With the dust still settling from NFL Draft weekend, grades are being handed out to all 32 teams.
NFL.com Editor at Large Gennaro Filice honed in on the moves made by the Philadelphia Eagles, ranking their newest class 12th overall, with the latest rendition of Howie Roseman's magic earning a B+.
"GRADE: B+ A.J. Brown hasn’t been traded yet, but it’s essentially a foregone conclusion, with Philadelphia apparently waiting until June 1 to consummate a deal for cap reasons. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport says the Eagles "are operating under the assumption that [Brown] will not be on their team next season." That was evident with their first two picks, where it kind of felt like the Eagles attempted to recreate Brown in the aggregate. Makai Lemon is a gritty receiver with YAC ability, while Eli Stowers is a big-bodied target with mismatch potential. Beyond those selections, I liked the project pick of towering tackle Markel Bell, but I didn’t like that Philadelphia ignored defense until the seventh round."
Eagles given a B+ for 2026 NFL Draft
YAC ability is indeed a fast-trending theme here, with these rookie additions providing it in spades. The knock regarding the team ignoring defense unti the seventh is a bit short-sighted though, as they did swing the move for Jonathan Greenard by way of their third round pick (with a third next year).
"FAVORITE PICK: Makai Lemon, wide receiver. The Eagles really got one over on the cross-state Steelers, with Howie Roseman trading up to draft Lemon while the receiver was on the phone with Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan. Delectable draft drama. With A.J. Brown on his way out of town, the Eagles needed to keep replenishing the receiver room. And Lemon plays with the kind of edge that will endear him to the folks in Philly."
The leap for Lemon was a prototypical Howie Roseman power move, with the pair of fourth-rounders shuttled to Dallas paving the way for new star power out wide in Philadelphia.
"Sleeper: Uar Bernard, defensive tackle. You won’t find more of a sleeper than a guy who’s never played organized football. A native of Nigeria, Bernard was selected to the NFL International Player Pathway Program and really turned heads with a show-stopping pro day performance in March. Roseman already struck international gold with the seventh-round selection of Jordan Mailata back in 2018. Can I get an encore?"
Read more: Eagles' rookie tight end tandem could be YAC machines of the future
Once again, an incredibly low-risk, potentially high-reward play for international talent earns praise. Already wildly successful thanks to the famed development of Mailata into one of the game's top linemen, Roseman going back to the international well for an unrefined, but rare raw talent like Bernard, could be another seventh-round heist.
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