As any casual follower of the Philadelphia Eagles knows, Howie Roseman tends to make a lot of first round trades in the draft. In 2024, the Birds hold the 22nd overall pick. Will they trade up, trade back, or stick-and-pick?
First, we'll recap the last quarter century (since the beginning of the Andy Reid era), showing the Eagles' picks in the first round of the draft, and then we'll determine their best course of action in the 2024 NFL Draft:
Green = Traded up | Blue = Stayed put | Red = Traded back
| Year | Original draft spot | Player drafted | Traded up, traded back, or stayed put |
| 2023 | 10 | Traded up | |
| 2023 | 30 | Nolan Smith | Stayed put |
| 2022 | 15 | Jordan Davis | Traded up |
| 2021 | 6 | DeVonta Smith (10) | Traded back, then traded up |
| 2020 | 21 | Jalen Reagor (21) | Stayed put |
| 2019 | 25 | Andre Dillard (22) | Traded up |
| 2018 | 32 | (Nobody in first round) - Dallas Goedert first pick in 2nd round (49) | Traded back, then |
| 2017 | 14 | Derek Barnett (14) | Stayed put |
| 2016 | 13 | Carson Wentz (2) | Traded up |
| 2015 (Chip year) | 20 | Nelson Agholor (20) | Stayed put |
| 2014 | 22 | Marcus Smith (26) | Traded back |
| 2013 | 4 | Lane Johnson (4) | Stayed put |
| 2012 | 15 | Fletcher Cox (12) | Traded up |
| 2011 | 23 | Danny Watkins (23) | Stayed put |
| 2010 | 24 | Brandon Graham (13) | Traded up |
| 2009 | 21 | Jeremy Maclin (19) | Traded up |
| 2008 | 19 | (Nobody in first round) - Trevor Laws first pick in 2nd round (47) | Traded back |
| 2007 | 26 | (Nobody in first round) - Kevin Kolb first pick in 2nd round (36) | Traded back |
| 2006 | 14 | Brodrick Bunkley (14) | Stayed put |
| 2005 | 31 | Mike Patterson (31) | Stayed put |
| 2004 | 28 | Shawn Andrews (16) | Traded up |
| 2003 | 30 | Jerome McDougle (15) | Traded up |
| 2002 | 26 | Lito Sheppard (26) | Stayed put |
| 2001 | 25 | Freddie Mitchell (25) | Stayed put |
| 2000 | 6 | Corey Simon (6) | Stayed put |
| 1999 | 2 | Donovan McNabb (2) | Stayed put |
The tale of the tape:
• Traded up (9 times): Jerome McDougle, Shawn Andrews, Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Carson Wentz, Andre Dillard, and Jordan Davis.
- Jerome McDougle: Bust, largely because he got shot.
- Shawn Andrews: Stud RG for a few years, then he had some injuries and suffered from anxiety, which at the time did not garner understanding and empathy like it does now.
- Jeremy Maclin: Developed into a very good starting receiver, had 1,300+ receiving yards the year before bolting for Kansas City in free agency.
- Brandon Graham: Highly criticized pick for years, but Graham eventually became one of the best players on the team, and a Super Bowl hero.
- Fletcher Cox: Star DT.
- Carson Wentz: He was the franchise quarterback for a while, and the Eagles almost certainly don't have a Super Bowl without his contributions in 2017, but, uh, it ended badly.
- Andre Dillard: Nine starts in four years with the team, some of which were disasters.
- Jordan Davis: Davis played OK his rookie season until he was sidelined with an injury. Upon his return, Linval Joseph had taken away some of his snaps. In 2023, Davis had his moments early in the season, but he seemed to physically fade down the stretch.
- Jalen Carter: Carter finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
• Traded back (3 times): Kevin Kolb, Trevor Laws, and Marcus Smith.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 (12 times): Donovan McNabb, Corey Simon, Freddie Mitchell, Lito Sheppard, Mike Patterson, Brodrick Bunkley, Danny Watkins, Lane Johnson, Nelson Agholor, and Derrick Barnett.
- Donovan McNabb: Franchise QB for more than a decade.
- Corey Simon: Impact player early in his career, declined rapidly at around age 27.
- Freddie Mitchell: Made one huge play, talked like he was an All-Pro.
- Lito Sheppard: Quality starting corner for years, although like Simon, he too declined rapidly in his mid-late 20's.
- Mike Patterson: Meat and potatoes guy on the interior of the defensive line. Solid career for a late 1.
- Brodrick Bunkley: Imposing interior defender, did not live up to vast potential.
- Danny Watkins: This was the stupidest pick the Eagles made over the last 25 years. He was freaking 26!
