There seems to be already an expectation of what's going to happen with the Philadelphia Eagles at pick 23 of the 2026 NFL Draft, but no one truly knows what general manager Howie Roseman is thinking.
More than likely, based on Roseman's past drafts, he is looking at the offensive line to build for the future, which no fan would really argue with. The Athletic's Eagles reporter Zach Berman feels the same way, as he believes it will come down to two SEC offensive linemen with their first-round selection.
"Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor or Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling fit this description. If the Eagles had their way, my guess is they’d draft an offensive tackle. Both are high-upside linemen who could become potential Lane Johnson replacements with development. Proctor has the added benefit of being able to swing inside to guard early in his career. Both are under 22 years old and come from programs the Eagles trust. (Five of the Eagles’ last six first-round picks came from Alabama or Georgia.) The question is whether they’ll slip to a territory for the Eagles. Dane Brugler projected Freeling to go No. 17 to the Detroit Lions and Proctor to fall to the Eagles at No. 23. Howie Roseman hasn’t drafted an offensive lineman in the first round since 2019. He takes pride in building along the line of scrimmage. You can’t dictate the board, but it would make sense for Roseman to put his philosophy into action."
Eagles have two potential options at pick 23
There won't be an Eagles fan who would complain about Freeling or Proctor as options for the 23rd overall pick. The successor of Johnson needs to be found at some point, either in this draft or the next, so Roseman would rather knock that out with at least eight offensive tackles who are projected to go in the first round.
Freeling is actually more like to go higher in the draft as less mock drafts have him falling outside the top 20. There has been speculation that Proctor is a wild card, as he could go in the top 10 or could completely fall out of the first round.
The Eagles would be wise to take either guy, as the franchise has been known for taking SEC players, and it has worked out pretty well for them so far, with guys like Landon Dickerson, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter all coming from the conference. Plus, if the Eagles wait past the first round for an offensive lineman, there is a big enough drop-off that the team may not be able to find the right guy afterward.
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Roseman has always built his rosters up front first, which has led to three Super Bowl appearances in the last 10 years. Stick to what works best.
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