With two picks in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles will be quite busy on night one of the draft. A little over 10 weeks removed from a heartbreaking Super Bowl 57 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles are geared up to plug in some new pieces and get back to the final game of the season.
Though they enter the draft with only six picks, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman loves to work the phones during the draft. Don’t be surprised if Philadelphia ends up selecting more than six times through the seven-round event. Fresh off signing their franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts to his record-breaking new contract, the Eagles are poised to add to already one of the best rosters in the NFL.
3. Eagles draft a quarterback on Day 3
The Eagles are three years removed from Roseman’s infamous “quarterback factory” line after the team drafted Hurts. That’s also the last time Philadelphia has taken a signal-caller in the draft. Since the NFL Draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994, the Eagles have never gone more than two years without selecting a quarterback.
Hurts is the long-term starter and Philly has a new backup in Marcus Mariota, who signed a one-year deal after starting 13 games with the Atlanta Falcons last season. The Eagles also have third-year QB Ian Book under contract for two more seasons.
Roseman is never shy of taking a field general late in the draft to see if he can make a push for the final 53-man roster. Though the Eagles seem to like Book, they could opt to bring in another new face.
A name to keep an eye on is UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The dual-threat option was responsible for a combined 39 touchdowns in 2022, throwing for 27 and adding 12 on the ground. He is the prototypical backup you would want for Hurts, a player who you can develop and be able to plug right into the offensive system and have success with.
Thompson-Robinson is projected to go in the final three rounds of the draft, though some think he could be taken as high as the fourth round. The Eagles currently do not have any picks in rounds four through six so expect them to make some moves and secure a couple of late-rounders, potentially to take a quarterback.
2. Philly selects Nolan Smith with the 10th pick
Much has been made about who the Eagles will take with their first pick in the draft. The defending NFC champions have been linked to Bijan Robinson, Jalen Carter and Devon Witherspoon, among others.
A name that has started to surface a bit more as the draft inches closer is Carter’s teammate at Georgia, Nolan Smith. Smith is a little smaller than your ideal pass-rusher but has the quickness and toughness to make up for it. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine. Smith collected 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss in 63 games for Georgia.
Peter King reported that the Eagles “love” Nolan Smith, and they might not be able to get him at No. 30 late in the first round. If they truly want Smith they’ll either have to trade up from 30 or take a shot with Smith at No. 10.
It would not be incredibly shocking if the Eagles end up taking Smith, only more so if Jalen Carter is still available. Most believe he will go in the top 10 and surely before Smith.
1. Eagles trade for Derrick Henry
Let’s get one thing clear. The Eagles in no way need a bonafide stud running back, especially one of Derrick Henry’s stature. None of the last six Super Bowl winners had a player rush for over 1000 yards and only two have in the last decade.
Henry has been one of if not the best running back in the NFL over the last four seasons. Two rushing titles and over 6000 yards later, Henry might find himself in a precarious situation with the Tennessee Titans. He is in the final year of his contract and with the Titans low on cap space, they could decide that it’s best to get rid of Henry’s $16.3 million cap hit.
The Eagles are low on picks this season but have 15 in 2024 and 2025. They could potentially look at the board late in the first round and think that they can swing a big-time deal for Henry using the 30th overall pick. They could even get him without a first given his large cap number.
Philadelphia shocked a ton of people during the first round of last year’s draft when they traded for then-Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown. The Eagles could possibly strike a deal once again with the Titans and trade for another star player.
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Courtesy : https://clutchpoints.com/eagles-2023-nfl-draft-predictions