Eagles draft: Will Birds dip into interior defensive line class after Fletcher Cox’s retirement?

The Eagles’ interior defensive line group will be a little different in 2024. Fletcher Cox has retired, thrusting Jalen Carter, last year’s first-round selection, and Jordan Davis, the Eagles’ 2022 first-rounder, into leading roles. Milton Williams and late-rounder Moro Ojomo will also be in the mix.

It’s unlikely the Eagles will spend a third consecutive first-round selection on a defensive tackle, though the top of the 2024 class is as good as any over the last couple of drafts. While there aren’t many worth using a premium pick on, a number of players can fill specific roles.

Here’s a look at 10 defensive line prospects the Eagles should monitor leading up to the draft.

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One of the most dominant defensive players in the draft, Illinois standout Newton is easily a top-15 talent in this class. Playing all over the Illini’s defensive line, the consensus All-American who had 7½ sacks can win with speed, power, and finesse. His activity, specifically as a pass rusher, makes him tough to stop , as teams were forced to double-team him.

While Newton is a bit lean for a defensive tackle — he weighed in at 6-foot-2, 304 pounds at the NFL combine — his ability to win the leverage battle in the running game makes him more than just a one-dimensional, gap shooting player. Though he’s battling with Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy for the top defensive tackle spot, Newton’s body of work, not just this year,but over the last two years, shows a future Pro Bowl talent.

Murphy (6-0½, 297 pounds) has heavy hands to get into the chest of offensive linemen, along with the speed to win as a pass rusher in multiple alignments. He also possesses the quickness and savvy to knife through offensive lines defending the run, while playing with excellent leverage to split double teams on running downs as well.

Murphy’s rise into potentially being one of the first defensive players off the board has a lot to do with his athletic profile, on the field from his film, and athletic testing. One of the top performers at the NFL combine, Murphy ran a 4.87-second 40-yard dash (1.69 10-yard split), had a 33-inch vertical, and a 9-foot, 3-inch broad jump. His fluidity as a pass rusher, from swim moves to winning with pure speed, could make him one of the most disruptive three-techniques in the league.

One of the strongest run defenders in the class, Michigan’s Jenkins has powerful hands and lower-body torque to move offensive linemen at the point of attack. His ability to stand his ground when facing double teams and backside blocks at 6-3, 299 pounds is impressive. He displays excellent core strength despite having a light lower half. A two-year starter, Jenkins finished 2023 with 36 tackles (four for losses), two sacks, and one interception for the national champion Wolverines.

While his pass rushing was inconsistent, Jenkins has the tools and explosiveness to win with power. At the combine he tested as one of the top defensive linemen, running a 4.91-second 40 and leaping a 9-7 broad jump. A likely Day 2 selection, Jenkins could provide early down run-stuffer duties.

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Playing like a brawler, Clemson’s Orhorhoro has serious power in his hands that allow him to create separation against interior linemen in the run game. In his fifth and final season with the Tigers, Orhorhoro matched his tackle-for-losses total of the last three seasons, with eight, but set a career high in sacks (5) and had a pass run win rate of 8.7% per PFF, the highest of his career.

He’s not all power as a defensive tackle, either. Orhorhoro ran a 4.89-second 40 at 6-4, 294, along with a 9-8 broad jump and 32-inch vertical, to cap a strong testing day showcasing his lower-body explosiveness. Though he relies on his athleticism as a pass rusher with no consistent go-to move just yet, his skill set will allow him to be a gap-shooting three-technique at the NFL level. He’s not an ideal fit for the Eagles and likely won’t last until the fourth round, but would be a big upgrade as a potential big edge rusher on early downs if he ends up in Philly.

Nose tackle Sweat is a rare combination of a run stuffer with upside a pass rusher. The fifth-year senior finished 2023 with career highs in tackles (45), tackles for losses (eight), and sacks (two). He has heavy hands and quickness to not only push the pocket on passing downs but gash offensive lines for stops in the backfield.

However, Sweat was recently arrested for driving while intoxicated, and in Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s draft guide, the Texas standout was described as a “party animal” and “class clown.” The off-field concerns could cause him to go later than his talent suggests, which makes him an unlikely draft candidate for the Eagles, whoalready have a player with similar skills in Davis.

