Philadelphia Eagles should trade down in 2017 NFL Draft
By Ryan Quigley
After a busy free agency period, the Philadelphia Eagles should consider trading down in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The 2017 NFL Draft is just over five weeks away. Between now and then, multiple teams will be looking to either trade up or down on the draft board.
One of those teams should be the Philadelphia Eagles.
In January, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah considered the Eagles as a likely candidate to trade down in the draft.
"The Eagles made a bold move to move up in the draft last year for their franchise quarterback. They paid a steep price in draft picks, including this year’s first-round choice, but it appears they made the right decision. They were able to get a 2017 first-round pick from the Vikings in return for Sam Bradford and now they need to draft some difference makers to surround Wentz. They need to find 2-3 starting skill players in this draft. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Howie Roseman move down the board and collect more picks to help in this quest."
The Eagles have already addressed a huge need in free agency by adding wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith to their failing receiving corps. They also added depth on the offensive line by signing Chance Warmack and bringing back Stefen Wisniewski on a three-year deal.
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With an offense replenished with weapons for quarterback Carson Wentz to throw to, the Eagles will shift their focus to the defensive side of the ball in the draft. An obvious area of need for Philadelphia is the cornerback position. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock called the 2017 cornerback class the best he’s seen in years. With the Eagles needing a cornerback in such a deep draft class, it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to trade down and acquire more picks.
Several big-name corners will still be available in the latter half of the first round and even towards the middle of the second round. By trading down, the Eagles would be able to draft talented corners such as Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie or Ohio State’s Gareon Conley without having to reach for them. They’d also acquire an additional draft pick in the process.
Howie Roseman certainly isn’t afraid to make trades. While trading down isn’t always the sexiest decision, it may be the smart move for the Eagles going into the draft.