The NFL Draft is less than one week away, and draft season has presented a range of questions about the prospects and the Philadelphia Eagles’ plans. Our final Eagles mock draft will be released Monday, and notes and thoughts on what we’re hearing about the Eagles will follow next week. Before then, let’s get to draft superlatives (with an Eagles slant) after preparing for the draft:
Who is the most likely Eagles draft pick in the first round?
Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor or Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling fit this description. If the Eagles had their way, my guess is they’d draft an offensive tackle. Both are high-upside linemen who could become potential Lane Johnson replacements with development. Proctor has the added benefit of being able to swing inside to guard early in his career. Both are under 22 years old and come from programs the Eagles trust. (Five of the Eagles’ last six first-round picks came from Alabama or Georgia.) The question is whether they’ll slip to a territory for the Eagles. Dane Brugler projected Freeling to go No. 17 to the Detroit Lions and Proctor to fall to the Eagles at No. 23. Howie Roseman hasn’t drafted an offensive lineman in the first round since 2019. He takes pride in building along the line of scrimmage. You can’t dictate the board, but it would make sense for Roseman to put his philosophy into action.
Who is your ‘I don’t expect it’ potential first-round target of the Eagles?
Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — even if Eagles fans clamoring for a safety might think I’m foolish. It’s not that I don’t like the player, but I’d be surprised if the Eagles spent a first-round pick on a safety. They used three of their last four picks in the first two rounds on defensive backs. It would be poor resource allocation to spend another one on a safety — unless it was an unbelievable value. (By the way, I think Caleb Downs is the best player in the draft. He’s the type of player who makes you dismiss the resource allocation conversation, but I don’t expect him to fall into range even for an Eagles trade.) Otherwise, I’d sooner have the conversation in Round 2 (or preferably Round 3 or later, if I were Roseman) and use the early picks to address the offense and/or edge rusher.
Which Eagles target considered a Day 2 player could go on Day 1?
Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis snuck into Brugler’s mock draft at No. 28, which is evidence that he could go on the draft’s first night even if he seemed like a potential Day 2 target. In the second round, he would have been a strong outcome for the Eagles — a ready-made guard with upside who visited the Eagles and has a play personality that would go over well in the offensive line room and in Philadelphia. At No. 23, he likely isn’t a top option.
Which prospect who is considered a Day 1 player could slide to Day 2?
Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor is a popular choice for the Eagles at No. 23, and he could very well be the first-round pick because he has the traits and upside the Eagles seek in an offensive tackle. But this could also be like Cooper DeJean in 2024, when the Eagles considered DeJean a strong option for the first-round pick and then he still lingered on the board the next day. Iheanachor made it to the second round (No. 35) in Brugler’s mock draft, so it’s not out of the question that he slips. Perhaps if the Eagles draft a different position in Round 1 and Iheanachor is still on the board on Day 2, the Eagles move up as they did for DeJean.
Favorite Day 2 pass catcher?
If Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell had not sustained a knee injury in November, he might be in the conversation for a first-round pick. Injured prospects are tricky, but could also make you a steal on Day 2. Bell, who visited the Eagles, is the type of wide receiver prospect who should excite Eagles fans because the body type and playing style might remind you of A.J. Brown. Bell is 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds. His best games last year came against top competition like Miami and Virginia. He’s not getting the buzz like other top receivers in this draft, and there’s some risk to this pick, but he’s worth paying attention to for any team — and especially the Eagles.
Chris Bell caught 72 passes for 917 yards last season at Louisville. (Matt Stone / Imagn Images)
Favorite Day 2 offensive lineman?
When you look for attributes that cannot be taught, consider this for Miami tackle Markel Bell: 6-9, 346 pounds, 36 3/8-inch arms. Height does not always suggest proficient play for an offensive tackle because pass rushers can gain leverage, although nobody registered a sack against him in 16 games last year. He’s still 21 and only started 21 games for the Hurricanes, so you’re also buying the upside. Brugler has him falling to the fourth round. His top 100 ranking is in the range of a third-round pick.
Favorite Day 2 edge rusher?
There are a few who would be up for contention, but give me Illinois’ Gabe Jacas. He’s 6-4 and 261 pounds with 19 sacks during the last two seasons. He plays power and can wrestle hands away from him. If the athletic traits were elite, he might be a Day 1 pick. As it stands, Jacas looks like a player who can get to the quarterback in the NFL with the versatility to fill other roles.
Favorite other Day 2 prospect?
Jalon Kilgore played in the slot at South Carolina, but he would project as a safety for the Eagles. The interest is clear — the Eagles brought him for a visit — and so is the talent. Kilgore was a standout as a three-year starter for the Gamecocks, including eight interceptions and 21 passes defended. He’s 6-1 and 210 pounds with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, so the measureables are present. The key is to watch him play, and he screams “football player” even if there’s a scheme projection. Brugler projected him to go in the second round at No. 60.
Favorite non-Day 1 quarterback?
Before the season, Garrett Nussmeier looked like a potential first-round pick. A miserable season marred by injury dropped his stock to the point that he’s projected to go in the third round by Brugler. Nussmeier, who is the son of former Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, can make high-level throws and won big games at LSU. He lacks ideal size and might not have the upside to be a top NFL quarterback, but he should carve out a long NFL career. I was in the press box for a 2024 game against UCLA when he went 32 of 44 for 352 yards and three touchdowns. The way he played that day is hard to ignore.
Favorite Day 3 offensive prospect?
USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane is projected to go in the fifth round by Brugler and has the chance to emerge into a starting-caliber player. At 6-4 and 200 pounds with a 40-inch vertical jump and the biggest hands of any of the receivers in this draft class, Lane has the catch radius and athletic ability to make plays on the ball. He caught 12 touchdowns as a sophomore and was only a three-year player in college. He’ll require development, but there are clearly attributes to develop.
Favorite Day 3 defensive prospect?
LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. looked like a future top-10 pick in his true freshman year when he had 7.5 sacks as a five-star recruit stepping into the lineup, but he moved to different positions and spent most of his time at off-ball linebacker. He also tore his ACL during his junior season. Perkins seems at his best when his athleticism is unleashed. He’s undersized (6-1, 223 pounds), and that tweener frame is hard to dismiss. Yet he flies to the football and forced 13 turnovers in college and has special teams experience. I’m not sure he’s what the Eagles are seeking, but don’t be surprised if he turns into a productive NFL player.
Best Philadelphia-area prospect?
Let’s go with Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter, son of Eagles Hall of Famer Jeremiah Trotter and brother of Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Josiah Trotter, who is a projected third-round pick by Brugler, is 6-2 and 237 pounds. He played two years of college football at West Virginia and Missouri, earning first-team All-SEC for the Tigers last season. He grew up in Hainesport, N.J., and went to Saint Joseph’s Prep, continuing the tradition of players from The Prep to the pros. He has a different playing style than his father and brother, but he’s similarly expected to become a starting linebacker in the NFL.