Eagles biggest remaining needs as the 2024 NFL Draft nears

Time rolls on, and the Philadelphia Eagles are busy. The Super Bowl is long gone. Days after its conclusion, we were close to telling ourselves that only the Good Lord in Heaven knows when our Birds might qualify for participation again. That collapse stung for a while. We won't lie. Our faith was shaken. Thankfully, much can change in a few weeks.

Since we turned the calendar from February to March, a rush of unexpected signings transformed our attitudes. We've gone from irritation to expectation.

Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, Devin White, and DeVante Parker joined the nest in less than a month. Philly would be wise to continue tinkering their roster though. We're sure that they will. The NFL Draft will afford them that opportunity, and everyone, including us, has their opinions about what must be done.

Here is another look at the Eagles' most pressing needs as the 2024 NFL Draft nears.

Philly hasn't taken a defensive back in any draft's first round since 2002 when Lito Sheppard was the selection. It's been longer (1979) since they invested a first-round choice into a linebacker.

If nothing changes, the Birds own eight picks in the selection meeting. How will they use them? Truthfully, no one knows, but most of us know what their most pressing needs are.

Cornerback (both outside and slot)

The Birds have a lot of cornerbacks on the roster. Check out this list of names: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Kelee Ringo, Eli Ricks, Mekhi Garner, Mario Goodrich, Tyler Hall, Josh Jobe, Zech McPhearson, and Tiawan Mullen. At the time of this story's release, Isaiah Rodgers is still on the Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner list.

You quick math studies have probably already figured out that we're discussing 11 guys at a position where Philly figures to keep six on its active roster. That suggests they're stacked. We, however, have a few issues.

James Bradberry and Darius Slay are old. Everyone else has something to prove. It wouldn't hurt to draft a player and do so relatively early.

Running back

As good as Saquon Barkley is, something must be stated. One tailback does not an NFL running back room make. Philly also has Kenneth Gainwell. Last year's coaching staff trusted him, but now, he'll have to prove himself to another. Let's make long stories short. Philly needs at least two more guys here.

Safety

We like Reed Blankenship. He does a lot of things well, but we can also , at times, see why he went undrafted. He has proven he belongs and we want him here, but he still has much to learn.

That's okay because while he's learning, he'll be assisted by C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the backend. He returns for another tour of duty, but the position is thin behind them.

Sydney Brown will spend the first part of the coming season on the injured list as he continues to recover from a torn ACL sustained in last year's regular-season finale. That means the only guy left to mention here is Tristin McCollum.

Yeah... Philly needs another body.

Edge rusher

The Haason Reddick dilemma continues, but Bryce Huff has been added. The Eagles in a wise move restructured Josh Sweat to keep him around.

They still need to examine their standing along the edge. Brandon Graham has gotten older. Nolan Smith needs more experience. The Birds, in one mock draft after another, have been linked to one edge rusher after another. Might this be the route Howie Roseman and company take in Round 1? After weeks of surprises, we could certainly see them return to their business model.

Stay tuned. The next month is going to be fun.