NFL draft, Day 1: Sizing up the Eagles’ needs, a rundown of their picks, and more

At long last, the Eagles are almost on the clock.

The NFL draft kicks off Thursday at 8 p.m. in Detroit. Over a span of three days, the Eagles will assemble their newest draft class in an effort to field a younger, more talented team in 2024 and beyond. Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about the Eagles headed into the draft:

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The Eagles have eight picks going into the draft. They haven’t made eight or more since 2019, a draft haul that included DeVonta Smith (No. 10 overall) and Landon Dickerson (No. 37) among nine picks.

This year’s picks include: Round 1 (No. 22 overall), Round 2 (two selections, Nos. 50 and 53), Round 4 (No. 120), Round 5 (three selections, Nos. 161, 171, and 172), and Round 6 (No. 210). The final three selections are compensatory picks.

The Eagles have various short- and long-term needs, primarily on the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback falls under each category. Darius Slay and James Bradberry are penciled in as the starting outside corners next season. But the 30-year-old Bradberry’s play declined last year and the 33-year-old Slay has two years remaining on his deal.

The edge rushers underwent a bit of a makeover this offseason with the free-agent addition of Bryce Huff and the trade of Haason Reddick. But the Eagles have only two edge rushers under contract beyond 2024 in Huff and Nolan Smith, the 30th overall pick in 2023. The Eagles could stand to add one in the draft with Brandon Graham planning to retire after 2024 and Josh Sweat going into the final year of his deal.

Offensively, the Eagles are far more solidified for the short and long term at most positions. However, it’s fair to wonder if Howie Roseman wants a succession plan in place for Lane Johnson, the franchise right tackle who turns 34 in May. He has three more years left on his deal and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. Still, Roseman has a track record of planning in advance for impending needs (see his selection of Cam Jurgens in 2022, two years before Jason Kelce’s retirement).

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If the Eagles opt to select Johnson’s heir apparent, particularly early on in the draft, they could go one of two routes — a player who could fill in at right guard in the short term before moving to right tackle or a pure tackle who needs time to develop before jumping in as a starter.

Roseman offered this insight into his draft philosophy on April 16:

“We’ve got to do the draft as what’s best for the long-term version of the Philadelphia Eagles,” Roseman said. “If the long-term vision of our needs and our positional priorities is met with the short-term impact, that’s a beautiful thing. But at the end of the day, we’re not going to stretch and reach on anything just because maybe there’s a perceived need.”

Roseman recently summed up his feelings toward draft-day moves: “I like the trades.”

Based on recent history, there’s a strong possibility that he tries to make a move, particularly in the first round. Roseman has traded either up or back in the first round in all but one of his last six drafts. He moved up in four of them (2023, 2022, 2021, 2019), moved back in one (2018), and stayed put once (2020).

Given the top-heavy nature of this year’s draft class, it seems most likely that Roseman would try to package No. 22 to move up in the first round rather than moving back to acquire additional 2024 draft capital. After all, the Eagles already have eight picks. If they were to trade up, an offensive tackle or a cornerback could make the most sense given the talent expected to come off the board in the first round.

It’s also worth noting that the Eagles had the most success with their players in the first round who were drafted before pick No. 20. Those taken with selections No. 21 or later include receiver Jalen Reagor (No. 21 in 2020), tackle Andre Dillard (No. 22 in 2019), linebacker Marcus Smith (No. 26 in 2014), and guard Danny Watkins (No. 23 in 2011). That group combined for 51 starts in an Eagles uniform (12.8 per player). Edge rusher Nolan Smith (No. 30 in 2023) is trying to prove himself as an outlier.

Roseman has developed a recent reputation for taking Georgia Bulldogs in the draft. His picks from Georgia include defensive tackle Jalen Carter (No. 9 overall in 2023), Smith, cornerback Kelee Ringo (fourth round, 2023), defensive tackle Jordan Davis (No. 13 in 2022), and inside linebacker Nakobe Dean (third round, 2022).

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Georgia boasts another talented crop in this year’s draft class, headlined by tight end Brock Bowers. While the Eagles may soon be on the hunt for their long-term successor to 29-year-old Dallas Goedert, Bowers could be out of their range with pick No. 22, even in a trade-up scenario. Offensive tackle Amarius Mims could be a possibility at No. 22 if the Eagles decide to stay or move up within a few spots. Mims falls into the category of a developmental tackle with starting upside given he had just eight starts in college.

Other names to watch in the Georgia draft class include safety Javon Bullard, receiver Ladd McConkey, cornerback Kamari Lassiter, and safety Tykee Smith, the former Imhotep star.

Again, Roseman has a significant recent track record trading for established veterans on draft day. Last year, he acquired running back D’Andre Swift from the Detroit Lions after they selected Jahmyr Gibbs, a running back out of Alabama, with the No. 12 overall pick. In 2022, Roseman acquired receiver A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans, who went on to use the No. 18 selection they picked up in the trade on receiver Treylon Burks.

If the Eagles don’t select a corner in the first round, perhaps they would be interested in trading for a veteran. Their recent approach to identifying starters on the outside has been to look outside the organization. For example, the Eagles acquired Slay from the Lions one month before the draft in 2020. They signed Bradberry in free agency in 2022.

The general consensus among draft analysts is that this draft class features a deep talent pool of offensive tackles, wide receivers, and quarterbacks. This is also a strong draft for cornerbacks. The Eagles could take advantage of this depth by snagging players from any of these position groups in later rounds, although using a pick on a quarterback this year seems unlikely.

It’s doubtful. Rodgers hasn’t played in a year after serving a season-long suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy. The outside cornerback, who was reinstated on Tuesday, joins the Eagles on a one-year, $1.01 million deal. Although Rodgers has an opportunity to compete for a starting job in training camp, he still has plenty of questions to answer about his play after a year away from game action. The Eagles ought to take the best player available with each pick, even with Rodgers officially on the roster.