While the focus has been on making the offense younger, the Philadelphia Eagles' defense still has some big holes to fill.
The Eagles have roster holes at edge rusher, with Jaelan Phillips departing in free agency, and at safety, with Reed Blankenship signing with the Houston Texans, leaving Philly to potentially use the NFL Draft to replace those guys. Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr shared his final mock draft as he predicts the Eagles will make a trade up to the Miami Dolphins at 11 to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Projected trade: Dolphins receive No. 23 and a 2027 first-round pick; Eagles receive No. 11
"Already assured—or as close to assured as the Eagles can be—that A.J. Brown will move to New England for a 2027 first-round pick, the Eagles can be comfortable dealing future draft capital to move up for one of the last high quality players on this board. Howie Roseman has been a vacuum for top defensive talent out of elite schools. Downs will help mitigate the loss of Reed Blankenship in free agency and will give Vic Fangio a chance to mix up his zone looks. Downs can become Malcolm Jenkins 2.0 for an Eagles team that is positioning itself into a new era. The Eagles can come down to swoop ahead of the safety-needy Cardinals."
Eagles stun the NFL with trade for Caleb Downs in mock draft
Downs is considered one of the best prospects in the NFL Draft as he is ranked second on FanSided's Big Board. Throughout his Buckeyes career, Downs has been an All-American selection three times, including a first-team selection in 2025 after racking up 68 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, one sack, and one pass deflection.
What's there to say about Downs that hasn't been said already? He's an elite defender who can play similarly to Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, staying in the box while dropping back into coverage. There are not many weaknesses to Downs' game as he is smart and instinctive after playing under former Eagles assistant Matt Patricia last year in a pro-style defense.
As solid as Marcus Epps was last year when he replaced the injured Andrew Mukuka, Downs is a game-changer who would easily replace him. Putting Downs and Mukuba together in the secondary for at least the next three years would make Eagles fans feel a lot better about their safety positions.
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It might be a risk to trade up and lose a 2027 first-round pick, but Downs is well worth the investment if he drops out of the top 10.
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