Welcome back to Future Eagles Fits, our weekly deep dive into the prospects who could eventually find their way to Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
Every week, we’re going inside the tape and looking at prospects through an Eagles-centric lens \u2014 breaking down the traits, technique, athletic profile, positional versatility and scheme fit that could ultimately determine whether a player makes sense in Philadelphia. Along the way, we’ll also examine how these prospects are being evaluated across the league as draft boards begin to take shape.<\/p>\n
We’ve made it to October, and while the 2027 NFL Draft is still months away, the tape early on has already provided plenty of clues about where the Eagles could look to add talent next spring. One position group specifically: Linebacker.<\/p>\n
Through the opening weeks of the campaign, Philly\u2019s defense has offered plenty to evaluate when it comes to the second level. Zack Baun continues to play like an All-Pro when healthy, but behind him Vic Fangio has asked more from former first-round pick Jihaad Campbell, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr is a piece whose value long term remains up in the air due to a limited snap count when both aforementioned names are available.<\/p>\n
The modern NFL demands \u2018backers who can process run concepts quickly, defeat blocks, close space against ball carriers and hold their own when offenses force them into coverage. For the Eagles, finding that combination and three-down versatility could provide a meaningful boost to the defensive personnel.<\/p>\n
Here are four LBs to know for the 2027 NFL Draft \u2014 two potential Day 1 targets, another intriguing early-round prospect and a Georgia defender whose experience and physical skill set make him worth monitoring as the draft process unfolds.<\/p>\n
Day 1: Chris Cole, Georgia | 6\u20193\u201d, 233 lbs (verified measurements)<\/p>\n
Don’t let the developmental aspects of his game overshadow the physical tools here, folks, as Cole possesses the type of movement skills that immediately stand out when evaluating the position.<\/p>\n
For Cole, he\u2019s an explosive and easy mover at the second level who combines excellent lateral agility with an electric trigger to close on ball carriers in a hurry. He can cover ground quickly when flowing from sideline to sideline, and his ability to accelerate toward the football gives him an intriguing foundation as a defender tasked with playing in space. In a league where offenses constantly use motion and misdirection to pull linebackers away from their assignments, Cole’s athletic profile gives him the potential to handle a wide range of responsibilities.<\/p>\n
For the Eagles, Cole represents the type of high-upside linebacker who could expand the possibilities of the front seven. His range would offer value against offenses that use outside zone, screens and perimeter runs to stress the second level, while his ability as an extra body in blitz packages could give the coaching staff another option when designing pressures. If his recognition and coverage awareness continue to develop, he has a legitimate path toward becoming an early-round selection with three-down potential.<\/p>\n
Day 1: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame | 6\u20193\u201d, 234 lbs (school-listed measurements)<\/p>\n
What makes Viliamu-Asa so appealing to teams is his ability to influence a play without being confined to one role. Notre Dame has utilized him as an off-ball linebacker, a pressure defender closer to the line of scrimmage and even a matchup piece against receivers. He possesses the frame to take on the physical demands of playing inside, while his athleticism gives the coaching staff flexibility when deploying him against different personnel groupings. His production in 2025 included 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception, evidence of the impact he made across multiple phases of the defense.<\/p>\n
Against the run, Viliamu-Asa has shown the ability to attack downhill and disrupt plays before blocks have a chance to develop. His physicality allows him to challenge opposing linemen, while his experience playing from different alignments gives him a foundation for understanding how offenses attempt to manipulate second-level defenders.<\/p>\n
His versatility also presents an interesting evaluation in coverage, as he has experience operating in space and matching up against receiving threats which gives him a foundation to remain on the field in passing situations. The question moving forward for teams now is how consistently he can translate that versatility into a complete three-down role against NFL-caliber athletes. A key note \u2013 his recovery from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2025 season will remain an important part of his evaluation, especially as a potential Day 1 selection.<\/p>\n
