Eagles NFL draft: If Howie Roseman builds around Jalen Hurts, which prospects fit best?

If we take Howie Roseman at his word, the next few months will be spent giving Jalen Hurts more help.

The Eagles’ general manager said Wednesday his priority this spring will be building the team around the young quarterback. The next step, Roseman said, is surrounding Hurts with talent.

“We have to do whatever we can to continue to help him develop,” he said. “How do we do that? By surrounding him with really good players, players who continue to grow. That’s a huge part of developing, they grow. How they are in their second year is not how they are going to be in Years 4, 5, 6 and 7. And they are also products of the people around them. That’s on us to continue to build this team.”

Whether Roseman’s vote of confidence for Hurts will play out is to be determined, but what does an NFL draft strategy that takes into consideration Hurts’ strengths and shortcomings look like?

Here are a few ideas, with some prospects who make sense in each scenario:

Based solely on the Eagles’ track record, an offensive-line focus early in the draft is probably the most likely scenario going into the spring. Ensuring the offensive line maintains the dominant level of play it displayed this season is also one of the most logical methods to help Hurts progress. The offensive front not only kept a clean pocket for Hurts in the pass game, but it was instrumental in the run game centered around Hurts as well.

Restocking on the offensive front will help cover one of Hurts’ weak points from last season: His time to throw. According to Pro Football Focus, Hurts averaged 3.19 seconds to find a target, the slowest in the league. Part of that had to do with his tendency to extend plays by escaping the pocket, but part of it is also tied to him not always seeing the field well. The offensive line gave Hurts the time he needed last season, ranking fourth in ESPN’s pass-blocking rankings.

There are a few questions marks on the interior line going into the offseason. Both 34-year-old center Jason Kelce and 31-year-old guard Brandon Brooks could contemplate retiring. Kelce has considered it each of the last few years, and there are unconfirmed reports that Brooks will retire after missing all but two games in the last two years with severe injuries.

There’s plenty of evidence of teams finding quality interior line starters, even difference makers, late in the draft. But it makes sense for the Eagles to target a center or guard early if they have to replace an impact player like Kelce or Brooks on short notice.

Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is the obvious connection if the Eagles need a Kelce replacement. He is comparable to Kelce in playing style, size, and athleticism. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Linderbaum is ranked as a top-10 prospect by most, but the stigma around drafting centers so high makes him more of a midround proposition.

If Linderbaum ends up elsewhere, Memphis guard Dylan Parham could be a candidate to move to center. He’s played guard and right tackle for the Tigers, but he’s 6-3, 285 with the athleticism and instincts to play center. He’s not nearly as NFL-ready as Linderbaum, but the there’s some upside there.

There’s also a valid argument to be made that the Eagles should take yet another stab at the wide receiver position early in the draft.

It’s hard to imagine Roseman drafting a receiver in the first round for a third year in a row and going four consecutive years taking one in the first two rounds, but it’s fair to point out that all that draft capital has not resulted in a deep, talented group of pass-catchers for Hurts.

DeVonta Smith appears to be on track to be a true No. 1 receiving target after a strong rookie season and Quez Watkins has earned a role as a deep threat, but the Eagles don’t have a big-bodied possession receiver going into the offseason. Teams typically like to have diversity in body types and playing styles in the wide receiver room, so adding a bigger receiver to pair with Smith makes sense. It would also give Hurts another big target capable of making contested catches.

It’s a pretty good year for big wideouts. USC’s Drake London (6-5, 210) and Arkansas’ Treylon Burks (6-3, 225) are projected first-rounders who fit the bill, although they’re very different players.

London is an exceptional route runner for his size and has good speed. Of his 88 catches for the Trojans last season, there were plenty of contested catches, plus he has an edge to him when running after the catch. Yes, the JJ Arcega-Whiteside comparisons are there — strength of competition and a lack of consistent separation in college are concerns for London — but London is faster and a better route-runner than Arcega-Whiteside was.

By comparison, Burks’ routes aren’t as crisp as London’s, but he’s proved that he can separate against some of the best cornerbacks in college football. He had eight catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama in November, showing a combination of sneaky burst and playmaking ability. He’s effective running after the catch and has noteworthy contact balance, he just has to improve as a route-runner.

Another intriguing, less-expensive option could be a mid-round tight end. Under coach Nick Sirianni, the Eagles’ offense ran the third-highest number of plays out of heavy personnel packages (formations with two or three tight ends), behind only the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. Adding a tight end to complement Dallas Goedert on Day 2 or 3 would make sense, unless the team thinks Jack Stoll or Tyree Jackson can take a big enough step to keep that role next season.

If tight end is the target, Texas A&M’s Jalen Wydermyer (6-5, 255) is considered TE1 for his versatility. Jeremy Ruckert (6-5, 252) didn’t have a huge role in the Ohio State offense this season, but he’s another interesting prospect because of his willingness as a blocker. He’s flashed ability as a receiver as well, but he’s already proved he can be an effective tight end even with a limited role in the passing game.

As Goedert assumes more of a role as a receiver, adding another tight end who blocks with power and effort would make sense.

There is, of course, the prevalent argument that the Eagles should prioritize defensive talent early and often in the draft, with the offense as secondary concern.

The team has significant needs on all three levels of the defense and there’s plenty of uncertainty at key spots. Depending on how free agency goes, the Eagles could be replacing three-quarters of their starting secondary. They don’t have a clear-cut difference maker at edge rusher, a position they value highly, and their linebacking corps continues to be a weak spot.

A defense-focused first round would go a long way toward restocking for the group and would also help widen the margin of error for Hurts and the offense, although starting three or more rookies all at once could be prohibitive. It’s a deep edge-rusher class with a handful of guys expected to be available in range of the Eagles’ three first-round picks. Michigan’s David Ojabo (6-5, 250) and Purdue’s George Karlaftis (6-4, 275) are on the high end of that range, but both have been projected to the Eagles in recent mock drafts.

Karlaftis is likely the more pro-ready of the two: He has more experience and already has a variety of pass-rush moves that should translate reasonably well to the next level. There’s debate as to whether he has the explosiveness to be an elite rusher in the NFL, though.

Ojabo is much more of an upside play, although it comes with more risk. The Nigeria native moved to the United States as a teenager and only started playing football as a junior at Blair Academy in New Jersey. He was also just a one-year starter at Michigan. Still, his explosiveness and strength make him a legitimate first-rounder. He might need to take on a smaller role as a rookie, but he could develop into a difference maker.