A too-early look at whom the Eagles might draft at No. 6 | Early Birds

Good morning, Eagles fans! It’s been a while since I’ve been the newsletter guy, but a lot has happened since the season ended. Doug Pederson was fired. Nick Sirianni was hired. And Carson Wentz ... well, he’s still in Philly — at least as of this writing — but the Eagles quarterback continues to be the topic of conversation here and across the NFL.

The Eagles are open to trading to Wentz, which essentially means that they plan on moving on from their former starter. But when will a deal get done? Which team will trade for him? And how much will general manager Howie Roseman get in return for a player he dumped loads into acquiring and more into signing to a franchise contract?

Hopefully, we’ll know sooner rather than later. But what appears to be all but certain is that Wentz’s days here are numbered. That’ll make Jalen Hurts the starter for now. But could Roseman use the No. 6 overall draft pick on a quarterback, or will he entrust next season to the second-year Hurts and select a prospect at another position?

I’ll take a closer look at the Eagles’ possibilities in the first round below. It might be early in terms of the offseason. There are still decisions to be made on returning players and options in free agency or via trade. But that doesn’t mean we can’t peek ahead to the draft.

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— Jeff McLane (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

The draft is three months away, but the Eagles will be holding their first significant draft meeting this month as they narrow in on the class of 2021, and specifically the top dozen or so prospects who could be in play at No. 6 overall.

They have a lot to figure out before they craft their final board. The roster will undergo a sea change over the next two months as familiar faces part and new ones are acquired. So it’s difficult to say if they’ll favor one player over another without knowing what the roster will look like by the time the Eagles are on the clock starting April 29.

Barring something unforeseen, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence will go to the Jaguars with the first overall pick. But the rest of the draft is seemingly up for grabs, at least at this point, and the Eagles theoretically could have a shot at any player.

So here’s an early ranking of whom the Eagles might take with the sixth selection, if every prospect aside from Lawrence is available:

1. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU. Eagles fans would be justified in questioning Howie Roseman’s using another early-round pick on a receiver. His record is dubious. But Chase might be the best overall talent in the draft, which is why he’ll likely be gone in the first five picks.

2. DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama. The Heisman Trophy winner seemingly has all the tools to compete at the next level. There is some concern about his slight frame and whether he can hold up against stronger cornerbacks. But he would be a fine runner-up to Chase.

3. Penai Sewell, OT, Oregon. In most years, there would be enough linemen in the top 10 for the Eagles to choose their preferred first-round positions. Sewell would qualify as a worthy selection, but there aren’t expected to be any D-linemen taken in the first 10 picks.

4. Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama. The Eagles haven’t drafted a cornerback as high in forever. Of course, they haven’t had many recent picks as high. Surtain is a long (6-foot-2) defender who had to cover some of the best receivers in college the last several years.

5. Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State. Yeah, yeah, the Eagles don’t draft linebackers in the first round. But a new defensive scheme could place more emphasis on the position, and if you have a high-level talent such as Parsons, position doesn’t matter as much.

6. Zach Wilson, QB, BYU. There’s a strong belief that the New York Jets will take Wilson at No. 2, and that if they don’t, some team will trade up for him. Maybe the Eagles make the move, but with Hurts returning, and so many other holes to fill, they better love the quarterback.

7. Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern. Some scouts have Slater slotted ahead of Sewell. The Eagles have Lane Johnson at right tackle and Andre Dillard or Jordan Mailata at left tackle, but the former is coming off surgery and the latter two aren’t sure bets. You can never have enough starting-caliber O-linemen.

9. Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida. There will be a lot of mock drafters mocking Pitts, an Archbishop Wood grad, to the Eagles because of the expected exit of Zach Ertz. Maybe. He’s very talented. And having Dallas Goedert shouldn’t dissuade them from taking the best available player. But it should be taken into consideration.

8. Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech. Farley has similar attributes to Surtain. He just didn’t see the same week-to-week talent in the ACC. That doesn’t mean he won’t be as good or better. But it could lower his stock in some eyes.

10. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State. If you like a quarterback in the first round, you typically take him when you can rather than risk a trade back. Fields might not be the sixth-best overall prospect, but the potential is there at the most important position.

Others (in alphabetical order): Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State; Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami; Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, Southern Cal; Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama.

Any early extension candidates? Or will the current cap mess put all of that on the backburner? — Devin Hill via Twitter (@Docd1eSil)

Devin, thanks for the question. I think because of the salary-cap mess there will be a few extensions rather than not. Roseman will likely need to lower the cap this year and can do so by pushing bonuses from extensions into future years. But this practice was also part of the reason that the Eagles are in the bind they are in in the first place.

So he has to be careful to choose core players he expects to perform well beyond 2021. Defensive end Derek Barnett is a candidate, mostly because the Eagles are likely to balk at paying the $10 million fifth-year option they picked up last year. They could outright release Barnett, but I expect they’ll get him to agree to an extension.

Goedert is another candidate for an extension. He became available once his third season was over. He might want to roll the dice on his fourth season, and assuming Ertz is gone, it might make sense. But the Eagles will likely do their best to lock up Goedert. Defensive end Josh Sweat and Mailata are probably the only others from the 2018 draft class who might be in line for an extension.

Of the older players, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox is the most likely to get a new deal. He carries a huge cap number (almost $24 million), has only two years left on his deal, and at 30 should have a few more prime years left in the tank. Brandon Graham is another possibility. The 33-year-old defensive end’s cap number is around $18 million, but the Eagles have to be careful about giving him too many guaranteed years at his age.