Eagles enter NFL draft’s first round with two premium picks and the ammunition to trade up

LAS VEGAS — On the eve of the NFL draft’s first round, the buzz surrounding the Eagles and their two first-round picks continues to grow.

A handful of top prospects in attendance for the draft said Wednesday that the Eagles expressed significant interest in them over the last few months. Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, Alabama receiver Jameson Williams, and Ohio State receiver Chris Olave all said they went on predraft visits with the Eagles and have been in consistent communication with them.

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton also said he has been in contact with the Eagles “a good bit” but didn’t go on a visit.

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The Eagles have the 15th and 18th selections in Thursday night’s first round and there’s growing anticipation that they’ll try to trade up to secure one of the top players on their draft board.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah told The Inquirer a player such as Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux or LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. could entice Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to trade into the top 10.

“I could see the Eagles going up to nine or 10 to go get Thibodeaux,” Jeremiah said Wednesday. “Stingley would be another one, I would keep an eye on those two guys as potential trade-up guys. If the run on receivers starts and they get jumpy and really want one — that would probably surprise me a little bit more if they did that — but those are some of their targets.”

Roseman, one of the more aggressive executives in the league, said last week that he typically works out the framework for draft-night deals in the days leading into the first round and then waits to see how the draft shakes out before finalizing anything.

He also pointed to the increased hit rate when taking players with elite physical traits after being asked about his track record of being much more successful picking before the 14th pick compared to after it.

“Usually, those guys who have such unique skill sets, such unique tools in their body, they have a different chance to hit than other guys,” Roseman said. “So, I think that the higher you pick, the better chance you have of obviously getting a player who has the full complement of skill sets: good production, good tools in their body, good character. Those guys go really quick on draft day.”

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Thibodeaux and Stingley fit the mold of high-upside players with elite physical traits but lingering concerns. There have been reports of personality concerns with Thibodeaux, while Stingley has dealt with a handful of injuries and regressed after a stellar freshman year in 2019.

If either player slides, Jeremiah said Roseman’s history with New York Jets GM and former Eagles personnel executive Joe Douglas could become paramount. The Jets have the fourth and 10th picks in the draft, meaning they could facilitate the Eagles moving up at least five spots.

“Obviously, Howie has relationships with everybody,” Jeremiah said. “But he and Joe know each other really well. If that were to happen, it wouldn’t shock me.”

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Davis is another player with impressive physical traits who might not be there at 15. The 6-foot-6, 341-pounder ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash and had a 123-inch broad jump, which was 99th percentile among defensive tackles, according to mockdraftable.com.

Davis visited the Eagles with fellow Bulldogs defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt early in the predraft process. He also noted he was recruited out of high school by current Eagles defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, who had the same title with Georgia from 2014-17.

Rocker took the d-line job at the University of Tennessee by the time Davis was enrolled at Georgia, but Davis said the two have stayed in contact through the years.

“We knew each other from recruiting and it was just nice to have that connection,” Davis told The Inquirer Wednesday. “We still have a connection, he’s always checking up on me.”

Davis said at least one member of his family would be pulling for him to end up on the Eagles.

“My mom loves the team, she’s an Eagles fan,” Davis said. “She’d be really happy if it pans out and I fall to the Eagles, man.”

If the Eagles want to oblige Shay Allen, Davis’ mother, they might need to leapfrog the Baltimore Ravens at 14. Jeremiah, who was a college scout for the Ravens in the 2000s, said Davis is exactly the type of player Baltimore covets.

“The Ravens have other needs, but I just can’t see them passing on that big dude,” Jeremiah said. “He just screams ‘Ravens,’ to me. I would imagine, if you wanted Jordan Davis, if you wanted to go to bed and sleep well [Wednesday night,] you’d better have a plan to get up ahead of them.”

If there were an offensive player who fits the “unique tools” descriptor Roseman laid out, it would be Williams. He is coming off a torn ACL suffered in January but is considered the most explosive receiver in the class.

Williams, a 2021 transfer from Ohio State, didn’t overlap with Eagles receiver and former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith at Alabama, but he said the two would make for an excellent pairing.

“I feel like we complement each other’s game so well,” Williams said. “We would have the most explosive offense in the NFL. It would be a great thing linking up with Smitty. I watched him growing up and watched him make plays his whole college career.”