Eagles head into the offseason with 10 projected picks in 2021 NFL Draft

With the regular season now in the rear-view mirror, we can look ahead to the NFL Draft and all the excitement surrounding who the Eagles will select. Currently projected to pick sixth overall, here’s a look at their projected picks this offseason:

The picks

Round 1 pick 6

Round 2 pick 38

Round 3 pick 70

Round 4 traded away to Cleveland for Genard Avery

Round 5 pick 133

Round 5 pick 139 (From Dallas in trade-back last year)

Round 6 pick 165

Round 6 (Estimated 2x projected compensatory picks)

Round 7 pick 196

How the Eagles got here

It’s been a terribly disappointing season for the Eagles. A never-ending carousel of offensive line combinations was just the beginning of the end for an offense that allowed more sacks than any other team. Carson Wentz struggled mightily and was eventually benched for Jalen Hurts. The rookie provided an offensive spark, but it wasn’t enough to mask the shortcomings of a drowning offense.

Doug Pederson will return next year alongside Howie Roseman, but there’s a lot of work to be done between now and the NFL Draft. The futures of Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz will need to be decided before the team can even think about the Draft and this is without mentioning a $64M cap deficit to overcome.

Jim Schwartz will not return to the team next season, leaving the team in need of a new defensive coordinator. The defense regressed hugely in terms of general metrics, despite a refueled defensive front that ranked 4th in sacks per game and a lockdown corner in Darius Slay.

Early Eagles needs

Without free agency or any of the bumps and bruises between now and then, it’s safe to say that the Eagles need to find themselves a reliable CB2 who fits this particular scheme. Not a converted nickel corner, not a flyer on a player plummeting due to an Achilles injury, but a legit CB2 who can one day grow into a CB1 and replace ‘Big Play Slay’.

The need at wide receiver is going to be significant if the team don’t believe that JJAW or Fulgham can step up and replace the presumably exiled Alshon Jeffery, and keeping DeSean Jackson around seems illogical given the size of his cap hit.

There is a potential need at tight end too. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert both have one more year on their contracts, but are heading in opposite directions. Starved of depth, developmental talent makes sense here.