April 01, 2024
Now that free agency is pretty much in the rear view mirror, let's start draft month by ranking the Philadelphia Eagles' positional needs in the 2024 NFL Draft.
We will be heavily weighing the team's views of positional importance below, as well as a focusing on the long-term view, which is how the Eagles typically use their early picks. In other words, the goal here is not to simply pick out the most glaring holes on the roster, like we did prior to free agency.
In the locker room after the Eagles' playoff loss to the Bucs, Lane Johnson said that he thinks he has "a few good years left," and while that may be true, he turns 34 in May and the Eagles have a consistent history of putting succession plans in place years in advance along the offensive line.
Johnson and Jordan Mailata form one of the best — if not the best — the best offensive tackle duos in the NFL. Johnson is still elite, but his play fell off a bit last season. Of course, when you're the best offensive lineman in the world as Johnson arguably was for a half decade or so before last season, that's a hard standard to maintain.
The Eagles' build their offensive line though the draft:
• LT Jordan Mailata: 7th round, 2018
• LG Landon Dickerson: 2nd round, 2021
• C Cam Jurgens: 2nd round, 2022
• RG Tyler Steen(?): 3rd round, 2023
• RT Lane Johnson, 1st round, 2013
And, of course, they drafted Jason Kelce and other since-departed productive players like Isaac Seumalo and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. The Eagles have had one big miss in Andre Dillard, but otherwise have a stellar history of drafting and developing offensive linemen over the last decade.
The 2024 draft happens to be loaded with quality offensive tackle prospects. Daniel Jeremiah, for example, has 7 of them in his top 22 prospects:
• Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State (9)
• Joe Alt, Notre Dame (10)
• Troy Fautanu, Washington (12)
• Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State (15)
• JC Latham, Alabama (16)
• Amarius Mims, Georgia (20)
• Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma (22)
The Eagles pick 22nd. Offensive tackles are typically over-drafted because of their positional value, but because there are so many good ones in this year's draft, one or more of the above players will likely be available when the Eagles pick.
"I expect to always be a championship caliber team than also looks toward the mid-range and the future at the same time," Jeffrey Lurie said at the owners meetings in March.
I would put the above players in the following buckets:
• Guys who can play RG in the short-term before taking over for Johnson at RT: Fuaga, Fautanu, Latham.
• Offensive tackles only, ready to go: Alt, Fashanu.
• Somewhat raw, probably offensive tackles only: Mims, Guyton.
That first bucket of players can theoretically help in the short-term and long-term. The others are would be more of the "mid-range and future" that Lurie mentioned. I believe they're all in play.
Do the Eagles have more immediate needs at, say, corner or linebacker? They sure do! But unlike a number of other franchises around the league, they have figured out that great offensive line play can win championships and bad offensive line play gets people fired.
If the Eagles draft an offensive tackle who can't also play guard and Mailata and Johnson (a) continue to play at a high level and (b) stay healthy, then that young OT might have to sit a couple of years. While that might bother some fans, the silver lining would be that, you know, Mailata and Johnson stayed healthy and continued to play at a high level!
Ultimately, the Eagles draft offensive linemen with premium picks because they hope that those guys can be mainstays on their line for the long haul. It's just what they do, and there's no reason to believe that will change given their desire to always field one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
The Eagles' starting trio of corners the last two seasons were Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox. Bradberry was a disaster in 2023, Maddox was a cap casualty this offseason, and Slay will turn 34 during the 2024 season.
The Eagles have some intriguing players in the pipeline, like 2023 draft pick Kelee Ringo, and Isaiah Rodgers, who should soon be reinstated from a year-long suspension. Still, there are short-term and long-term needs here.
The 2024 draft has a number of corners likely to go in the first two rounds who have inside-outside versatility, like Alabama's Terrion Arnold, Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell, Georgia's Kamari Lassiter, and a do-everything guy in Iowa's Cooper DeJean. Those types of corners would give the Eagles short-term and long-term flexibility.
