Eagles 2022 draft: Trade up, trade back, or stay put at picks 15 and 18?

• Traded back (4 times): Kevin Kolb, Trevor Laws, Marcus Smith, and Dallas Goedert.

1. Kevin Kolb: In his first game as "the guy," he was pummeled by Clay Matthews and lost his starting job to Michael Vick before being dealt to Arizona. The Eagles selected Kolb, Stewart Bradley, and C.J. Gaddis with the picks acquired from Dallas in that trade.
   
2. Trevor Laws: He had just 45 career tackles and five sacks in an underwhelming career. However, this trade netted Laws, Mike McGlynn, Quintin Demps, and Carolina's first-round pick in 2009, which the Eagles then traded along with a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick for Jason Peters. I'd say that trade eventually worked out.
   
3. Marcus Smith: By moving back four spots and selecting Smith, who became a legendary bust, the Eagles also drafted Jaylen Watkins and Taylor Hart.

• Stayed put (10 times): Donovan McNabb, Corey Simon, Freddie Mitchell, Lito Sheppard, Mike Patterson, Brodrick Bunkley, Danny Watkins, Lane Johnson, Nelson Agholor, and Derrick Barnett.

1. Donovan McNabb: Franchise QB for more than a decade.
   
2. Corey Simon: Impact player early in his career, declined rapidly at around age 27.
   
3. Freddie Mitchell: Made one huge play, talked like he was an All-Pro.
   
4. Lito Sheppard: Quality starting corner for years, although like Simon, he too declined rapidly at around 26.
   
5. Mike Patterson: Meat and potatoes guy on the interior of the defensive line. Solid career for a late 1.
   
6. Brodrick Bunkley: Imposing interior defender, did not live up to vast potential.
   
7. Danny Watkins: This was the stupidest pick the Eagles made over the last 20 years. He was freaking 26!
   
8. Lane Johnson: Great pick in a weak draft class.
   
9. Nelson Agholor: Bust for two years who broke out in year three with the team, and then reverted back to to bust form in his contract season.
   
10. Derek Barnett: Sack production has been disappointing. Penalties have been maddening.
11. Jalen Reagor: The Eagles had their choice of Reagor and Justin Jefferson, and picked the wrong one.

• Traded back, and then traded up (2 times): Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith.

1. Dallas Goedert: By moving back 20 spots from 32 to 52, the Eagles were able to pick up a 2019 second-round pick. They also moved up seven spots in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft as part of the deal. They then traded up from 52 to 49 with Indy, giving up a fifth-round pick to select Goedert, who looks like a borderline top-5 tight end in the NFL.
2. DeVonta Smith: Smith looked like a legitimate No. 1 type of receiver his rookie season, breaking DeSean Jackson's record for most receiving yards by an Eagles receiver in his rookie season, despite playing in the most run-heavy offense in the NFL.

A lot of the best players on the lists above have been drafted as a result of trading up, even if they initially traded back first.

A 10-year history of trades involving picks 15 through 18

The following is a list of trades made at 15th, 16th, 17th, or 18th overall, just for the purpose of providing a historical sense of what it might cost to move up, or what can be gained by moving back. Trades involving players omitted.

• 2018: The Raiders traded a first-round selection (10th) to the Cardinals in exchange for Arizona's first-, third-, and fifth-round selections (15th, 79th, and 152nd).

• 2018: The Ravens traded first- and fifth-round selections (16th and 154th) to the Bills in exchange for Buffalo's first and third round selections (22nd and 65th).

• 2018: The Seahawks traded first- and seventh-round selections (18th and 248th) to the Packers in exchange for Green Bay's first-, third-, and sixth-round selections (27th, 76th, and 186th).

• 2016: The Browns traded first- and sixth-round selections (8th and 176th) to the Titans in exchange for Tennessee's first- and third-round selections (15th and 76th) as well as its 2017 second-round selection.

• 2015: The 49ers traded its first-round selection (15th) to the Chargers in exchange for San Diego's 2015 first- and fourth-round selections (17th & 117th), and their fifth-round selection in 2016.

• 2013: The Bills traded its first-round selection (8th) and a third-round selection (71st) to the Rams in exchange for St. Louis' first-, second-, third-, and seventh-round selections (16th, 46th, 78th, and 222nd).

• 2013: The Cowboys traded its first-round selection (18th) to the 49ers in exchange for San Francisco's 2013 first- and third-round selections (31st and 74th).

Should the Eagles trade back again?

When the Eagles still had three first-round picks, one of the common assumptions was that the team would try to trade back and pick up an extra first-round pick in 2023, when better quarterback prospects could be available. We pointed out the unlikelihood of such a scenario, barring some other team out there making an idiotic trade, and, well, Howie found his idiots in the Saints, who forked over a bounty of picks for one of the the Eagles' three first-round picks.

Could they trade for yet another 2023 first-round pick?

They should try! There are currently five teams with multiple first-round picks in 2023:

1. Lions
2. Texans
3. Seahawks
4. Dolphins
5. Eagles

There's a decent chance that all five of those teams could be looking for a new quarterback in 2023. If the Eagles were to somehow land a third first-round pick in 2023, they could be in a position to out-maneuver those teams for draft positioning in a potentially loaded quarterback class.

But again, they'd have to find another team like the Saints willing to make a moronic trade, which feels unlikely.

One popular trade-back scenario could be with the Chiefs, who hold the 29th and 30th overall picks in 2022. After trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, Andy Reid can use another wide receiver. There should be a few very good ones to choose from either at picks 15 or 18, but there is likely to be a significant dropoff to whoever might still be available at pick 29.

The draft value chart says that the Chiefs' 29th overall pick and the 50th overall pick (from the Dolphins) would be near-equal compensation. Alternatively, the Eagles could look to try to further bolster their 2023 draft bounty.

The other team rumored to want to make a big move up is the Lions, who hold the 32nd and 34th picks. If they were to trade up for a quarterback to, say, pick 15, the Eagles could add some extra picks while also eliminating a competitor for a quarterback in 2023. 

Should they just stay put?

Sure. This draft is thought to be weak at the top, but strong in the teens. Sticking and picking wouldn't be the worst option this year. The Eagles would almost be guaranteed a good wide receiver prospect, at a minimum.

Should they trade up?

Sure! After first-round prospect David Ojabo tore an Achilles at his pro day, the likelihood that the Eagles would have the opportunity to select an edge rusher worthy of the 15th overall pick decreased sharply. If they feel that players like Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux or Florida State's Jermaine Johnson are potential impact players, then the Eagles could perhaps try to get up into the 8-12 range to secure their guy. 

The Jets at pick No. 10 would be a logical trade partner. The desperately need help at wide receiver, and can just as easily pick a good one at 15 as they can at 10. They're in a position to get a good player at a position of need while adding a free pick or two.

It's also worth noting that if the Eagles had a chance to make a reasonable trade up to select cornerbacks Patrick Surtain or Jaycee Horn during the 2021 draft, my understanding is that they would have preferred those players over DeVonta Smith. They could be looking to make a similar move up for a corner this year, with Cincinnati's Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner and LSU's Derek Stingley serving as the two most likely targets.

Conclusion

Each year, we usually take a pretty firm guess on what we think the Eagles will do, in terms of trading up, trading back, or sticking and picking. However, there are very logical possibilities for all three of those strategies this year, as the Eagles have a pair of picks in an intriguing spot in the middle of the first round.

It's all on the table, and Howie Roseman has the luxury of sitting back and letting the best course of action find him.