The Eagles made another trade in fifth round, swapping their 130th pick to the Jets for picks 145 and 207. With the 145th pick, Philadelphia selected cornerback Mac McWilliams out of Central Florida. McWilliams started his college career at UAB playing for the Blazers from 2020-2023 before transferring to UCF for his final season. It marked the fourth consecutive defensive player taken by the Eagles, clearly focusing on filling the holes on that side of the football with the departures they endured during the offseason.
With the Knights, McWilliams racked up 32 tackles with 6.5 being for a loss with an interception. At 5-foot-10, 191 pounds, McWilliams graded out as UCF’s best defender at 81.6 according to Pro Football Focus and put together a solid performance at the Reese’s Senior Bowl down in Mobile, Alabama earlier this year. A bit undersized, the cornerback continues the reoccurring theme the Eagles have set this draft in selecting players who bring toughness to their game.
Eagles draft LB Smael Mondon Jr. at 161
Howie Roseman and the Eagles are just gathering Georgia Bulldogs on the defense like Infinity Stones as they added another to their defense in Smael (pronounced like smile) Mondon Jr. He was a three-year starter at linebacker for Georgia and showed promising signs playing in the SEC, being named a second-team All-SEC in 2023 while leading the team in tackles in 2022 while missing two games.
Mondon Jr. with a 9.37 Relative Athletic Score is a freakish athlete at the position with solid speed and strength shown at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. He was part of the back-to-back national championship teams in 2021 and 2022 playing alongside current Eagles Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith and Kelee Ringo. The Eagles clearly have had success selecting players from Kirby Smart’s program and they continue to do so once again here in 2025.
Eagles draft C Drew Kendall at 165
The Eagles rounded out the fifth round with a trade back into the 6th (exchanging pick 161 for picks 181 and 209 with the Chargers) and by drafting Drew Kendall at pick 165.
At 6’4, 308 lbs, Kendall is another incredibly athletic offensive lineman, making him the perfect fit for Stoutland University. He ranked 58th out of 626 centers that have been graded by Kent Lee Platte’s RAS formula since 1987.
He’s the son of Pete Kendall, who played for four NFL teams over a stunning career spanning nearly 20 years. He was a first-round pick out of Boston College, and his Son has now been drafted by the Eagles out of the same University.
Drew will be a very fun developmental piece for the Eagles and someone that could easily transition to RG and backup Tyler Steen if needed thanks to his athleticism. While his frame is a little shorter than ideal, he more than makes up for it with out-of-this-world agility.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire)
