The Philadelphia Eagles have become a defensive tackle factory in recent years. Milton Williams rose to stardom and earned a massive contract from the New England Patriots. Now, Moro Ojomo seems to be next in line.
Whether to pay Ojomo or let him walk is one of the many pressing decisions the Eagles face as the offseason looms. Albert Breer recently indicated that Philadelphia hopes to keep the defensive tackle, saying, "The team has told others that Ojomo is not available, and has at least given off the vibe that it’ll try to re-sign him, despite having Carter and Davis already on big deals."
The 2027 NFL Draft class gives the Eagles a clear reason to move on, though. There are a few top defensive tackle prospects who could be low-cost replacements for the pending free agent.
CBS Sports analyst Ryan Wilson paired one of those prospects with Philadelphia in his latest mock draft. He had the Eagles taking Ole Miss defender Will Echoles, whose ceiling could be much higher than Ojomo's.
Will Echoles gives Eagles every reason to let Moro Ojomo walk
Based on current NFL standings, the Eagles hold the eighth pick in the draft. They don't pick this early often, but when they do, they take players at premium positions. Each of their last five top-ten picks has been used on a quarterback, receiver, offensive lineman, or defensive lineman.
Philadelphia might need a safety, but if it's picking inside the top ten, it'll likely focus on other positions. Offensive tackle, defensive tackle, and edge rusher are the three obvious options.
Unfortunately, there aren't many elite offensive tackles or edge rushers expected to be available near the end of the top ten. That leaves Echoles as the obvious option.
The Ole Miss product is big, explosive, and versatile. He's sturdy against the run, and he brings some juice as a pass rusher. He still has room to develop, but he would immediately be an impact player for the Eagles.
Philadelphia could choose to extend Ojomo, but based on the salaries of other defensive tackles in his range, he might demand nearly $20 million per year. After already paying Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, the Eagles might not be willing to extend another interior defensive lineman.
Instead, they could add a player like Echoles, who would be just as impactful, on a rookie contract. That would allow them to use their cap space to retool the offensive line, add a starting-caliber safety, or round out their pass-catching group. This team has too many needs to pay three defensive tackles near the top of the market.
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Echoles is at least an alternative worth exploring for the Eagles.
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