Howie Roseman has never been known for being passive. The Philadelphia Eagles general manager is always ready to make a move, maneuvering through the NFL Draft and the salary cap like some evil mastermind. That mindset has helped him build one of the most talented rosters in football. But his aggression is already coming back to bite him in one key way this season.
When the Eagles traded up for Makai Lemon, they sent the Dallas Cowboys two fourth-round picks (Nos. 114 and 137) in return. Safety Genesis Smith came off the board at No. 131, picked by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Smith has already carved out a role in L.A. and looks like a starting-caliber safety. He's the exact kind of player the Eagles could use right now, as their safety room has emerged as a glaring weakness. Especially after watching his defense get diced up by Case Keenum and the Chicago Bears, Roseman ought to regret eliminating his chance to draft Smith.
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Smith made headlines on Sunday when he intercepted Josh Allen twice. First, he jumped in front of a short crossing route. Later, he came down with another pick on a deep ball to DJ Moore, somehow corralling the pass after going to the ground.
The fourth-round rookie has emerged as a starting-caliber safety just three games into his NFL career. He has made some mistakes along the way, as most rookies do, but he has been a bright spot for the struggling Chargers.
Meanwhile, the Eagles' safeties have been an obvious weakness in Vic Fangio's defense. Marcus Epps and Andrew Mukuba have each allowed big plays down the field and have missed multiple tackles. Philly has had to play Cooper DeJean at safety in a part-time capacity, largely because of the lack of other options.
The weakness at safety was impossible to ignore against the Bears, when Keenum moved the ball down the field with ease despite playing his first regular-season snaps since 2023.
This problem is enough to derail the Eagles' season, and it could have been avoided by picking Smith in the fourth round.
Of course, it's far too early to call the Makai Lemon pick, or the trade up to get him, a mistake. His production has been limited so far, but he could absolutely still become an elite receiver.
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The issue here is that Roseman is often willing to throw extra mid-round picks into trades, limiting his ability to add depth at obvious positions of need. The Eagles would likely be better off this season had they drafted Smith in the first round, even if it would have meant missing out on Lemon.
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