When Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni left their end of the season press conference Wednesday, they did so knowing that their focus would have to turn to improving a team that made the playoffs but still needs some improvements at key positions.
Part of the rebuilding process includes April’s draft in Las Vegas. The Eagles find themselves in an advantageous position, having three first-round picks thanks to two trades made during the 2021 offseason.
The Eagles have several needs to address, thanks to several veterans leaving for free agency and the continuation of finding players that fit Sirianni’s offense and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s defense. With the amount of talent available this year, the Eagles should be addressed their needs, hoping to advance farther into the playoffs.
Here is a first-round mock draft for the Eagles:
15. (via Miami Dolphins) Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
This pick could be used in an attempt to trade up, and here is why. There is a chance the Eagles could enter Day 1 with three first-round picks, a second-rounder, and two third-round picks, one of which would be a compensatory selection because the Minnesota Vikings hired either Eagles vice president of football operations Catherine Raîche or Director of Player Personnel Brandon Brown. Trading a first-round pick (15th) and a third-round pick (83rd) could be in play to move up anywhere from 10 to 13.
However, for the sake of this piece, the Eagles will remain at 15, looking to bolster their secondary. There could be a run on cornerbacks in this area of the board, with Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner being available in this range. However, teams like the Jets, Minnesota Vikings, and Baltimore Ravens could be in the market for a corner and take Gardner. Booth would still be on the board for the Eagles to take, pairing him opposite of Darius Slay.
As a 6-foot, 200-pound corner, Booth played well on the outside for Clemson. Booth led Clemson this season with three interceptions. He also broke up five passes while collecting 26 tackles and three tackles for loss. Booth is also very athletic, able to keep up with some of the faster receivers, and fluid enough 2 show a good change of direction when receivers make a move and break out of their routes.
Lining booth up on the outside in man coverage will give the Eagles two potential shutdown corners on the outside, with Avonte Maddox manning the slot receiver. This selection alone would make the Eagles secondary a good unit for three to four years.
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16. (via Indianapolis Colts) Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
You have to wonder if Jerry Robinson had popped open a bottle of champagne every year that the Eagles do not select a linebacker in the first round, similar to the way the Miami Dolphins had a toast when the last undefeated team suffered a loss.
However, if Mr. Robinson has a bottle of Dom chilled and ready to go, he may want to keep the cork on this year. This selection hinges on Gannon returning to the team and not getting one of the head coaching vacancies. Last season, Gannon used multiple defensive alignments, and Lloyd would fit in every personnel package.
Lloyd would give the Eagles a three-down linebacker who is physical in the run game and can hold his own in coverage. Lloyd could very well line up as an outside linebacker in a 4-3 look and line up on the edge or move inside in a 3-4 defense. Lloyd, T.J. Edwards, and either Davion Taylor or Alex Singleton would give the Eagles a versatile, fast, athletic linebacking corps who would do better in pass coverage and give Gannon more options to disguise coverages at the second level and create more exotic looks.
19. Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A & M
The Eagles have a lot of questions surrounding the future of the right guard position. Brandon Brooks tore his pectoral muscle early and the season and was expected to miss eight weeks. However, Brooks did not return. The Eagles used Landon Dickerson (moved to left guard), Jack Driscoll (IR twice ending his season), Nate Herbig, and Sua Opeta at the position.
With uncertainty surrounding brooks, the Eagles will select green, a massive offensive lineman (6-feet, 4-inches, 325 pounds) who has good feet and can play well in space. Green’s ability to get out in space makes him an ideal fit in the zone running game and athletic enough to get out on screen passes and get to the second level to pick off linebackers downfield to block.
Green would solidify the offensive line and give the Eagles a good mix of veteran offensive linemen with center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson while having youth at left tackle (Jordan Mailata) and Dickerson.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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