Barkley. His squat but built stature allows him to burst through a defensive line while also being a shifty runner who’s tough to tackle in open-space. He also offers pass-catching versatility as a part of his impressive toolkit.
Finally, Louisiana State guard Miles Frazier would be a good add at pick 168. With the unstable situation at right guard ever since Cam Jurgens moved over to center after Jason Kelce’s retirement, the plan seems to be slotting in cheap vets until the true guy can be found. At 6’5”, 320lbs, Frazier provides a hulking frame and workable fundamentals which offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland could effectively school into a powerful blocker on a cheap rookie deal to provide some continuity at the right guard spot.
Despite the fact that he may regard the opinions of a superfan of the conference-rival Seahawks with some suspicion, the above selections would be my recommendation to Howie Roseman as to how to reinforce the Eagles’ roster with the youth necessary to replicate their recent success and become back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
