The 2023 NFL Draft is over and the Philadelphia Eagles have consistently been one of the biggest winners over the past weekend.
Shrewd draft trades, excellent late-round steals and a veteran running back coming into the fold left Eagle fans smiling through the jeers of the Kansas City crowd.
It’s too early to say if a draft went perfectly or not. Most scouts, coaches, and executives understand that it usually takes three to four years to fully gauge how good a class is. That being said, there was plenty of takeaways to focus on during the Eagles’ dominant weekend run.
Here are the five biggest points we’ve learned as rookie camp is set to begin.
There isn’t a better duo than Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman
Whether it was Roseman giving Sirianni homework on D’Andre Swift two days before the trade was made official or Sirianni glowing on how strong the Eagles’ process was on draft weekend, the chemistry between the general manager and head coach have been an extremely important part of the Eagles title run.
Through each night of press conferences, the duo had the back of their players, themselves, and the future of the organization.
This team is in good hands.
Eagles Locker Room Leaders reign supreme
Two of the Eagles seven selections had character concerns that caused them to drop to a certain point. So why did the Eagles draft potential locker room cancers?
Because their current locker room is one of the best in football.
Whether it’s Jalen Hurts, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham or Jason Kelce, there are plenty of top veterans that are excellent leaders in the locker room. Younger stars like Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson could also be key units to help the team bring these young players into the fold.
Players with red flags in the draft need to have the right situation to be in the best place they can be. Philadelphia is the perfect spot for those players currently.
Eagles aren’t done improving the roster
Howie Roseman is never done improving the roster – even though the roster certainly seems like they are as complete a team as any in the league.
Philadelphia solidified their offensive and defensive lines in the draft. They added depth in the secondary and got a top running back that should be a perfect fit for their system.
The Eagles could very well end up adding more depth at linebacker, safety, and receiver, but they aren’t pressing matters that the team needs to deal with. One thing is ultimately clear though when talking about the Eagles roster: they are never satisfied with where they are.
The Future is very bright
The Eagles added four top-100 players within the first 66 selection in the draft and have most of their offensive core signed until 2025.
Oh, and the team has three picks in the top 64 selections in the 2024 draft which is considered an even better class! Philadelphia has 10 total picks expected next season as well.
There hasn’t been a time in Eagles history where the future is as bright as long as everyone stays together. Championship windows close quickly in the NFL, but as long as the Eagles have their front office working like this, the future will continue to be bright.
The NFC East may have a new #2 team
For the last decade, the only team in the NFC East that has consistently gone toe-to-toe with the Eagles has been the Dallas Cowboys.
That may not be the case after the NFL Draft in 2023.
Dallas struggled to find value at key positions throughout the three days. The Cowboys can and probably should still be pretty good next season, but as the years go by, they may not be the chief rival for the top of the NFC East.
That resides with the New York Giants.
The Giants may have lost 38-7 to Philly in the playoffs last year, but they greatly improved the roster during the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s two years in a row now where Joe Schoen has done a good job of building the roster through the trenches and preparing the team for long-term success.
Should Philly continue to dominate the division? Absolutely. But their chief rival may not be Dallas for long.
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