For the Eagles, Viliamu-Asa offers a potential solution to the need for a more versatile linebacker who can influence the game in multiple ways. He could give Philadelphia a physical presence against the run, a legitimate option as a blitzer and another defender capable of handling coverage assignments against tight ends and running backs. That flexibility is particularly valuable for a defense that wants to keep its base personnel on the field without becoming predictable in its alignments. If he returns to form and continues to demonstrate his ability to contribute in all three phases, Viliamu-Asa has the skill set to warrant consideration come night one of the draft in April.<\/p>\n
Day 2: Xavier Atkins, Auburn | 6\u20190\u201d, 207 lbs (verified measurements)<\/p>\n
A 2025 second-team All-American, Atkins\u2019 game is built around disruption, aggression and the ability to attack offenses before they can establish their preferred rhythm. While he doesn’t carry the typical mass that you see from an NFL linebacker, his production and willingness to play downhill give him a distinct profile as a second-level defender.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been outstanding early on in 2026 with 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception, demonstrating the ability to contribute beyond simply cleaning up plays after the defensive front has done its job. His performance against Vanderbilt, where he amassed three tackles for loss (TFL) highlighted the disruptive potential he brings when he can anticipate an opening and attack with conviction.<\/p>\n
For the Eagles, Atkins offers an intriguing option if the organization wants to add more speed and aggression to its rotation in the middle of their defense. His ability to create negative plays could provide value on passing downs, particularly in pressure packages that ask players to threaten gaps and force offenses to account for an additional rusher. He would also give the coaching staff an aggressive pursuit player capable of contributing on special teams while developing his responsibilities in coverage. He\u2019s a name to watch on Day 2 of the draft.<\/p>\n
Day 2: Raylen Wilson, Georgia | 6\u20191\u201d, 230 lbs (verified measurements)<\/p>\n
Wilson brings a different element to the linebacker discussion, offering a more traditional second-level profile built around experience and the ability to operate within a demanding defensive structure. While his aforementioned teammate down in Athens in Cole offers a sensational athletic ceiling, Wilson’s current evaluation centers more on his development into a dependable linebacker capable of handling a broader workload.<\/p>\n
A former highly regarded recruit, Wilson has steadily expanded his role in Georgia’s defense, with his tackle production increasing throughout his college career. He had 74 tackles in 2025 after posting 47 the previous season, demonstrating his ability to become a more consistent contributor as he gained experience. What stands out about Wilson is the balance in his game. He has experience working against the run and operating in coverage, giving him a foundation for a role that doesn’t require the defense to substitute based on the situation. His ability to contribute as a pursuit defender allows him to work toward the football and finish plays, while his experience within Georgia’s defensive structure (3-4 base that asks a lot of the LBs strong and weak side) provides valuable exposure to the communication and responsibilities associated with playing linebacker in a complex scheme.<\/p>\n
His evaluation, however, will depend on whether he can turn that experience into more consistent impact plays. He\u2019s been productive as a tackler, but becoming a difference-maker at the next level requires more than accumulating stops. His ability to diagnose concepts, maintain proper positioning when offenses use motion and misdirection, and finish tackles reliably will be important areas to monitor.<\/p>\n
For Philly, Wilson represents a potential developmental option who could provide depth, experience and versatility to the linebacker room. His background in Georgia’s defense offers a useful foundation for handling structured assignments, while his experience against high-level competition gives evaluators a substantial body of work to study. It\u2019s a similar profile to how I\u2019m sure the Eagles scouted Smael Mondon Jr just a few seasons ago from the same program.<\/p>\n
He may not possess the same immediate splash-play profile as some of the other linebackers in this group, but his ability to develop into a dependable rotational defender has value. If he continues to improve his processing, tackling and coverage consistency, Wilson could emerge as a late Day 2 (rounds 2-3) or early Day 3 (rounds 4-7) pick depending on how the remainder of the season, and predraft process, unfold.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome back to Future Eagles Fits, our weekly deep dive into the prospects who could eventually find their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":303761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[6107,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-303760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-eagles-blog","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}