We’re still 21 days away from this year’s draft, and the Eagles will once again approach the 1st round with multiple selections.
The Eagles previously came into the 2022 Draft with 3 Selections in the first round.
– 15th Overall from Miami in the trade-down from 6th Overall in 2021.
– 16th Overall from Indianapolis in the Carson Wentz trade
– 19th Overall, the Eagles own pick.
Philadelphia ended up trading away the 16th and 19th picks to the New Orleans Saints that saw the Eagles acquire the 18th overall pick in 2022, as well as the Saints 2023 1st round pick which became 10th overall after a struggling Saints team finished 7-10.
After Round 1 of the 2022 Draft, the Eagles ended up trading the 18th pick along with the 101st for AJ Brown.
They also traded a haul including 15th, 124th, 162nd and 166th to trade up and acquire Jordan Davis with the 13th pick.
This year, the Eagles currently have the 10th overall pick courtesy of the Saints. As well as their own, the 30th overall pick.
So who might the Eagles draft with the 10th overall pick?
They had an extensive list of Free Agents this off-season that saw players from Andre Dillard, Javon Hargrave and Miles Sanders sign with new teams. You can read more about who stayed and who left here.
Roster Gaps
The Eagles still have some holes to fill on the roster. Below is a list of the more important gaps in the Eagles roster
- RG / OL Depth – with the loss of Isaac Seumalo, it looks likely that the Eagles will be moving Cam Jurgens to RG this season. While expected to play Center once Jason Kelce retires, there is currently no long-term solution at RG for the Eagles as well as Center depth becomes thin with Jurgens starting in a different position.
- TE2 – Dallas Goedert missed 5 Games after the missed Facemask that ended the Eagles undefeated streak. During the 5 games in his absence, Grant Calcaterra and Jack Stoll amounted to a total of 115 receiving yards. The Eagles may have won all 5 games in Goederts absence, but TE production would have been huge against the Colts(17-16) and Bears (25-20).
- WR3/4 – In a more limited role, Quez Watkins didn’t perform to what Eagles fans expectations were. Last years 647 receiving yards showed promise for the 6th round pick. Eagles fans were in for a surprised when Quez finished the season with 354 yards, and some untimely turnovers including the Fumble against Washington Week 8 and the 2nd down drop in the Super Bowl.
Regardless of your stance on Watkins. The Eagles lost Zach Pascal in Free Agency and will need to find another WR unless they plan to use Ward/Allen/Covey in a larger role.
- DL Depth – The Eagles lost 3 pieces along the defensive line. Javon Hargrave, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph and Robert Quinn. In the grand scheme of things, losing Quinn isn’t the biggest loss, as Derek Barnett missed the entire season with an ACL injury in Week 1. With one more year under contract, Barnett can be viewed as the ‘replacement’ for the loss of Quinn.
In terms of the Defensive Tackles. Suh and Joseph were brought in mid-year to address the Eagles Run Defence that got shredded in the absence of Jordan Davis. While their losses aren’t insurmountable, both Suh and Joseph were playing anywhere between 20%-50% of defensive snap counts. During and After Davis’ return.
With a season under his belt, the Eagles should expect big things from Jordan Davis in year 2. Along with the loss of Javon Hargrave – who tallied 11 sacks last season, the expectations for the Eagles 13th overall pick grows.
Draft Targets
The Eagles currently hold the 10th and 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 Draft. April 4th was the anniversary of the monster trade that saw the Eagles acquire the Saints 1st round pick. So far, the Eagles have yet to move any of their picks coming up at the end of the month.
Below, we’ll take a look at some options the Eagles could choose to address the previously mentioned gaps with the 10th overall pick.
On The Clock With 10
The Eagles love drafting linemen. So much so, Howie Roseman has drafted 8 linemen during his tenure as Eagles GM in the first round. There’s no guarantee the Eagles go this route for 2023. But the opportunity is there with some of the following picks
DL – Jalen Carter – Georgia
Being able to reunite Carter with former Georgia teammates Davis and Dean could be a huge pickup for the Eagles. Having visited the Eagles this week and not taking visits with teams outside of the Top 10. It sounds like Carter isn’t expecting to still be on the board after the Eagles pick.
OT – Paris Johnson Jr. – Ohio State
Personally, I don’t see the Eagles taking any Offensive Linemen with the 10th pick. They have a suitable starter at RG this season in Jurgens, who will move to C after Kelce retires. With a premium pick and many high end players still available, it would be foolish for the Eagles to draft another player to ride the bench until a starting position opens on the line.
Lane Johnson’s recent extension locks him up until 2026. Even with an early retirement, the Eagles would be drafting a RT that would be riding the bench anywhere between 1-3 years.
That being said, this pick is for those that think an OL pick is certain. However, it’s probably not the highest priority this season.
EDGE – Nolan Smith – Georgia
If Jalen Carter doesn’t make it all the way to the 10th pick. I’d be expecting the Eagles to sprint to the podium with Nolan Smith’s name in hand. This pick still reunites the Defensive duo in Davis and Dean with a former teammate. Plus the Eagles will gain a huge piece along the DL. as well as finding a solution to Barnett and Graham who are Free Agents after the 2023 season.
CB – Christian Gonzalez – Oregon
The Eagles were the team to propose to the league that players should be allowed to wear #0. Surely there’s no coincidence as to why they would be the team to lead that proposal. Unless they planned on drafting a certain Oregon Ducks Cornerback.
RB – Bijan Robinson – Texas
The Eagles haven’t drafted a Running Back in the first round since 1986 with Keith Byars. Another unlikely pick for the Eagles to make, but if they wanted to create an even more explosive offence. Taking the Texas RB would be a massive addition to an Eagles offence that had 2,509 Rushing Yards.
Who do you predict the Eagles could draft with the 10th overall pick?
Go Birds!
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