More specifically, the Eagles have a hole at RG. When asked about his options at RG at the NFL owners meetings, Nick Sirianni mentioned Matt Hennessy, and then went on to note all the various times during the the year when more players could be added (the draft, after the draft, the trade deadline, etc.). Interestingly, he did not mention Tyler Steen until another reporter specifically brought him up.
Ideally, again, the Eagles could add a RGOTP-RTOTF ("RG of the present, RT of the future) and knock out two of the top three needs on this list in one shot.
Haason Reddick is gone, Brandon Graham is likely playing his last season, Josh Sweat could be moving on in free agency next season, and Zack Baun is in Philly on a one-year deal. Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith are the only two edge rushers who are under contract in 2025. That's the reason to draft an edge rusher with an early pick.
The reason not to? The Eagles' coaching staff did a poor job of getting Nolan Smith involved last season, so if they were to select another edge rusher with a high pick, they better actually use him, and snaps could be limited with all the above players (Reddick aside) already in the mix in 2024.
Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus moved on to new teams, and Julio Jones may or may not have played his last season in 2023.
The Eagles signed a pair of receivers in free agency in DeVante Parker, who can't separate from coverage, and Parris Campbell, who in theory is a speedy downfield threat but in reality isn't at all, as evidenced by his career 9.3 yards per catch. Neither Parker nor Campbell should reasonably be considered a good option at WR3, and it was somewhat surprising that the Eagles didn't sign a better receiver in free agency.
The Eagles still need a legitimate WR3, and it's a strong receiver draft. That's highly unlikely to happen in Round 1, but could at any point thereafter.
The Eagles drafted Dallas Goedert after Zach Ertz's fifth season when Ertz was only 27 years old. They drafted Ertz after Brent Celek's sixth season when Celek was 28. Goedert has played six seasons and is now 29. He's a good player and is certainly capable of having a bounce-back season, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the Eagles drafting a tight end with a Day 2 pick to eventually replace him while serving as the TE2 in the short-term.
The Eagles still seem to believe in Nakobe Dean, despite Dean having given them little reason to through his first two NFL seasons. They also signed Devin White to a one-year deal in free agency. Otherwise, they have Oren Burks, EDGE/OBLB hybrid Zack Baun, and a handful of athletic special teams guys.
At some point that the Eagles will have to learn that if they have a gaping hole at linebacker, good NFL offenses are going to eat them alive in the middle of the field, like the Cowboys and 49ers did a year ago.
Should linebacker be higher on this list? OF COURSE IT SHOULD! And certainly, the Eagles should probably adjust how they value the linebacker position at some point, even if it's never going to be on the level of OL, DL, etc. (as it shouldn't be). The Eagles have used recent third-round picks on Dean and Davion Taylor. There should be some good linebackers available in the second round. We'll see.
The Eagles have been loading up on defensive tackles in the draft over the last three years:
• Jalen Carter, Round 1, 2023
• Moro Ojomo, Round 7, 2023
• Jordan Davis, Round 1, 2022
• Milton Williams, Round 3, 2021
• Marlon Tuipulotu, Round 6, 2022
It's time for those guys to collectively step up and make an impact.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Sydney Brown are both under contract for the next three seasons, and the Eagles should be able to keep Reed Blankenship at a cheap number as a restricted free agent in 2025. The Eagles could use another young safety, but ideally one with some slot corner versatility, which I would put in the cornerback bucket.
Saquon Barkley was the Eagles' biggest splash signing this offseason, and they still have Kenny Gainwell in reserve. If they draft a running back, it's hard to imagine they'll do so before Day 3.
Jalen Hurts is the starter, Kenny Pickett is the No. 2, and Tanner McKee is the No. 3. The Eagles also signed Will Grier to be a camp arm and a guy who can help the other quarterbacks adjust to the change to Kellen Moore at offensive coordinator.
The Eagles are married to Hurts, while Pickett and McKee are each under contract for multiple years on cheap rookie deals.
Jake Elliott is a stud, Braden Mann had a good first season in Philly, and Rick Lovato throws the ball through his legs just fine. All three of those guys also already got new deals this offseason.
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