The NFL draft always generates plenty of opinions, and that’s all they are. The truth reveals itself over three days in late April; this spring, it will come April 24-26 when the draft is held in Green Bay.
Perhaps there is a road map to follow when looking at or doing Eagles-only mock drafts, at least for which position might be targeted in the first round.
That’s assuming, of course, that Howie Roseman doesn’t trade out of the first round like the general manager did the last time the Eagles won the Super Bowl and were scheduled to have the last pick of the first round at No. 32.
The Eagles have drafted 22 players since the century began in 2000. There were three years when the Eagles didn’t make a pick in the first round.
This is what happened in those years without a first-round pick:
-In 2008, they had two second-rounders and spent them defensive tackle Trevor Laws and receiver DeSean Jackson
-In 2009, they selected quarterback Kevin Kolb and defensive end Victor Abiamiri.
-In 2018, they spent a second rounder on tight end Dallas Goedert, who was the only player at his position taken with the Eagles’ first pick in this century. General manager Howie Roseman has taken only on tight end since drafting Goedert and that was in 2022 when he selected Grant Calcaterra in the sixth round.
Going with a tight end in the first-round feels like a dead end on this road map, though.
What feels like the right path is defensive tackle. The Eagles have taken six defensive tackles in the first round since 2000 and went back-to-back twice in doing so.
Most recently, they grabbed Jordan Davis in 2022 and followed that up by taking Jalen Carter in 2023. In 2005, they went with Mike Patterson and followed that up by selecting Brodrick Bunkley in 2006.
The next popular position group for the Eagles were receivers. They may sound a bit surprising given their love for the trenches, but it took a while for them to get it right.
They went back-to-back at that position in 2020 when they drafted Jalen Reagor and DeVonta Smith the following year. They got it right obviously with Smith and whiffed big-time on Reagor.
With Smith, A.J. Brown, Jahan Dotson, and second-year risers Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson, this also feels like a dead end on the map to forming an opinion on what position will be addressed on April 24.
Four offensive linemen have been taken (two tackles and two guards) followed by three defensive ends, two cornerbacks, one quarterback and one linebacker, who was more of a defensive end but listed as a linebacker.
Here is the entire list:
FIRST ROUND
2024 CB (Quinyon Mitchell)
2023 DT (Jalen Carter), OLB (Nolan Smith)
2022 DT (Jordan Davis)
2021 WR (DeVonta Smith)
2020 WR (Jalen Reagor)
2019 OT (Andre Dillard)
2018 (No first-round pick, drafted TE Dallas Goedert in the second round)
2017 DE (Derek Barnett)
2016 QB (Carson Wentz)
2015 WR (Nelson Agholor)
2014 LB (Marcus Smith)
2013 OT (Lane Johnson)
2012 DT (Fletcher Cox)
2011 G (Danny Watkins)
2010 DE (Brandon Graham)
2009 WR (Jeremy Maclin)
2008 (No first round pick, took DT Trevor Laws and WR DeSean Jackson in second round)
2007 (No first round pick, took QB Kevin Kolb and DE Victor Abiamiri in second round)
2006 DT (Brodrick Bunkley)
2005 DT (Mike Patterson)
2004 G (Shawn Andrews)
2003 DE (Jerome McDougal)
2002 CB (Lito Sheppard)
2001 WR (Freddie Mitchell)
2000 DT (Corey Simon)
