With just five days to go from the NFL Draft, teams will be scurrying to make sure there is no stone left unturned. For the Eagles, this offseason carries significant weight and it’s a Draft that Howie Roseman simply cannot afford to whiff on. With that in mind, which rounds should the Eagles be looking to reinforce each area of the roster?
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts should be the logical QB1 here and Joe Flacco at least offers the team a lot of experience as a backup. His willingness to mentor should absolutely be questioned, but adding a third ‘threat’ to the mix would make little sense here.
The Eagles parted ways with Nate Sudfeld this offseason and should absolutely look to add a developmental arm to the roster, but that’s all they should be looking to do.
Expected rounds drafted: 4-7
Running back
Jordan Howard’s return is one of both minimum risk and expectation, meaning that the Eagles should still be looking to add a downhill runner to lean on behind Miles Sanders, adding thunder to his lightning once again.
The running back class this season offers plenty of depth in the later rounds but we know how much Nick Sirianni loved balancing the offense in Indianapolis. He also has a history of working with run-first offenses dating back to his time with the Jamaal Charles-led Chiefs.
Running back isn’t a huge priority for the Eagles, but it’s absolutely an area that could do with some reinforcement.
Expected rounds drafted: 4-6
Offensive tackle
As things stand, this isn’t a need at all. Things can change very quickly however and they likely will. Jordan Mailata is in his contract year but will be battling for a starting role with former first-round pick Andre Dillard and this town isn’t big enough for the both of them.
Lane Johnson is coming off of a big ankle surgery following years of trouble and Jack Driscoll is the only other developmental name of note here. Expect the Eagles to bring in some more late-round prospects for Jeff Stoutland to turn water into wine.
Expected rounds drafted: 5-7
Offensive guard
A pair of Achilles injuries for Brandon Brooks don’t bode well for his previous elite status being retained without a hiccup and outside of Nate Herbig, depth behind Isaac Seumalo is minimal.
It was hinted at recently by the Eagles brass that Seumalo could in-fact be one of the candidates the team are looking at in-house to replace Jason Kelce in the long run. If that is indeed the case, then drafting a guard sooner rather than later makes sense.
Expected rounds drafted: 3-6
Center
Jason Kelce won’t be around forever and the Eagles’ refusal to draft a potential replacement or at least serviceable have somehow gone unpunished due to Kelce’s incredible durability and overall level of play. However, now’ is the time to start looking at grooming a center of the future and there are some enticing options in the heart of this year’s class.
Expected rounds drafted: 3-4
Tight end
Even if Zach Ertz stays on the roster this year, both he and Dallas Goedert will be on the free agency market next season and it’s highly unlikely both are retained. At the very least, the Eagles should be looking at a TE3 prospect but this is a pretty significant need and if they don’t bite the bullet, it could only cause more damage as time goes on.
Expected rounds drafted: 2-5
Wide receiver
You can definitely make the case that the Eagles should be targeting one of the top playmakers in this class in a bid to surround Jalen Hurts with talent, but Nick Sirianni has an eclectic history of developing receivers drafted in the middle of the Draft and beyond. This isn’t to say the Eagles should pass on an opportunity to snag one of the premier wideouts, but it might give them confidence to try and pick up a second-round prospect who fits their quota and allow them to draft another key position of need.
No matter how you slice it though, the Eagles need to add some spice to a very bland receiving room.
Expected rounds drafted: 1-2
Defensive tackle
Losing Malik Jackson is going to leave a sizeable hole on the inside and while Hassan Ridgeway should benefit from an increase in snaps, the Eagles have really lacked a reliable interior pass-rush ever since 2017. The good news is that there are plenty of gems to be found late in the Draft.
Expected rounds drafted 4-6
Defensive end
If the Eagles don’t believe in Derek Barnett long-term then hitting reset is important. Vinny Curry is now with the Jets and the Eagles are lacking the depth that once made the unit one of the most feared in the league. It’s time to stock up.
Expected rounds drafted: 3-5
Linebacker
The signing of Eric Wilson actually negates the need for a MIKE linebacker for the time being. Alex Singleton and T.J Edwards have shown more than enough to hold down the fort on the outside and with a pair of second-year players looking to break into a new-look defense, this once prominent need is now minimal.
Expected rounds drafted: none
Cornerback
Darius Slay is the only player the Eagles have to lean on. Avonte Maddox is going to be entering his contract year and the Eagles lost a both of their backup nickel options. The NFC East is filled with terrifying wideouts which only adds to the urgency. A double-dip is likely, especially when remembering Jonathan Gannon was a DB coach with the Colts.
Expected rounds drafted: 1-3
Safety
Rodney McLeod’s injury history isn’t ideal and although Anthony Harris is a clear upgrade at the position, there’s not a lot of long-term optionality here. K’Von Wallace will be a player looking to ease into a new defensive role along with Grayland Arnold, but the team really need to find a second young prospect to pair with him for the long-term.
Expected rounds drafted: 3-5
Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire
