The NFL Draft is only ten days away and there is still a lot that can happen. In fact, just about anything can. Howie Roseman and the Eagles have long been known to be an opportunist team and if the dominos fall into place for a potential move back up into the top 10, we can all assume Howie will be straight on the phone. Here are the four teams who will likely be the most willing to move back in a trade with the Eagles.
Miami Dolphins: 6th overall pick
I wrote about this in my first-round mock draft, that went down like a cup of cold Soup. I understand that the Eagles and Dolphins have already switched picks once, but they acquired a first-rounder in the process. Moving back up might not involve that pick at all. The Dolphins have a need at EDGE and someone like Derek Barnett could absolutely sweeten the deal. This is the most unlikely of all possible trades, but the wildcard here is Father Time.
A lot has changed in the NFL Draft landscape between then and now and the opportunities are very different inside the top 10. If a situation arises that benefits both teams now that the lay of the land has a very different terrain, who’s to say that they couldn’t work something out?
Detroit Lions: 7th overall pick
The Lions are sitting in a position of real luxury. With a potential need for quarterback and some spicy names likely to slide into their grasp, they could snag one of the top prospects as insurance for Jared Goff, or they could opt to move down. There will be a bevy of teams vying to sneak up and poach a name like Trey Lance, but the Eagles could have different motives.
The Dallas Cowboys could be lining up to take Patrick Surtain II, the best cornerback in this year’s draft but even that could be the least of their concerns. With 4-5 quarterbacks expected to be drafted inside the top 10, it means that one of the elite playmakers from the 2021 class could fall close enough to Howie’s lips that he just has to take a bite. If Kyle Pitts is somehow on the board, or Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t been picked by Miami, who may have also moved back, then there could well be a bid to move up from the Eagles.
In 2018, the Bills gave up a pair of second-round picks to move up and take Josh Allen with the seventh-overall pick. Don’t write off the Eagles feeling more than comfortable enough to give up a collection of weaker draft assets if there’s an opportunity to retain all three first-rounders next year and still pick up an elite playmaker.
Carolina Panthers: 8th overall pick
The Panthers have their guy for the time being and are even better situated than the Lions. Whatever happens, they can ensure Sam Darnold has some kind of elite talent around him next season. They could safely drop to the 12th overall spot and pick up a talented wide receiver or decide to stack up their defense and would probably be more than happy to do so if a quarterback-heavy top-10 takes place.
The Eagles would have to give up a little more than they’d like here because the Panthers aren’t looking for a quarterback and might well be targeting the same player that Howie and company want to try and steal. But if one of those top names somehow drops to 8, we can least the phone to start ringing.
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Denver Broncos: 9th overall pick
By this point in the Draft, most of the top quarterback names will likely be off the board. The Broncos could see that their chances of landing a stud at QB are diminishing and instead decide to move back into the teens to acquire some talent for Drew Lock and maximize their current window.
For the Eagles, this would absolutely be a move designed to leapfrog the Cowboys and draft Patrick Surtain II. A move that I think the entire fan base would support wholeheartedly after the CeeDee Lamb debacle last year. On that note, the Eagles will be facing him and two other very strong wideouts twice a year now, it makes sense to at least level the playing field.
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