The Super Bowl is behind us, and the Philadelphia Eagles look ahead to the offseason. They own seven picks in the coming NFL Draft including the 32nd overall in Round 1.
The highest-graded players of night one will be long gone by the time they are on the clock. Still, anything can happen in this league. Never rule out the possibility of a future star sliding to the final selection. MVP-winners Lamar Jackson and Drew Brees were both taken 32nd overall.
The NFL combine concluded on March 2nd. We saw players' stock rise and fall, but we have furthered the idea of who could fall to the Eagles at the end of the first round.
Some argue the best strategy is taking the best available player. Others believe drafting for need makes more sense. The better-drafting teams do a combination of the two.
The Eagles are fortunate as they aren't desperate at any position. They can pick based on need. That being said, here are five solid options who should still be available at 32.
Here are five options for the Eagles at the 32nd selection (and the target everyone can't stop discussing).
1. Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M Aggies
With Zack Baun getting an extension, it's all but penned that edge rusher Josh Sweat is going to walk. With cornerstone Brandon Graham noncommittal about staying with the Eagles, it looks like the Eagles are going to need some help on the edge.
That's where Shemar Stewart comes in. He has everything that can't be coached—size, speed, and strength, giving him the perfect foundation to be molded into a career player. Standing at six-foot-five and weighing in at 267 pounds, he is a near mirror-image of Sweat, and it isn't a reach to expect him to produce similarly, too.
If Graham returns for one more season, Stewart would thrive with guidance from one of the greats. If B.G. retires, Stewart has the potential to make an impact right away. Philly wins with either scenario.
2. Bucking the trend: Nick Emmanwori, Safety, South Carolina Gamecocks
Nick Emmanwori is a physical specimen at six-foot-three and 220 pounds. He ran a blistering 4.38 40-yard dash, and logged a 43-inch vertical and an 11'6 broad jump in Indianapolis during his combine workout.
There has only been one other player of that size to log comparable numbers—Seattle Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf. And, who wouldn't want an athlete of that caliber playing safety?
Emmanwori isn't short on playing experience and averaged 82 tackles per season in his three seasons starting for the University of South Carolina. With C.J. Gardner-Johnson having two years left on his contract and Reed Blankenship only having one, it's hard to imagine a player better suited to join a rotation that already features Sydney Brown.
We must mention, however, that the Birds never take safeties in the first round either, and they've only taken a defensive back in Round 1 four times. The most recent was drafted last season, however, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist Quinyon Mitchell.
3. Aireontae Ersery, Offensive Tackle, Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Eagles have a solid roster, like, really solid. They do not have a single offensive starter entering free agency this year, which means they're in a unique position in which they don't have to put pressure on any potential draft choice on that side of the ball to make major contributions immediately.
Aireontae Ersery, an offensive tackle from the University of Minnesota, stands at six-foot-six and weighs 331 pounds. Scouts, however, worry that he isn't pro ready yet, but that shouldn't be a problem for the Eagles.
Jeff Stoutland is the best offensive line coach in the business. He'll get the young man ready. Ersery can also learn from Lane Johnson.
The 34-year-old veteran has committed to playing at least one more season. Aireontae could be ready to take over at right tackle once Johnson retires.
4. Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle, Ole Miss Rebels
Walter Nolen is the current projection for the Eagles according to Mel Kiper's mock draft 2.0, and it's hard to disagree with the logic. They should send an Olympic sprinter to the commissioner to get this pick in as fast as possible if he's still available when they are on the clock.
It's possible that Milton Williams could be lost during free agency, especially if Zack Baun earns a payday. It's hard to see a scenario in which the Eagles keep both players, and it isn't feasible to pay huge money for the third defensive tackle on the depth chart.
Drafting Nolen adds a league-ready player to an already ferocious defensive front. It also helps, along with Moro Ojomo, to fill the void Williams will leave behind.
Nolen and Williams compare physically. They are the same height, but Nolen is 13 pounds. The former Ole Miss star would be a nice addition to the defensive interior's rotation.
5. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College Eagles
Donovan Ezeiruaku would be going from one Eagles to the next in his transition from BC to Philly. He would also have a homecoming, having gone to high school just a 20 mile drive from Lincoln Financial Field.
Ezeiruaku is a little on the smaller side, standing at 6'2 and 248 pounds. His size may worry fans at first glance, but you know who else is 6'2? Brandon Graham. With the right playstyle and strength, Ezeiruaku's size should not be a hindrance, and who better to show him the way than a legend with the same height.
Ezeiruaku proved that his size was not a weakness in his final year at BC, winning the Ted Hendricks Award (nation's top DE) and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and was a First-Team All American. With those accolades, and already having experience slotting into a 3-4 defense, Eagles fans wouldn't have to worry about the future of their defense without Sweat and/or Graham.
6. The popular theory: Surrendering the 32nd pick as part of a trade package to land Myles Garrett
Yeah... We know... The Myles Garrett trade talk is mentioned daily, but if the Eagles add Garrett, it would cost them, at minimum, their first round pick (and maybe another).
Still, there isn't any rookie in this class who will outplay Garrett in 2025. Don't be shocked if the Eagles have no reservations in offering this pick and more.
The only argument against Garrett is his price tag. Philly could go the route of adding a young star and paying him a much lower salary. The NFL Draft is still over a month away. Anything can happen during the weeks leading up to its beginning. Expect this list to change. We promise it will do so.