One more take on Philadelphia Eagles draft needs from a team expert

One of the more well-known Philadelphia Eagles experts weighed in on team draft needs recently. To put things simply, he nailed it.

The Philadelphia Eagles‘ 2019 offseason, to this point, has seen a lot of things happen that look eerily similar to the offseason we saw in 2017 (well sort of). When the new league year dawned two years ago, we were discussing an aging Jason Peters. Then, there were the other issues. We were talking about salary cap issues, Philly’s need to add offensive talent around Carson Wentz and a need for depth at cornerback and linebacker. How in the world could they get all of this done with the cap restraints they had?

Does any of this sound familiar?

Two years ago, we were told the Eagles had no money to spend. There were some attractive names on the free agent market and some guys we weren’t certain about. If Philly could land a few of those big fish and take a chance on a few guys with something to prove and that worked out, they might have a shot.

Then it happened. ‘The Birds’ got not one but two of the best wide receivers available, Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Then, they got two of those ‘hungry’ guys, defensive end Chris Long and cornerback Patrick Robinson. They even added LeGarrette Blount after the 2017 NFL Draft (May 17th to be exact).

Fast forward to the present, and an Eagles team hungry for talent at running back, wide receiver, cornerback, linebacker, and along the defensive line feel they are stronger.

Following some shrewd moves by executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman, they’ve brought DeSean Jackson back into the fold. They’ve traded for Jordan Howard.

They also brought back Vinny Curry, strengthened the linebacker core by adding L.J. Fort, and re-signed two of their own, Brandon Graham and Ronald Darby. The latter two names mentioned, Graham and Darby, were seen by many as two of the most attractive free agent targets at their respective positions.

Philly will look to add depth in the 2019 NFL Draft. Here’s what NBC Sports Philly’s own Dave Zangaro had to say about some of their most pressing needs:

Defensive end:

"Bringing back Curry is obviously a non-factor when it comes to the draft, but with the rotation the Eagles use at defensive end, Graham’s deal should be too. This is a big year for Derek Barnett, but it’s definitely not too early to draft Graham’s replacement or a backup plan if Barnett doesn’t work out the way the Eagles hope. With the Eagles’ rotation, if they draft an edge rusher in the first two rounds, that guy will play immediately as a rotational player and can grow into a starter."

Cornerback:

"The only reason the Eagles might not draft a corner is because it would be hard to keep him on the roster, but that was probably the case even before Darby’s deal. The Eagles have Darby, Jalen Mills, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones and Cre’Von LeBlanc. Even keeping those six is pushing it."

Running back:

"As much as I thought the Eagles should have signed either Ingram or Coleman, trading for Howard shouldn’t affect their draft strategy as much. With just one year on his deal, the Eagles could draft a complementary player or a player to simply replace him and his role in 2020."

Wide receiver:

"I don’t think we’ve talked enough about the possibility of the Eagles’ drafting receivers, but Jackson is aging and it might make some sense to draft an Agholor replacement if he’s not back for 2020. The Eagles also don’t have a ton of depth at receiver. Their top backup is Mack Hollins. It would make sense for the Eagles to draft another rotational piece here."

The Eagles are making a few lists and checking them twice. The hour is approaching and doing so quickly. What path might Philly take in the upcoming draft? How might the game plan unfold? We won’t have to wait too much longer for a few answers.