Well, how was that for an emotional week. Howie Roseman truly tested us with our 'in Howie we trust' approach, but we haven't abandoned him. The Philadelphia Eagles VP/GM asked us for patience, and doggone it, patience is what we intend to give him.
We believe we see what's going on here. Accept you'll lose some guys you don't need to overpay for. Make damn sure you hang on to Zack Baun, Sign some low-risk, potentially high-reward players.
We can dig it. Remember, Philly is going to have to back up the Brinks truck up for some of the younger stars soon.
Cam Jurgens... Jordan Davis... Jalen Carter... Nolan Smith... It's going to be time to pay those guys soon.
So, that being said, the 2025 NFL Draft will need to be where Philly does the bulk of its roster building. We've knocked the rust off. Here's yet another attempt at a full Eagles mock draft. This time, however, we've added some backup options.
Round 1, Pick 32: Nic Scourton, edge rusher, Texas A&M Aggies
We kept trying to do something unique. You know... We wanted to throw you guys off an be exciting by doing something out of the box, but we instead ran a few simulations and went with the best choice at the biggest position of need.
Yes, we like UGA's Malaki Starks, but Philly isn't taking a safety this early, so as boring as it sounds, we went with an edge rusher.
Nic Sourton is a monster, a six-foot-three, 257-pounder who notched 17 sacks during three seasons at Texas A&M (37 games). He earned First-Team All-SEC honors last season.
Backup plan: Trade back into Round 2
Here's what we're thinking. Seeing as how Philly's moves this offseason have all been about balancing the checkbook, we wouldn't be opposed to seeing the Birds trade out of Round 1.
Now, they only need to do so if the can get an elite edge rusher a few slots back that they would have grabbed on night one. That does two things. Howie Roseman can add extra draft capital and pay a first-round talent second-round money.
Round 2, Pick 64: Omarr Norman-Lott, defensive interior, Tennessee Volunteers
Omarr Norman-Lott isn't the 300-pound space-eater that some like to see playing along a defensive line's interior. He's put together though at six-foot-three and 291 pounds. In other words, he's the same height as Jalen Carter and 23 pounds lighter.
Omarr wreaks havoc though. He recently earned a Senior Bowl invite after three seasons at Arizona State and two more at Tennessee with the Volunteers. He racked four sacks last season and 13.5 during the past four.
Backup plan: Double-dip at edge rusher or find a bigger interior defensive lineman.
We'd continue adding to the defensive line here and wouldn't mind if Philly went 'two for two' at the EDGE position. Florida State DT Joshua Farmer, EDGE Jack Sawyer (Ohio State), and Kyle Kennard (South Carolina) all make sense here.
Round 3, Pick 96: Wyatt Milum, tackle, West Virginia Mountaineers
We've seen Philly add talent from the West Virginia program before, often with varied results. Wendell Smallwood, Rasul Douglas, and Shelton Gibson all cut their teeth in Morgantown.
This offensive tackle might be a better prospect than all of them. He also gives the Birds a succession plan for Lane Johnson.
Backup plan: Find an interior offensive lineman or the next best available tackle.
We'd really like some depth for the offensive line here. If Philly doesn't address the tackle position, they should add a guard like Tate Ratledge (Georgia Bulldogs) or the next-best option at tackle (Chase Lundt maybe?).
Round 4 (via Detroit Lions): Mitchell Evans, tight end, Notre Dame
Dallas Goedert probably isn't going be with the Eagles next season, and we don't like either of the guys Philly brought in as much.
Mitchell Evans stands at six-foot-five and has a wide-body frame. It will be hard for Jalen Hurts to miss him in the red zone or during third-down situations.
Backup plan: There is no backup plan. We're in Day 3 now. Philly needs a tight end. Take one here at the latest.
Round 5 (via Houston Texans): Oluwafemi Oladejo, EDGE, UCLA Bruins
Philly needs more than one edge rusher in this draft. Since we haven't taken one since Round 1 (except by way of backup plan), this feels like a good time to add another.
Femi Oladejo is one of the best we'll find at this juncture of the selection meeting. He's undersized but can be coached into being productive. He notched 57 tackles including 14 TFLs to go along with 4.5 sacks during 12 games last season.
Backup plan: Trevor Etienne, running back, Georgia Bulldogs
We like what Philly has at tailback with Saquon Barkley, A.J. Dillon, and Will Shipley. Still, Etienne is too talented to ignore on Day 3.
This time Philly raids the Dawgs' cupboard to add an offensive star.
Round 5 (via Cleveland Browns by way of Detroit): Quincy Riley, cornerback, Louisville Cardinals
Maybe this is too late in the draft to take a corner for a team that lost Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and Isaiah Rodgers during free agency. We like Kelee Ringo more than most though, and Quincy Riley more than makes up for our patience in finding one.
He has a knack for making plays and turning the ball over which will excite Eagles fans. He has notched at least two interceptions during each of his three NCAA seasons, and he picked off three passes in 2022 and 2023.
Backup plan: Again, there is no backup plan. It's cornerback or bust in Round 5.
Denzel Burke (Ohio State) is another nice option. The same can be said for Robert Longerbeam (Rutgers), Jaylin Smith (USC), and Fentrell Cypress (FSU).
Round 5 (via Washington Commanders): Shiloh Sanders, safety, Colorado Buffaloes
Why the heck not? All we keep hearing is Shiloh Sanders has some limitations for the NFL, and he'll be around in Round 5.
Heck yeah we'll take a chance on him. We trust Eagles DBs coach Christian Parker. You see what he did with Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, and Reed Blankenship, don't you?
Backup plan: Connor Colby, guard, Iowa Hawkeyes
Remember this name if you aren't already familiar... Interior offensive lineman Connor Colby...
He earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 before being named a First-Teamer last season. He and Cooper DeJean were teammates at the NCAA level for three seasons.
Round 5: Antwane Wells Jr., WR, Ole Miss Rebels
Parris Campbell and Britain Covey are gone. We aren't sure if Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson can play. We turn our attention to Antwane Wells Jr.
He isn't as tall as Johnny, but who is? Wells is six inches shorter but a better catcher of the football. He hauled in 28 catches for 553 yards and reached the end zone six times last season.
Backup plan: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
We finish this up by restarting the QB factory. Is it us, or does Quinn Ewers get a lot of Day 3 discussion?
Just to be sure, we hung out on Pro Football Focus and fired up their simulator. Yep! He kept falling to Philly in Round 5, so in this scenario, we decided to take a flier on him.