J.D. Bertrand eclipses Eagles fan favorite as the recommended 3rd-day LB option

It's J.D. Bertrand, not Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who earns a mention as a recommended third-day option for the Eagles in the 2024 NFL Draft.
JD Bertrand, Philadelphia Eagles draft
JD Bertrand, Philadelphia Eagles draft / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

Hang out at any Philadelphia Eagles pep rally or NFL Draft party, and you'll notice something immediately. Fans of this great team hail from different backgrounds and differ on most of the interesting discussion points, but now and then, they will find common ground on the most popular topics. One of those topics has been the possible acquisition of Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

He's the son of a franchise legend and one of the better interior linebackers available in the coming selection meeting. Now, you will hear differences of opinion about his potential ceiling and how high he'll be selected. Still, if the price is right, most would be willing to add him to the nest. That begs the question.

What should that asking price be? Some have said he's a potential third-rounder. Philly doesn't have a third-round selection currently, which means, if this was to happen, it would probably do so because 'Junior Ax Man' slides to Day 3.

If nothing changes between now and draft time or during the three-day affair, the Birds own five picks between the 120th in Round 4 and their final choice, the 210th in Round 6. Pro Football Focus has an idea about what they should do with one of them.

Notre Dame's J.D. Bertrand is named as a Day 3 fit for the Eagles over Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

If you're looking for nice reads during the current news cycle and the hits aren't coming fast enough, check out PFF's Day 3 fits for all 32 teams. J.D. Bertrand earns the nod as an option over Trotter once the Eagles enter the conversation. He's a six-foot-one, 235-pounder who was a dependable player for the Fighting Irish. Here's what Gordon McGuinness says on the subject.

"Solid in coverage and good against the run in 2023, Bertrand is an intriguing Day 3 prospect because of how he was used as a pass rusher over the past three seasons. He blitzed on 104 snaps in 2023, racking up 30 quarterback pressures, including four sacks and seven quarterback hits."

Now, truthfully, there's much to unpack. There's no guarantee that Philly couldn't wind up with Trotter as well if they landed Bertrand, but that's highly unlikely. Philly isn't investing two third-day picks on linebackers, right?

Some could argue that Bertrand and Trotter won't be around in Round 4. Some might say they will be but Trotter is the better prospect. Regardless of your feelings about this, you must admit the conversation is interesting. These are the conversations we'll be entertaining from now on, through the draft, and beyond.

Read more Eagles draft news

manual