The Philadelphia Eagles are officially in free-fall mode, as their last five games have consisted of two wins in which the offense put up a combined 26 points and three brutal losses, culminating in a five-turnover loss on Monday Night Football in Week 14. Even at 8-5, many are looking at the 2026 NFL Draft for help.
Marcus Mosher and Ryan Fowler of FanSided believe the key to turning the Eagles around is improving their starting lineup on defense. One of them wants to land a pass rusher, while the other is targeting one of the better linebackers in this class.
Mosher believes the Eagles should use their first-round pick on Clemson pass rusher T.J. Parker, who should have no trouble working his way into the regular rotation. There's no such thing as having too many good pass rushers, especially in a Vic Fangio scheme.
Fowler thinks the linebacker room is more critical, suggesting the Eagles should use their pick to select Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. This move could allow the Eagles to use Jihaad Campbell more as an edge rusher and build an elite tandem next to Zack Baun.
Eagles select T.J. Parker, Sonny Styles in 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Parker was considered a potential No. 1 overall pick before the season began, but a disappointing season with just five sacks (three of which came in his final game) hurt his stock. Is Fangio going to be enough to get him back on track, or was 2024 a fluke?
Styles may be the best pure inside linebacker in this class if teammate Arvell Reese kicks outside to edge rusher in the pros. Aggressive, smart, and a terrific run-stuffer, Styles and Baun would instantly make for one of the best tandems in the league.
While some Eagles fans may like the idea of adding another cornerback to an underperforming secondary or finding a tight end like Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, who could be used to replace Dallas Goedert, the fact of the matter is that Howie Roseman remains a devoted student of the school of "take the best player available."
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Even amid all their struggles, the Eagles have such a deep roster that they could prioritize their big board, take whoever is there without overdrafting for need, and roll out another roster that should put them among the NFC's elite.