The Philadelphia Eagles came out of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft with arguably the premier corner in the class and did so without having to trade up. It was a chaotic opening day and there are bound to be plenty of twists and turns when round 2 kicks off this evening.
The Eagles have two second-round picks at their disposal which could well mean a trade is on the way. But they might also see fit to snag two second-rounders and really bolster this roster with high-end talent.
Eagles Draft Targets: Day 2
We’ve built a handy guide filled with 25 players worth keeping tabs on once the action unfolds.
Linebacker
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Payton Wilson
Edgerrin Cooper
Trevin Wallace
Junior Colson
This is easily the position of most significance for the Eagles. Philly is light on LB depth and the cream of the crop in this class fortunately lies in a round where the Birds have 2 picks. They should be able to grab at least one of the top linebackers in the class, but as for who, that all comes down to personal opinion.
Edgerrin Cooper is widely considered as the best linebacker of the class, but Payton Wilson’s talent is only overshadowed by injury concerns. The best of both worlds, in my opinion, is Trevin Wallace, who is currently slated to go in round 3. I do think a case could be made for dropping back to the bottom of the second round to pick up a linebacker who displays some remarkable football IQ and is consistently around the ball.
Running back
Trey Benson
Jonathan Brooks
The Eagles don’t need a running back, but they have a habit of finding bargains. Whether it’s D’Andre Swift, or Jordan Howard, they love trading backs on the final year of their rookie deals. Kenny Gainwell is now in that boat and with Saquon Barkley in toe, I wouldn’t be overly shocked to see the Eagles ship him off in a deal and try to pick up a back either now or later on.
Jonathan Brooks is the better of the two but is coming off of a torn ACL. However, with a reduced workload almost cemented in Philadelphia, if he slides into their laps, I can’t see Howie Roseman turning down the opportunity to add a proven difference-maker.
Wide receiver
Ladd McConkey
Roman Wilson
Malachi Corley
Adonai Mitchell
There’s a nice flurry of wideouts to pick from here. The Eagles did just extend A.J Brown, but depth at the slot position is filled with question marks. Drafting a player like Ladd McConkey or Malachi Corley would be the optimal route here, but there are some intriguing options deeper in the draft also, and the Eagles might not see this is as an imperative spot to draft a wideout given an offseason of heavy spending at the position.
Offensive line
Jackson Powers-Johnson
Blake Fisher
Roger Rosengarten
Christian Haynes
Kingsley Suamatia
Zach Frazier
To the surprise of many, the Eagles didn’t go O-line in the first round. The good news is that there are plenty of appealing candidates available on day 2, including Roger Rosengarten and Kingsley Suamatia. Tackle does feel like the spot they’d be most likely to reinforce given Jack Driscolls earlier departure and a need for a backup behind Lane Johnson, so keep an eye on those tackles tonight.
Tight end
JaTavion Sanders
Theo Johnson
Depth behind Dallas Goedert has long been questionable and the Eagles have a shot at landing some proven pass-catchers on day 2. Again, you can find project options later on, but the Birds have been reluctant to invest at TE for a while and now might be the time.
JaTavion Sanders headlines the day 2 TE’s and is probably the most NFL-ready player left on the board at this position.
Defensive line
Braden Fiske
Jalyx Hunt
Michael Hall Jr.
Masson Smith
Jer’Zhan Newton
Brandon Dorlus
While another shiny new DT would be nice, the Eagles have drafted two first-round prospects in the last two years. Philly might well be looking to bolster the EDGE position instead, and a player like Jalyx Hunt really raises the eyebrows thanks to his athletic profile. He does come from a smaller school and that may push him down into the clutches of Howie Roseman, but without an immediate need to start, it could well be a snug fit for him to come in and learn from someone like Brandon Graham.
Looking to catch day 2 of the NFL Draft live? Come hang out with us for some Eagles-centric analysis throughout the evening!
