The NFL Combine is upon us, so what better time to cook up a seven-round Eagles Mock Draft? Howie Roseman has quite the arduous task ahead when it comes to determining how to approach this offseason, but a flexible amount of cap space should incite a bigger focus on free agency, leaving the team some breathing room when it comes to finding the right players to fit the new-look schemes moving forward.
Eagles 7-round Mock Draft: Pre-Combine edition
*TRADE*:
Eagles give up: pick 22
49ers give up pick 31 & 63
The San Francisco 49ers trade up for some valued edge rusher help and the Eagles see an opportunity to drop back, pick up an extra asset, and still find themselves able to draft a valuable player without reaching. Howie Roseman loves a subtle first-round move and this one makes a ton of sense.
Rd 1, pick 31: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
It’s not the sexy pick, but it’s the smart one…especially when you see what comes next.
Lane Johnson is 33 years old and every spot on that offensive front has a line of succession except for his. Jack Driscoll has proven to be a solid, versatile backup, but is he a franchise tackle? Not quite.
Guyton adds monstrous size to the Eagles along with a nasty playing streak. He’ll lay defenders out and is a ruthless run-defender. A year or two in Stoutland University and it’s hard not to see him being more than ready to take the torch from one of the greatest to ever do it.
TRADE:
Eagles trade pick 50, a compensatory 5th round pick (170), & Jack Driscoll
Seahawks trade: Kenneth Walker III
Not too long ago, the Chicago Bears had a dominant downhill back and drafted a shifty rookie in the way of Tariq Cohen. Jordan Howard became expendable and the Eagles were able to sweep him up on the cheap.
I can see a similar thing happening here. Jack Driscoll is good enough to be a fringe-starter in Philly, but, like ‘Big V’ before him, he could find success elsewhere and if the Eagles are bringing in a better tackle to replace Lane Johnson down the road, it makes sense to cash in while possible.
Driscoll is a pending free agent, but it’s not outlandish to imagine him securing a cheap-ish deal in Philly before the Eagles cash in and replace him with a better player.
Kenneth Walker III put up 905 yards last year and the Eagles hate paying for running backs. They essentially get a productive young back still on his rookie deal for a fairly cheap price given the different moving parts negating each other, and can pair him up with Kenny #1 for a really dynamic rushing offense.
Rd 2, pick 53: Jeremiah Trotter Jr, LB, Clemson
It would be rude not to at this point. Trotter is of course the son of Eagles legend, Jeremiah Trotter Sr. and is one of he most accomplished linebackers in this class.
The Eagles need to completely revamp the linebacker room after getting by on bare bones for far too long, and Trotter is a prospect they can hang their hat on for years to come. He’s a brilliant off-ball linebacker who possesses the same tenacity his father did while playing in Philadelphia, and was the real heartbreak of that Clemson defense. It makes too much sense.
Rd 2, pick 63: Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
The Eagles really need to find a viable TE2 behind Dallas Goedert and Sanders might be one of the best receiving tight ends in this class. The Texas product is definitely more of a receiving tight end than a run-blocking one, but is a player who explodes off the line and has enough nuance in his routes to draw attention. That’s a great starting point for a player who is needed to open things up for such a lethal receiving tandem, as well as taking the pressure off Goedert’s shoulders.
Rd 3, pick 97: Payton Wilson, LB, NC State
One linebacker isn’t enough and Nakobe Dean hasn’t shown enough to be given solo keys to the defense. Wilson was an absolute menace for NC Stare last year, putting up a season that rival some of the best in this class. He can be deployed at multiple spots which is perfect for Vic Fangio’s defense, and is a brilliant run-defender, which is something the Eagles have lacked at the position for a while now.
Starting him next to Trotter and Dean is enticing, but with a veteran or two to steady the ship and just allow Wilson to find his feet at the NFL level is the most likely outcome. He’s got football IQ to be a dominant linebacker for years to come and the ridiculous athleticism to match.
Rd 5, pick 160: Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M
The Eagles need help at the WR3 spot and Ainias Smith is an human highlight-reel who can be used all over the line of scrimmage. He’s a little smaller at 5’9, but he would provide the Eagles with some game-breaking speed out of the slot as well as having special teams upside.
While he might not be as impressive in press looks, Kellen Moore should be able to get a lot out of such a dynamic playmaker and a receiver who is bound to learn from more physical receivers like A.J Brown and DeVonta Smith. If he can even harness just a smidge of the route-running from Smitty and catching ability from A.J, the Eagles will be onto a winner.
Rd 5, pick 178: Kenny Logan Jr, S, Kansas
It has to be remembered that the Eagles drafted Sydney Brown last year. He’ll miss the opening chunk of the season, but he’s still going to be a pivotal cog in Fangio’s defense in the bigger-picture. Creating a log-jam of safeties won’t help, but a player like Kenny Logan being allowed to marinate certainty well.
Logan Jr. has the rare ability to play center-field without compromising instincts to play downhill. He’s quick, rangy, and notched 7 pass breakups in 2022. His 314 tackles over 3 seasons with the Jayhawks should speak volumes about just how refined as a tackler he is and how he willingly embraces contact.
He’s a little undersized, but the Eagles would be absolutely right to trial him in the slot on a few occasions in camp to see if they could maybe start developing a future nickel corner too.
Rd 6, pick 188: Ray Davis, RB, Kentucky
With their final pick of the draft, the Eagles take a shot on a former hometown kid, Ray Davis. He initially enrolled as a true freshman for Temple back in 2019 en-route to being named a PFF All-American.
After a bumpy road involving a couple of moves and a few injury concerns, Davis found his home in Kentucky where he put up 1,129 yards in 2023 along with 14 touchdowns.
He’s a patient and compact back who has a thick base but is surprisingly agile for his build. After turning heads at the Senior Bowl, there’s no doubting that NFL teams will be more than happy to take a shot on him should he fall this far, and with the Eagles needing to rebuild their backfield, his physicality would be a welcome addition near the goal-line.
AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson
