It had been a long, long time since the Philadelphia Eagles had drafted anyone in the first round at the cornerback position, but Howie Roseman might want to go back to the well again in 2025 after seeing how successful his picks of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean were in 2024.
The Eagles are typically projected to be taking a defensive lineman (either interior linemen or edge players) with the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and those who don't have them going with defensive line have them going for players in the offensive trenches.
Very few people have been projecting the Eagles to go after another cornerback at the top of their 2025 NFL Draft class, but that might be just the pick to set that unit over the top. Dare I say, one specific player that the Eagles have had a top-30 visit with already could make the secondary unfair in 2025?
Maxwell Hairston could be ideal 1st-round pick for Philadelphia Eagles
When Vic Fangio was still the head coach of the Denver Broncos, he made an interesting point. He essentially pointed out that there are 96 "starting" cornerback jobs in the NFL with how much time teams spend in the nickel these days, and that there are not 96 starting-caliber players at the position to go around.
The cornerback position is critical for Fangio's defense because he wants to get home with four guys more often than not. The players on the back end have to be tough, physical, and instinctive. It just so happens that there's a player who could be an ideal fit for Fangio's philosophy: Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston.
Hairston set the track ablaze at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.29 in the 40-yard dash, but that's not the most impressive number on his résumé. The most impressive number is simply "3".
Hairston had three interceptions returned for touchdowns over the last two seasons at Kentucky, and six interceptions in total. He only played seven games this past year, so he's doing this in a relatively limited sample.
Having Hairston's speed and ball skills at outside corner opposite Quinyon Mitchell with Cooper DeJean roaming around the defensive formation? The Eagles' secondary might just be unstoppable. With how important the cornerback position is in Fangio's defense, it wouldn't be shocking in the slightest to see the grizzled veteran coach convince Howie Roseman to dip back into this well again in 2025.
The relationship between the pass rush and the defensive backfield is symbiotic, and you need each to help the other, but there's no law that says the defensive front has to come first. The Eagles will have plenty of picks to address that area of the team as well.
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