Mock draft season is running wild, and most Philadelphia Eagles pretty much know what position every expert believes will be picked in the first round.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is known for going either offensive or defensive line in the first round to build the roster through the trenches. NFL Draft expert Todd McShay believes that will be the case again in the 2026 NFL Draft as he has the Eagles taking Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling with the 23rd overall pick.
"I love this fit. Lane Johnson missed the final eight games of the 2025 season with a Lisfranc injury—including the wild-card loss to the 49ers—and will be 36 at the start of the regular season. This is the perfect time to plan for the future at offensive tackle. Freeling isn’t polished after just 18 starts at Georgia, but he has elite traits worth developing."
Todd McShay has Eagles taking Monroe Freeling in the first round
Last year at Georgia, Freeling allowed two sacks and zero quarterback hits in 390 pass blocking snaps. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 71.2, ranking 80th out of 629 tackles in 2025.
Philly loves their Georgia players, but it's usually on defense, so this would be an interesting wrinkle with him being on the offensive line. Of course, the biggest reason to get him is to find Johnson's successor. That would be the only reason to go offensive line in the first round.
It's a good spot for Freeling as he can develop behind Johnson for a year or two with a chance to learn from arguably one of the greatest right tackles in NFL history. There wouldn't be a rush to get him on the field, and it will leave him time to be ready when the moment comes.
Read more: Eagles' disastrous 2025 offense did at least one thing better than everyone else
Overall, this would be a solid move for the Eagles, but Freeling has not been a name brought up as often over the last month, with Arizona State's Max Iheanachor and Clemson's Blake Miller being more popular predictions in the first round at offensive tackle. Either way, the Eagles would be okay landing any of the three for the offensive line.
Add us as a preferred source on Google