- Lane Johnson: Great pick in a weak draft class. Arguably the best offensive lineman in the NFL during a six-year span from 2017 to 2022.
- 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.
- Derek Barnett: Disappointing production, maddening penalties.
- Jalen Reagor: The Eagles had their choice of Reagor and Justin Jefferson, and picked the wrong one.
- Nolan Smith: Unlikely to get heavy usage as a rookie behind a deep edge rusher group, but played even fewer snaps than projected.
• Traded back, and then traded up (2 times): Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith.
- 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.
- DeVonta Smith: Star receiver in the making.
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.
MORE: Eagles-only 2024 mock draft, version 4.0
A recent history of trades involving picks 21 through 23
The following is a list of trades made at or near the 22nd overall spot (we'll show trades involving the 21st through 23rd picks), just for the purpose of providing a recent historical sense of what it might cost to move up, or what can be gained by moving back. Trades involving veteran players were omitted.
• 2022: The Patriots traded their first-round selection (21st overall) to the Chiefs in exchange for first-, third- and fourth-round selections (29th, 94th and 121st overall).
• 2022: The Ravens traded a first-round selection (23rd overall) to the Bills in exchange for first- and fourth-round selections (25th and 130th overall).
• 2021: The Vikings traded first- and fourth-round selections (14th and 143rd overall) to the Jets in exchange for their first- and two third-round selections (23rd, 66th, and 86th overall).
• 2020: The Patriots traded their first-round selection (23rd overall) to the Chargers in exchange for second- and third-round selections (37th and 71st overall).
• 2019: The Seahawks traded a first-round selection (21st overall) to the Packers in exchange for first- and two fourth-round selections (30th, 114th, and 118th overall).
• 2019: The Ravens traded their first-round selection (22nd overall) to the Eagles in exchange for first-, fourth-, and sixth-round selections (25th, 127th, and 197th overall). The Eagles took Dillard here, FYI.
• 2018: The Ravens traded first- and sixth-round selections (22nd and 215th overall) to the Titans in exchange for first- and fourth-round selections (25th and 125th overall).
• 2017: Washington traded its first-round selection (21st overall) to the Texans in exchange for a first-round selection (22nd overall) and their 2017 sixth-round selection.
• 2014: The Eagles traded their first-round selection (22nd overall) to the Browns in exchange for first- and third-round selections (26th and 83rd overall).
Should the Eagles trade up?
In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Eagles really liked six prospects — Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham, Kyle Fuller, C.J. Mosley, Brandin Cooks, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. With the Cardinals on the clock at pick 20, the Eagles, picking 22nd, felt good about landing one of the two remaining players from that list, Cooks or Clinton-Dix. But, OH NO (!) the Saints traded up to 20 and took Cooks, the Packers took Clinton-Dix at 21, and yada yada yada, Marcus Smith got Howie Roseman demoted to Storage Room B.
The Eagles are picking 22nd again, and it's probably worth noting that the COVID redshirt season and NIL deals have contributed to a weaker than normal pool of prospects in the 2024 draft, explained here:
I'm not sure why that video needed dramatic background music, but whatever.
The Eagles currently have 8 picks, including two in the second round and three in the fifth round. They could use those picks as ammo to move up and select a player who would otherwise be unlikely to last until pick 22, whether that's a cornerback like Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell or Alabama's Terrion Arnold, or an offensive tackle who can also play guard, like Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga or Washington's Troy Fautanu.If the Eagles feel like they can't just wait around and hope that a prospect they really like falls to them, lessons from the 2014 draft could be applied here.
MORE: Eagles mock draft roundup, version 4.0
Should they just stay put?
If the draft gets into the teens and there are still plenty of prospects they like, then sure, stick and pick. However, I've done enough mock draft simulations this offseason to know that there are often times when the available options aren't all that great at pick 22.
Should they trade back?
As noted above, the Eagles already have 8 picks in this draft, including a pair of second-round picks. Trading back for additional picks in a weak draft doesn't feel like the smart play this year.
Should they trade the pick for a stud veteran player?
The trade market this offseason has been interesting, with Brian Burns, Haason Reddick, and L'Jarius Sneed all being dealt for compensation that was lower than expected. Of course, each of those players required new contracts as well, which no doubt factored into the compensation calculation.
Still, if there are bargains to be had in the trade market in terms of draft capital, you know that Roseman is sniffing around them.
Conclusion
I'd rank them like so:
- Trade up
- Stay put
- Trade for some stud veteran player
- Trade back
What they're saying: Eagles have the ammo to make a splash at the draft
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