Philadelphia Eagles: NFL Writer’s offer up a solid 2019 NFL Draft grade

The 2019 NFL Draft is in the books. How did the Philadelphia Eagles do during the three-day selection process this year?

How did the Philadelphia Eagles do during the 2019 NFL Draft? It’s a question that can’t honestly be answered with an accurate assessment until about three or four years down the line from now. However, looking at everything on paper, it seems as though the Eagles made some solid decisions. Despite going into the draft with seven picks, the Eagles only came out with five new rookies. It’s not an ideal scenario, but at least the Eagles are still considered to be playoff contenders regardless of how many impact players they drafted.

This year, the Eagles stuck to their same offseason strategy – acquire needs through free agency and trades while drafting the best player available when their pick comes up. Although the Eagles always seem to go by that gameplan, this year’s draft had a little bit more riding on it.

Since Philly is beginning to be one of the older teams in the NFL in terms of average player age, they needed to make sure they knocked this draft out of the park. It was a big year for Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas, and many in Philadelphia seem to be happy with the results. How does the national media view the results of the Eagles’ draft though?

NFL Writer’s offer up their grades

Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr of NFL.com recently ranked all 32 NFL teams’ drafts a week after the event went down. Although the Eagles didn’t end up at the top of the chart, they were still just outside of the top five range coming in at six. There were no grades higher than an “A” on board, and that’s precisely which grade the Eagles ended up with in this one. Not bad at all. Here are a few quotes regarding three specific selections:

Round 1, Pick 22: Andre Dillard, OT

"“Dillard projects as an ideal 2020 replacement for 37-year-old Jason Peters, who signed a one-year deal in March and could very well start his Canton countdown clock by retiring after the coming season. Not only that, but Dillard is a spectacular insurance policy for 2019 if Peters’ body really starts to break down.”"

Round 2, Pick 53: Miles Sanders, RB

"“Sanders might’ve struck some as an unnecessary addition to a crowded backfield — at least, at first blush — but Jordan Howard and Wendell Smallwood are ticketed for unrestricted free agency in 2020, while Corey Clement’s in line to become a restricted FA. Not to mention, Doug Pederson clearly favors a fully loaded committee backfield. Sanders is a versatile RB without much wear, as he spent his first two seasons at Penn State backing up Saquon Barkley and only logged 276 total college carries. This is the kind of pick that drives fantasy owners crazy, but the myriad options in Philly’s backfield will be a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators, too.”"

Round 2, Pick 57: JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR

"“Arcega-Whiteside is a contested-catch wizard who’ll produce immediately over the middle of the field and in the red zone. He also injects youth into a position group that’s led by 29-year-old Alshon Jeffery and 32-year-old DeSean Jackson, with Nelson Agholor in the last year of his rookie contract and rumored to be on the trade block”"

The remaining picks for the Eagles in the fourth round was Penn State defensive end, Shareef Miller and in the fifth round, they grabbed Northwestern quarterback, Clayton Thorson. While the final pick did not turn out to be a popular one of the Eagles, everybody remains optimistic. The first three rounds in the draft are typically the most essential picks anyway since those guys are likely to get significant playing time sooner than later. Everything beyond that can just end up being a bonus. All in all, it seems as though the Eagles did an excellent job drafting this season… So far.