Philadelphia Eagles can still land top-five NFL Draft selection

It’s still possible for the Philadelphia Eagles to move up in the draft in Week 17.

This past Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles were officially eliminated from playoff contention. It’s been an embarrassing season to say the very least. On the bright side, this team has clinched a top-ten draft pick, which is much needed. The mess that has been created in this organization could take more than one offseason to fix, and they may need all hands on deck for this one. The question is whether or not there will be any major changes to the staff this offseason.

While it’s difficult to trust general manager and vice president Howie Roseman these days, one would have to imagine that there’s no way that he could miss on a top ten pick, or could he? No one would blame you for having a lack of faith in the guy who drafted Clayton Thorson and Nathan Gerry. Some fans are hoping that John Dorsey will be given the reigns come draft time, but no one knows whether or not that’s realistic.

The opportunity for a team to land players like Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Patrick Surtain, Caleb Fairley, and Micah Parsons doesn’t come often, so the Birds better nail this one.

Here’s how the Philadelphia Eagles could move back in the draft.

To ensure that Roseman doesn’t swing and miss on this pick (if anyone can do it, it’s him), the Eagles could move up a few spots in Week 17. Knowing Philly however, they’ll probably pull off a meaningless upset over the Washington Football Team and fall a few spots. History isn’t on the side of tanking. In 2014, 2015, and 2016 they were out of the playoffs by Week 17, yet they still won their last game in each of those seasons. It’s a typical Eagles thing to do.

If that happens this year, the Birds could move back as far as the tenth pick. Right now, the Eagles own the sixth pick sitting at 4-10-1. The Detroit Lions (7th pick), New York Giants (8th pick), Carolina Panthers (9th pick), and Denver Broncos (10th pick) all sit at 5-10. If any of those teams lose and the Eagles win, the Eagles will move back.

Now, there’s a possibility that all of those teams could win. The Lions will face the 6-9 Minnesota Vikings in Detroit and could be looking for revenge after losing to them earlier in the season. New York will also be home against the Dallas Cowboys with the division up for grabs.

The Panthers host the New Orleans Saints, who they lost to by three points in Week 7. Lastly, Denver will also stay home and take on the 7-8 Oakland Raiders looking for revenge like the Lions. At the same time, it’s hard to pick any of those teams except the Giants to win but crazier things have happened in Week 17 and in divisional games in general.

Here’s how the Philadelphia Eagles could move up in the draft.

On the flip side, the Eagles could move up as far as the third pick. The Cincinnati Bengals own the fifth pick at 4-10-1. The Atlanta Falcons own the fourth pick at 4-11. Then, the Miami Dolphins own the third pick but they received it from the Houston Texans who are 4-11. If any of those teams win and the Eagles lose, the Eagles will move up to the fifth, fourth, or third pick.

The Bengals play the Baltimore Ravens who will be trying to secure a playoff spot. The Bengals have won their past two games. Back in 2017, the Bengals eliminated the Ravens from the playoffs with a last-second touchdown from Tyler Boyd. Can lightning strike twice? We’ll find out on Sunday.

The Falcons will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just recently in Week 15, the Falcons blew a 24-7 lead, in typical Falcons fashion. They lost 31-27 on a late Antonio Brown touchdown. Four of the Falcons’ five divisional matchups have been decided by one score. Don’t’ bank on them winning and jumping the Eagles. It’s not impossible though.

The Texans face off against the Tennessee Titans who they lost to in overtime in Week 6. Deshaun Watson is still playing his heart out. He is the definition of a true competitor. Like the NFC South, the AFC South is another division in which most games will be tight. The Texans have a real shot at pulling off the upset.

By the time Sunday Night rolls around, we’ll have a better idea of what the Eagles draft position could look like. There’s a chance they could move up and secure an opportunity to draft a generational talent.