Check out the names on the following list of Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Dawkins, DeSean Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Cooper DeJean, Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, Zach Ertz, and Dallas Goedert.
There are legends on that list. There are Super Bowl champions on that list and legends in the making. What do they have in common? Many of you already know the answer. Philly landed them in Round 2 of their respective draft classes.
They say first-rounders are expected to be stars and contribute immediately. They also say the meat of an NFL roster is built by the guys taken on Day 2. This list of Birds proves that, and based on Howie Roseman's recent track record, there's a chance Philly can find another jackpot acquisition in Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
7 second-round 2025 NFL Draft prospects the Eagles should certainly keep tabs on
Opinions vary on what the Eagles should do with the 32nd overall selection in Round 1. Some have suggested taking an edge rusher. Others suggest a shift in philosophy. Radio personalities have suggested taking the speedy wide receiver Matthew Golden (Texas Longhorns). Others believe Philly's best move would be to invest in a safety like Malaki Starks (Georgia Bulldogs) or Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina Gamecocks).
Here are a couple of nuggets. Philly has only taken a defensive back in Round 1 four times in their history. That DB has never been a safety.
That being said, we'd suggest continuing the current philosophy, building in the trenches with an edge rusher or offensive lineman. Once the first choice is made, the strategy can be tailored from there.
The Eagles will have some game-changing options at the end of Round 2. Here are seven names to place an asterisk beside.
Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss Rebels
Cue the discussions about Dom DiSandro. Philly's head of security will need to do some research here. Princely Umanmielen has been tagged with the dreaded 'character concerns' label. If you didn't know, this type of research is actually part of Big Dom's job title.
No one questions Umanmielen's talent though. The 2024 First-team All-SEC nod racked up 10.5 sacks and a forced fumble in his final college football season.
Elijah Arroyo, tight end, Miami Hurricanes
Elijah Arroyo is a six-foot-five, 250-pounder. He's coming off a nice showing at the Senior Bowl. He ran past defenders playing man coverage. He outmuscled defenders for tightly-contested catches. In his final season with The U, he snagged 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven TDs.
Darien Porter, cornerback, Iowa State
The Eagles have shown interest in Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky Wildcats). Shavon Revel (East Carolina Pirates) and Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame Fighting Irish) are intriguing second-day prospects.
Darien Porter won't receive the same level of fanfare, but he was a dependable cover corner for the Cyclones. He snagged three interceptions during his final season with Iowa State. He began his career as a wide receiver, so he has a nice understanding of both positions.
Jared Ivey, EDGE, Ole Miss Rebels
So, a funny thing happened, right? While checking out some game film on Princely Umanmielen, we stumbled across Jared Ivey. The latter is a six-foot-six, 274-pounder. He notched 42 tackles with seven sacks and two forced fumbles last season. He'd be a nice addition to Philly's roster.
Shemar Turner, defensive interior, Texas A&M Aggies
Despite the respect he has been given, Shemar Turner isn't the dominant presence that some would hope for in a second-round defensive tackle. He's solid though. He could use some coaching and hasn't shown consistent explosive, but that's where Clint Hurtt comes in. It would be intriguing to see if Philly's D-line coach could turn this lump of coal into a diamond.
Xavier Truss, guard, Georgia Bulldogs
Xavier Truss had a mixed outing at right guard vs. Clemson in the season opener. He's another project, but the good news is the Eagles are home to the NFL's best O-line coach. They also don't need him to start immediately.
A Second-Team All-SEC nod in 2023, one of his top strengths is versatility. He probably grades as a guard at the NFL level, but he has some experience playing tackle as well.
Andrew Mukuba, safety, Texas Longhorns
Philly has only taken four DBs in the first round of an NFL Draft since 1936. All were cornerbacks (Roynell Young, Ben Smith, Lito Sheppard, and Quinyon Mitchell).
It's doubtful they'd make history by taking a safety to conclude Round 1 this year. They may not even take one in Round 2, but if they're mulling it over, former Longhorn Andrew Mukuba is interesting. He's undersized (five-foot-11 and 186 pounds), but after earning a Third-Team All-SEC nod in 2024, he's certainly on a few teams' radars.
