Eagles three-round mock draft: Birds get upgrades in the trenches and add versatile piece in secondary

Now that free agency is mostly in the rearview mirror, the NFL draft is on the horizon, and the Eagles have the 32nd pick this year after winning the Super Bowl. Over the last few weeks, the Eagles have lost several key pieces, most notably Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay, and Mehki Becton.

While there have been several additions on short-term deals, like edge rushers Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche, tight ends Kylen Granson and Harrison Bryant, and defensive back Adoree’ Jackson, the Birds may be looking to add more pieces to its defensive line, secondary, and offensive line.

With one pick in each of the first three rounds, here are our early predictions on whom the Eagles could select.

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There’s a significant chance the Eagles don’t pick at 32nd overall at all. Safety is the toughest landing spot to nail in the draft. Since 2020, just three safeties have gone in Round 1, all of them coming in 2022 (Kyle Hamilton, Daxton Hill, and Lewis Cine). Coincidentally, Cine is now with the Eagles.

The Eagles have become the Philly Dawgs, and Starks would be the latest addition to that trend. The 6-foot-1, 197-pounder finished his career with six interceptions and 17 passes defended and is a three-level playmaker, providing run support and playing as a single-high safety in Georgia’s secondary. His combine testing showed he was an above-average athlete, with a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, a 33-inch vertical leap, a 4.45-second 20-yard shuttle, and 7.26-second three-cone drill.

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But when he came out for defensive back workouts, he starred in drill work, smoothly transitioning out of his backpedal and flipping his hips with fluidity. That matches what you see on tape, a player with the intelligence to diagnose plays pre-snap and the sideline-to-sideline speed to close on routes over the middle of the field and deep downfield.

After trading C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans, the Eagles don’t have a proven safety opposite Reed Blankenship. Sydney Brown was hurt late in his rookie season and missed a large portion of last season, and Tristin McCollum has played largely on special teams. Starks would add another potential core piece to a secondary that saw rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean play at a high level.

Playing alongside a dominant defensive line, Sanders followed a strong redshirt sophomore season with an equally productive 2024 season. The 6-4, 297-pound interior lineman has the quickness to win as a pass rusher and heavy hands to knock back offensive linemen. The Eagles have shown interest in him — they had a formal meeting at the combine — and while he did not run the 40-yard dash during his workout, he had a 31.5-inch vertical and a 9-4 broad jump and ran a 7.7-second three-cone drill and 4.67-second 20-yard shuttle.

Though Sanders isn’t as explosive as some projected first-round defensive linemen, he plays with an excellent blend of power and finesse. He’s athletic enough to win in multiple gaps along a defensive line and can knife through opposing offensive lines as a run defender and pass rusher. He’s also got a two-handed swipe in his arsenal as a pass rusher. Against true pass sets, Sanders won 21.4% of his reps, according to Pro Football Focus.

With Williams departing in free agency, the Eagles need more juice alongside Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Sanders can provide that, and plays with rare power for a player who was a sub-300-pound defensive lineman.

Tight end seemingly will be addressed at some point in this draft. Despite signing Granson and Bryant, neither looks to be a long-term answer, considering Dallas Goedert’s uncertain future with the Eagles. Oregon’s Ferguson can stretch the seams and be a reliable middle-of-the-field option with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

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Ferguson, who started in games all four years, ran the fastest 40-yard dash among all tight ends at 4.63 seconds and showed lower-body explosiveness with a 39-inch vertical leap and a 10-2 broad jump. According to PFF, 387 of his 591 yards came after the catch. The 6-5, 247-pound player was moved all over the formation, and played more of a flexed-out wide receiver role at Oregon.

While his blocking needs to improve and his route running could be sharper, he brings the type of receiving upside that would benefit the Eagles offense.