Ranking the Eagles' positional needs in the 2022 NFL Draft

A couple months ago, we ranked the Philadelphia Eagles' offseason positional needs from most glaring to most stable. After watching the Birds' moves in free agency, we'll update that list here, and we'll tailor it specifically to the 2022 NFL Draft.

1) Defensive end

Previous ranking: 1

The Eagles had 29 sacks in 2021, second worst in the NFL. Of that total, only 10.5 of them came from edge rushers. There were 14 individual players last season who had at least 10.5 sacks in 2021. Brandon Graham will return next season, and he'll help improve the Eagles' edge rush, but he's not a long-term answer as he just turned 34 years old. All the Eagles have in terms of long-term pieces on the edge is Josh Sweat, who still has to prove that he can be a consistent disruptor.

In free agency, the Eagles made a splashy Day 1 signing when they added Haason Reddick, who will likely play a mix of the SAM position as well as DE on obvious passing downs. They also made the unpopular decision to bring back Derek Barnett on a one-year deal. That move may have been influenced by first-round prospect David Ojabo tearing an Achilles at his pro day. Huh? How's that? Well, perhaps the Eagles couldn't be certain that at least one of the pass rushers worthy of the 15th pick would make it that far, so they wanted to ensure they had somebody in place if the draft didn't go their way?

Still, the addition of Reddick and the Barnett re-signing should just be a start. The Eagles still need depth and young talent along their line, and I imagine that they are not done adding to that group. Defensive end and cornerback are the two positions I could see the Eagles trading up for in this draft.

2) Wide receiver

Previous ranking: 4

The Eagles certainly tried to add a difference-making receiver, but for varying reasons they missed out on Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Allen Robinson, and Robert Woods, at a minimum, and possibly others. Instead, they signed Zach Pascal to a one-year deal that isn't even big enough to count toward the comp pick formula.

DeVonta Smith appears to be a legitimate No. 1 type of wide receiver, and Quez Watkins made some nice strides in 2021, but major draft whiffs on J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Jalen Reagor have set the team back at wide receiver. The reality is that the Eagles only have two players at the position they can truly feel good about. The rest wouldn't even make a number of other rosters around the league.

There has been some logical speculation that other receivers around the league don't want to play in Philadelphia because the Eagles had the most run-heavy offense in the NFL in 2021. Vets can choose not to play for you. Rookie draft picks pretty much cannot. And so, it's quite possible that the Eagles will add another receiver in the first round of their third consecutive draft, and there are plenty of options at the position that should be available.

3) Cornerback

Previous ranking: 6

It's hard to figure out what the Eagles are thinking at cornerback. On the surface, it looks like they have a glaring hole at CB2, and at CB1, Darius Slay just turned 31.

The team has brought in a bunch of big-name corners on pre-draft visits, which is an indication that they are legitimately exploring the position in Round 1, like they did a year ago when they had heavy interest both in Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain.

If the Eagles can add a stud cornerback in the first round, they should! But will they?

Slay is coming off a Pro Bowl season, the team just signed Avonte Maddox to a contract extension, and the Eagles seemed to be purposely stockpiling young cornerbacks all year in 2021:

May 1: They drafted Zech McPhearson in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
May 18: They traded a sixth-round pick to the Jaguars for Josiah Scott.
September 2: They claimed Andre Chachere off of waivers from the Colts.
September 7: They signed Mac McCain off of the Broncos' practice squad.
October 15: They traded Zach Ertz to the Cardinals for a fifth-round pick and Tay Gowan.
November 2: They traded a sixth-round pick to the Broncos for Kary Vincent, Jr.

While none of those players individually should be counted on as a definitive starting option in 2022, perhaps the Eagles are playing the odds that one will stick?

But also, beyond just looking at personnel, in Gannon's defense cornerbacks weren't challenged with tough assignments the same way they were during the Jim Schwartz era, so it may not currently be viewed as a position of high priority, right or wrong.

As noted above, cornerback feels like a position the Eagles could trade up for, with Cincinnati's Sauce Gardner and LSU's Derek Stingley serving as the top two potential targets.

4) Linebacker

Previous ranking: 3

It took them a while, but the Eagles eventually added a linebacker in free agency in Kyzir White, who had his best season in the NFL a year ago with the Chargers. He joins a linebacker group that includes T.J. Edwards, Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley, and Patrick Johnson.

White will likely start at one linebacker spot, and you can pencil in Edwards at the other, for now. Is that good enough?

Edwards is tough, physical, and instinctive, but he is not athletically gifted and will always have a target on his back in the passing game.

White feels like a good addition, however, so have many of the other linebackers the Eagles have acquired in free agency over the last half decade, none of whom have panned out.

• 2018: Paul Worrilow tore his ACL during OTAs.

• 2018: Corey Nelson got released a few weeks into training camp.

• 2019: L.J. Fort got released less than one month into the season.

• 2019: Zach Brown got released in October, after he talked trash about Kirk Cousins, who subsequently lit up the Eagles' defense.

• 2020: Jatavis Brown retired about a week into Eagles training camp.

• 2021: Eric Wilson was waived after just eight games.

The Eagles can still use a bona fide three-down linebacker who can make plays and help stabilize the middle of the field, where the Eagles' defense got killed in 2021.

