The year is flying by, but so far, it's been a good one! Seeing the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl will do that for you.
The final days of March are trickling away. That means the deadline to file those taxes is coming (if you haven't done so already). Once we cross that hurdle, it will be time for another NFL Draft. This one will be hosted in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Philly is currently armed with eight picks, All fall before Round 6, and everyone wants to know what they're going to do with them. Howie Roseman and his staff have nailed their selections as of late, and as you might expect, during mock draft season, everyone has their guesses about who the newest Birds might be.
Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) and Shemar Stewart have been popular choices for the Eagles in Round 1 as he was in Danny Kelly's take on The Ringer. We recently went with Stewart's teammate Nic Scourton. They make sense as he is expected to be available at the end of Round 1 and the Birds need an edge rusher despite adding Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari during the offseason.
Remember... Josh Sweat is gone and Brandon Graham retired.
About a week ago, NFL.com also mocked edge rusher Shemar Stewart to the Birds while defensive tackle Walter Nolen was the choice during an ESPN simulation.
As mock draft season continues, everyone has shared their theories. One of our favorite platforms, PFF recently shared their most recent simulation, but while we like their train of thought we disagree with their selection.
Pro Football Focus has the right idea but mentions the wrong name with their recent selection for Philly at 32.
Pro Football Focus released another mock on March 24. They send College Football Playoff National Champion, Josh Simmons, to the City of Brotherly Love at pick 32.
While we like the idea (a potential replacement for Lane Johnson and a solid depth option at tackle), Philly will probably go another route if they follow this road map. Keep an eye on Josh Conerly Jr.
Philly recently hosted him during a Top 30 visit, and those guys often end up on the roster. Look no further than Quinyon Mitchell, Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean, Tyler Steen, and Jalyx Hunt if you need evidence of that theory.
Also, while Simmons was a 2024 Third-Team All-Big Ten nod, Conerly earned a First-Team All-Big Ten mention. Josh was also a First-team All-American last season and the winner of the Anthony Muñoz Award in 2021 while still a prep star.
The latter award is given annually to the best lineman in high school football at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl banquet. Think of it as being comparable to the Outland Trophy given to the best O-lineman at the college football level.
Other draft pundits agree with Conerly being a possible Eagles addition. He was also acquired by Philly during recent mocks cooked up by Nate Tice/Charles McDonald at Yahoo! Sports and Diante Lee at The Ringer.
Other notable theories discovered by a quick survey of the mock landscape offer the following recent ideas at pick 32. Many were taken from NFL.com:
- CBS Sports (Pete Prisco): OL Josh Conerly Jr. - Oregon
- NFL.com (Chad Reuter): Eagles trade w/ Rams for pick 26 - DT Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)
- NFL.com (Daniel Jeremiah): EDGE Shemar Stewart - Texas A&M
- NFL.com (Lance Zierlein): Eagles trade pick 32 to Bears
- NFL.com (Bucky Brooks): EDGE James Pearce - Tennessee
- NFL.com (Charles Davis): EDGE Jihaad Campbell
Of course, none of us know how the NFL Draft will unfold. We would have never imagined seeing the Eagles grab Jalen Carter AND Nolan Smith in 2023 or Quinyon Mitchell AND Cooper DeJean in 2024.
Here's what we can guarantee. Expect a few surprises.
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