NFL Draft Grades: Rounding up Eagles grades from NFL experts

It’s hard to believe that everything we witnessed within the Philadelphia Eagles organization, from their return home after Super Bowl LVII to the announcement of their final draft choice during the 2023 NFL Draft, existed during a period that only covered a little under two and a half months. Think about how far we have come.

We watched familiar faces leave during free agency while Howie Roseman made some necessary signings at the positions they vacated. There was a Senior Bowl, an NFL Scouting Combine, and Pro Days to attend. There were top-30 visits before Howie Roseman and his team led another successful draft during April’s final weekend.

As he always does, Howie Roseman delivered a master class on roster building. He maneuvered his way around the draft board and simultaneously transformed the six picks he had when he entered the selection meeting (and some of the draft capital the Eagles own in 2024) into seven new draftees and the addition of running back D’Andre Swift.

It’s hard not to be excited about what he’s done, but we’re biased as lovers of Birds football sometimes. For that reason, we spanned the web to see what everyone else is saying.

The results are in, and the NFL draft grades for the Philadelphia Eagles on all of the popular outlets are outstanding.

News travels fast around Eagles circles, but just in case you haven’t been paying attention or you have been bogged down by work, here’s a look at the 2023 draft class.

• Round 1 (ninth overall), Jalen Carter, defensive tackle, Georgia
• Round 1 (30th overall), Nolan Smith, LB/EDGE, Georgia
• Round 2 (65th overall), Tyler Steen, offensive lineman, Alabama
• Round 3 (66th overall), Sydney Brown, safety, Illinois
• Round 4 (105th overall), Kelee Ringo, cornerback, Georgia
• Round 6 (188th overall), Tanner McKee, quarterback, Stanford
• Round 7 (249th overall), Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas

A quick search brought us to the doorsteps of a few publications we enjoy reading, Pro Football Focus, NFL.com, FOX Sports, and CBS Sports among others. Everyone gave Philly a passing grade. Here are some of the highlights

Pro Football Focus (A+)

PFF rated all 32 teams’ draft classes. Philly aced their oft-stats-obsessed test. Here’s some of what was said about the first alone.

"The Steelers jump up three spots, giving up a fourth-round pick to make sure they land the offensive tackle they wanted. Jones impressed as a pass-blocker in 2022, earning a 84.1 PFF pass-blocking grade and allowing just nine total pressures from 470 pass-blocking snaps."

NFL.com (A-)

Chad Reuter’s NFL Draft grades seem fair once you give them a look. Philly earns an A-. Here’s some of his reasoning for the decision.

"Philadelphia took two Georgia players in the first round, trading up a spot for the ultra-talented Carter and then getting a bargain in quick edge/off-ball linebacker Smith… There were questions about Ringo, but his size, speed, and playmaking ability made the Eagles willing to take the risk of trading a 2024 third-round pick to land him. Sending a 2025 Day 3 pick to Detroit for back D’Andre Swift is a win for both teams."

FOX Sports (A+)

The FOX Sports NFL staff shared their NFL Draft grades recently. They agree with PFF and give Philly an A+. Here’s Ralph Vacchiano’s explanation.

"Is there a grade higher than A-plus? GM Howie Roseman gets one of the best players in the draft at No. 9 (DT Jalen Carter), a potential top-10 pick at 30 (Edge Nolan Smith) and a potential first-round CB in the fourth round (Kelee Ringo). Plus, he trades for RB D’Andre Swift, the pass-catching back his team needed. He basically raided the best program in college football (Georgia) and it reinforced the Eagles as the team to beat in the NFC."

CBS Sports (A)

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco doesn’t give Philadephia a perfect score, but no one is going to argue with an A grade. He too is a fan of what Howie Roseman and the Eagles’ leadership structure has done. Here’s some of his explanation.

"Howie Roseman killed it with his haul this year. Getting Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round with their two picks is an impressive draft for a team that needed to get young players up front. Third-round guard Tyler Steen is a good player, who will be a starter in a year to two. Then they traded to land running back D’Andre Swift from the Lions. Nice job."

Check out Mel Kipers’ NFL Draft grades along with those belonging to Sporting News and USA Today among others. All are definitely worth your time.