Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has been on an annual heater when April rolls around in recent years, replenishing the roster with high-impact talent in keeping the core arguably as talented and youthful as any franchise league-wide.
And as the sunk cost of occasional draft busts has all but vanished, the collection of top-tier draft selections has been paying off at a remarkable rate for Philadelphia. Kristopher Knox with Bleacher Report chimed in on his rankings for the strongest young cores in the NFL, with the Eagles landing at seventh overall.
"After winning the Super Bowl in 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles took a step back in 2025. However, they still won the NFC East, and they did it with one of the league's youngest rosters. Only the Packers had a younger team at the start of the 2025 season. It might not feel like the Eagles have a particularly young core, considering they've been to two of the last four Super Bowls. However, it's easy to forget that stars like Jalen Hurts (27), Jalen Carter (25), and DeVonta Smith (27) are still young, even by NFL standards. General manager Howie Roseman has done an excellent job of preparing for future needs in the draft, which has allowed Philly to remain consistently competitive without aging out of its playoff window. Expect rookies like Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers to be future stars if not immediate contributors."
Strengthening the nest each April
The recent selections of Lemon and Stowers strengthen the stable offensively, with Hurts and Smith providing the unit with a pair of 27-year-old battle-tested stars on that side of the ball. In addition, newcomer Dontayvion Wicks (24) is poised to make his presence felt entering his fourth season.
Defensively, the 2024 draft, which ushered in the lockdown duo of Mitchell and DeJean, has proven to be monumental. Landing Jalyx Hunt in the third round that year should also continue to pay dividends, with the third-year edge fully capable of taking another step forward in production.
Up front, Carter is now entering his prime years at just 25 years old, while the mutual impact of fellow Georgia Bulldog Jordan Davis has been deservedly rewarded by Roseman. Toss in Nolan Smith (25) and Moro Ojomo (24) for good measure, and this young core can go toe-to-toe with any group out there.
Read more: Eagles fans told to pump the brakes on expectations for incoming rookie
Birds built to last
As evidenced by a dominant Super Bowl LIX showing, when the youngest defense in the league stole the show against the vaunted Kansas City Chiefs offense, Roseman and company continue to hit at a high clip in building organically via the draft, while sprinkling in key free agents along the way. With the offense now welcoming not only new talent but also a new vision, this core appears poised to continue flying high.
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