For the Eagles, the 2018 NFL Draft was all about 2019 and beyond
With no immediate needs for the 2018 season, the Philadelphia Eagles made moves during the NFL Draft that should pay off in 2019 and beyond.
During the 2018 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles found themselves in a very unfamiliar situation, selecting last in the first round with no immediate needs to address. They were able to take advantage of this situation and trade back into the second round so that the Baltimore Ravens could select quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Eagles could have chosen an instant impact guy with the 32nd pick. However, their moves in the first round and all throughout the draft made it clear that the focus was on the future.
The Picks
When the dust settled after a long draft weekend, the following players became Philadelphia Eagles:
Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State – Round 2, Pick 49
Avonte Maddox, CB, Pittsburgh – Round 4, Pick 125
Josh Sweat, DE, Florida State – Round 4, Pick 130
Matt Pryor, OT, TCU – Round 6, Pick 206
Jordan Mailata, OT, Sydney, Australia – Round 7, Pick 233
As expected, the front office did some wheeling and dealing throughout the draft. They started off by moving back into the second round by sending their first rounder and a fourth rounder to the Ravens. In return, the Eagles received second rounders in 2018 and 2019, along with the Ravens 2018 fourth rounder. The second round saw the Eagles leapfrog the Dallas Cowboys to select tight end Dallas Goedert out of South Dakota State. In the fourth round, the Eagles added depth to both the secondary and pass rush by selecting Maddox and Sweat. With the final two picks, the Eagles took two project players in Pryor and Mailata who will add additional depth along the offensive line.
Philadelphia Eagles
Analysis
The only player from this list who really projects to play right away is Goedert. The loss of Brent Celek and Trey Burton made tight end a priority for the Eagles in the draft. Goedert should pair well with Zach Ertz and give the Eagles a dynamic red zone duo at tight end. Outside of that pick, none of the other players are expected to play immediately.
Maddox is a smaller corner who could slide in and play the slot, but is not penciled in as a starter. With players such as Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, Sidney Jones, and Rasul Douglas on the roster, Maddox will put up a serious fight for playing time. Sweat is another player who could come in as a situational rusher, but once again has quite a few roadblocks to the field. Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett, Chris Long, and Derek Barnett are all ahead of Sweat on the depth chart. Finally, Pryor and Mailata are athletic projects who are at least a couple of years away from seeing the field. Mailata, in particular, is a former rugby player who has never played football before. Calling Mailata a project player is pretty apparent. On a side note, if you haven’t watched Mailata’s rugby highlights yet, you really should. They are just the best.
Looking towards 2019
What all of this means is the front office of the Eagles realizes that in order to have sustained success, you need to have players who you can develop. Barring any injury, even players like Goedert are not expected to step in as full-time starters. These young guys will be able to learn what it takes to be an NFL player both mentally and physically. By the time they are ready to take the field, they will be even more prepared than if they were thrown into the fire.
The other key to the 2018 NFL Draft is how the Eagles were able to position themselves for 2019. If you look at players picked in the first three rounds as potential starters, then the Eagles picked up a starting caliber player in the Ravens trade. The Eagles are projected to have ten draft picks in 2019, including compensatory picks. Four of those picks will come in the first three rounds. Players such as Brandon Graham, Jordan Hicks, and Ronald Darby are all scheduled to be free agents in 2019. The Eagles could have some key spots to fill which makes those additional draft picks all the more valuable.
Here is to the future
The Eagles appear to be set up for success for years to come. No one can predict what the future holds, but this team seems to be in good shape to handle whatever happens. The team and fans saw the benefit of having quality depth firsthand. Losing players such as Jason Peters, Carson Wentz, and Jordan Hicks would sink almost any other team’s season. Thankfully, Howie Roseman and company have balanced short-term success with long-term potential about as well as anyone could ask. 2019 should be another fun year for the Eagles and their fans.