Fiske is an athletic profile outlier, with 31-inch arms, but plays with his hair on fire and is nearly impossible to block when he slices through offensive lines. A transfer from Western Michigan, Fiske finished 2023 with 43 tackles (nine for losses) and six sacks, including a dominant performance in the ACC championship game against Louisville. He had 4½ tackles for losses and three sacks in his final game in a Seminoles uniform, blowing up run plays and using his explosive first step and power to disrupt early and often.

No one could block Fiske at the Senior Bowl with his relentless effort and speed, which he showed off at the combine by running a faster 40-yard dash than Patrick Mahomes (4.78 seconds), with a 9-3 broad jump and 33½-inch vertical, and a 4.37-second short shuttle time, two-tenths of a second faster than Aaron Donald. Though at age 24 he’s an older player and doesn’t offer much length, his explosiveness and disruptiveness are worth taking in the first two rounds.

Opinions are split on whether Dorlus is a true three-technique or a defensive end, but he’s included with interior defensive linemen because of his versatility. Over his nearly 2,000 defensive college snaps over five seasons, Dorlus had 755 as a defensive or nose tackle, 522 as a traditional hand-down defensive end, and 673 as a standup outside linebacker. Though his stats took a dip last year, with 25 tackles (6½ for losses), five sacks, and 10.5% pass rush win rate, he totaled 46 pressures and 35 quarterback hurries, per PFF.

He measured in at the combine at 6-3, 283, which profiles more as a smaller defensive tackle rather than a bigger defensive end, running a 4.85-second 40, with a 30½-inch vertical leap and a 9-3 broad jump. Still, his pass rushing ability, coupled with his length (33¼-inch arms) allows him to bench press both interior defensive linemen and tackles. His first-step quickness enables him to make plays both as a pass rusher and run defender. Dorlus would be an intriguing fit for the Eagles, with the flexibility to kick out as a standup player on running downs to set the edge and be a versatile piece as a pass rusher, lining up in the interior or outside in those situations.

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Though he’s on the smaller side (6-3, 290), Hall has the first-step quickness and explosiveness to generate quick wins from the three-technique position as a pass rusher. He was never a full-time starter on the Ohio State defensive line, but Hall played in 12 games with sevenstarts in 2023, compiling 24 tackles (two for losses) with 1½ sacks, but don’t let the raw stats fool you. He finished with an 18.4% pass rush win rate, per PFF, with 29 pressures and 22 quarterback hurries. His spin move and cross-chop pass rush move allow him to keep interior offensive linemen off balance.

His dominance was evident at Senior Bowl practices. Though his small frame doesn’t hold up well against double teams, Hall has gap-shooting ability as a run defender, using his quickness to knife upfield, allowing him to be disruptive. Though the Eagles don’t necessarily need more pass-rush specialists, Hall would be nice value, if he’s there on Day 3 of the draft.

Carter is one defensive lineman who is flying under the radar. He has the length and power to overwhelm interior offensive linemen as a pass rusher. Carter, who finished 2023 with 41 tackles and 3½ tackles for losses, was credited with 18 pressures, per PFF. Though his 2022 season was more consistent, when he had career highs in sacks (5½) and tackles for losses (11), Carter still flashed the ability to be disruptive at times in 2023, particularly against Notre Dame. His pass rush win rate dipped in half this season, from 12.4% in 2022 to 6.2% in 2023.

A standout on the first practice of the 2024 Senior Bowl, Carter can make plays from the three-technique, and one-technique, and even has juice as a standup rusher. While the Eagles have plenty of talent and invested a handful of picks in the defensive line the last couple of years, Carter would be a nice Day 3 addition.

An underrated defensive lineman who was a big NFL combine snub, Northern Iowa’s Boyd was a top performer at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound interior lineman has plenty of power in his lower half to get underneath the pads of offensive linemen. Boyd finished the 2023 season with 3½ sacks and a 16.1% pass-rush win rate, according to PFF.

Likely a Day 3 selection in the fifth or sixth rounds, Boyd has upside as a rotational defensive lineman, with a specialty as a pass rusher. His swim move from the interior, coupled with his powerful hands, was difficult to stop at the college level. He could provide defensive line depth for an already impressive Eagles group.