Might the Eagles finally draft a linebacker in the first round? My bet is no, however, there are a cluster of good linebackers that could be available in the second or third rounds, like Georgia's Quay Walker, Alabama's Christian Harris, Wyoming's Chad Muma, Wisconsin's Leo Chenal, Montana State's Troy Andersen, and Georgia's Channing Tindall.

5) Safety

Previous ranking: 5

A safety duo of Anthony Harris and Marcus Epps isn't good enough. The Eagles likely do not want to draft a safety in the first round, but they absolutely have to consider Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton if he were to fall to 15, an unlikely scenario.

The Eagles could wait and see if they find value at safety early in the draft. If not, perhaps they have Tyrann Mathieu's number programmed into the speed dial and he'll receive a call on Sunday after the draft if the Eagles haven't added enough talent there.

6) Defensive tackle

Previous ranking: 9

I still can't believe the Eagles think Fletcher Cox is worth $14 million, but whatever. He's back and the Eagles have a solid trio of DTs in Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Milton Williams.

Defensive tackle remains a position to watch, since both Cox and Hargrave are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2023. Georgia's Jordan Davis is a possibility at pick 15.

7) Interior OL

Previous ranking: 10

One of the strange early themes of mock draft season is that many have the Eagles selecting interior offensive line help in the first round. That doesn't really make any sense. The Eagles are loaded with versatile talent on the interior of their line, with Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson, Isaac Seumalo, Jack Driscoll, Nate Herbig, Sua Opeta, and Jack Anderson.

Drafting Andre Dillard in the first round a few years ago and having him sit behind Jason Peters was a debatable decision, but justifiable given the importance of the offensive tackle position. But drafting an interior offensive lineman in the first round and having him sit until he's needed? Why? The Eagles have quality starters and proven depth. What's the rush?

The only scenario that I can see the Eagles taking an interior offensive linemen in Rounds 1 or 2 is if they have serious concerns about Seumalo's ability to stay on the field, which I suppose would be reasonable enough.

8) Tight end

Previous ranking: 7

Dallas Goedert is on his way to being a top 5-ish type of tight end, and as a result this positional group is perhaps being underrated some as an Eagles need. Nick Sirianni ran his fair share of 2-TE sets in 2021, and his No. 2 TE only had four receptions. The Eagles could use a more well-rounded TE2 who can be a threat as a receiver.

The 2022 draft is thought to be one of the deeper tight end drafts in recent memory, and there could be value on Day 3.

9) Running back

Previous ranking: 8

The Eagles had the best rushing offense in the NFL in 2021 because (a) they kind of had to be without a functional passing offense, and (b) they had an elite run-blocking offensive line. The backs were just sort of along for the ride, and they failed to produce big plays despite plenty of opportunities provided to them by the big boys up front. On the season, Eagles backs had zero rushes of over 40 yards.

Miles Sanders is in the final year of his rookie contract.

10) Quarterback

Previous ranking: 2

The Eagles have screamed all offseason in the direction of anyone who would listen that Jalen Hurts is their guy, even while trying unsuccessfully to trade for Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. Unfortunately for Howie Roseman and the Eagles' front office, the 2022 quarterback class just isn't very good.

And so, Hurts will likely be the Eagles' QB1 in 2022, but it won't be because he left no doubt during the 2021 season that he is the definitive answer at quarterback. While Hurts has athletic ability and positive intangibles, he is also a very flawed passer, which is kind of a big deal in modern football. Can he improve drastically in that area going forward? Eh. He can still get better, but it's highly unlikely he'll ever be in the same ballpark as the league's elite passers.

When the Birds 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.

While I would have done that trade no matter what the circumstances were, it feels pretty clear that the Eagles' multiple first-round picks in 2023 are earmarked for a quarterback, unless Hurts takes a major step forward in 2022.

Could the Eagles select a quarterback in the first round of 2022 draft? Sure, if there's one they really love. However, it feels unlikely they really love guys like Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett, or, you know, they would have tried to use their picks to get them instead of trading one away. If a guy like Ole Miss' Matt Corral or Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder are still there in the second round, I could see them as appealing developmental options for the Eagles, but it feels unlikely they'll still be around.

To note, I believe the Eagles have played their hand correctly this offseason at the quarterback position. Their actions show that they don't believe Hurts is likely to become their long-term answer. They tried to upgrade on him with near-elite vets, and they have put themselves in a position to add an elite quarterback prospect in the 2023 draft. They are right not to settle for just a modest upgrade at quarterback that might make the team a little bit better in the short-term, but won't make them Super Bowl contenders. If you're going to find a quarterback, do it right.

So for now, while quarterback may very well be the team's biggest need overall, it's a lesser need specifically in the 2022 draft.

11) Punter

Previous ranking: 11

Arryn Siposs turned into a Shankopotomous machine at the end of the season. The Eagles shouldn't lose their minds and use some sort of valuable resource on a punter, but at a minimum, they have to give Siposs legitimate competition in training camp this year, if not just replacing him outright before camp even begins.

12) Offensive tackle

Previous ranking: 12

The Eagles may very well have the best OT pairing in the NFL in Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. They also have depth in the form of Dillard, Driscoll, and Le'Raven Clark.

A Day 3 pick on a swing tackle who can fill multiple roles as a backup initially with starting RT upside down the line might make some sense, especially if they can trade Dillard for a decent return, but the Eagles shouldn't be players in the offensive tackle market early in the draft.

13) Kicker / long snapper

Previous ranking: 13

Jake Elliott and Rick Lovato are safe from training camp competition.

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