2023 Season
Sailing out of the Gate
The 2023 NFL season began on a wonderful note for the Philadelphia Eagles as they won their first 5 contests. The success continued towards a record of 10-1 going in to a tough Week 13 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles had already been tested, having beaten the Cowboys, Chiefs, Bills, Dolphins, Rams and Buccaneers, and were prepared to assert their dominance as the best team in the NFC.
The Turning Point
Unfortunately for the Birds, that home game against the 49ers acted as the kick-off of a losing trend for Philly. They went on to lose in terrible fashion, by a score of 42-19. They then lost 5 of their last 6 games, negating their incredible start and finishing the regular season 11-6.
Dead Upon Arrival
When the playoffs came around the Eagles crumbled. Losing the Wild Card Round 32-9 to a team they’d held to just 11 points in Week 3 on the road, Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs moved on just to lose to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round, who moved on to lose the NFC Championship game to none other than the San Francisco 49ers. Who, you guessed it, went on to lose the Super Bowl to Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Holes in the Squad
Jason Kelce Retirement Leaves O-Line Depleted
Since the well-deserved retirement of future hall-of-famer and arguably the greatest center of all-time, Jason Kelce, the Philly offensive line has some holes despite the staples that remain. Right guard Cam Jurgens should be the favourite to slide in as the Kelce replacement at center. Jurgens’ starting right guard spot should be filled by Tyler Steen, the 23-year-old Alabama alumni who was selected by the Eagles in the 3rd round of the 2023 NFL draft with the 65th pick.
Aside from the aforementioned lone retiree, the usuals, right tackle Lane Johnson, left guard Landon Dickerson and left tackle Jordan Mailata will all be back. The starting 5 up front of Jurgens, Dickerson, Steen, Johnson and Mailata will be supported by Lecitus Smith, Matt Hennessy, Le’Raven Clark, Fred Johnson, Darian Kinnard, Brett Toth and Jason Poe, after losing Jack Driscoll to the Miami Dolphins.
While there’s certainly some youth and squad depth on the offensive line, the retirement of Kelce begs the questions, will Tyler Steen be able to sustainably fulfil the 5th starter role? Will Howie Roseman allow the draft to pass without adding another potential All-Pro O-lineman? Fairly unlikely.
Backfield Problems on Defence
In 2023 the Eagles allowed the 2nd most passing yards per game in the NFL, with 252.7. The only team worse being the 4-13 Washington Commanders. The Eagles also allowed opposing quarterbacks the 4th-highest passer rating at 97.6, ahead of just the 8-9 Denver Broncos, 4-13 Arizona Cardinals and again the 4-13 Washington Commanders. As if that isn’t bad enough, the Eagles defensive backfield allowed for the 2nd most pass completions of any defence in 2023 with 425, the most pass attempts with 652, and tied for the 7th-least interceptions, only picking 9 passes.
It’s safe to say that the midseason addition of former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard from the offloading Tennessee Titans didn’t do much to stop the backfield bleeding the Eagles experienced in 2023. So little so that his tenure with Philly can be measured by just 10 games before he moved on to the Chicago Bears this offseason.
As the roster stands, the Eagles are set to start the same cornerback duo as last year, Darius Slay and James Bradberry, alongside the safety combination of Reed Blankeship and the recently reacquired C.J. Gardner-Johnson, set to replace Byard.
Gardner-Johnson was a large part of Philly’s 2022-23 run, where they lost Super Bowl LVII in tragic fashion to the Kansas City Chiefs after carrying a 10-point lead into halftime at SoFi Stadium. After the loss, C.J. was quick to blame then defensive coordinator and now Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, citing his defensive schemes and coverages.
Gannon was hired to head coach the Cardinals just 2 days after the Super Bowl, and Gardner-Johnson took to twitter weeks later. In a since deleted quote-tweet, C.J. claimed Gannon didn’t put them “in position to make plays”.
Another couple of weeks after that, he signed a 1-year $8m deal with the Detroit Lions.
It should be noted that under Gannon’s defensive scheme in 2022, the Eagles were 1st in the NFL in sacks, recording 70. They also allowed the 2nd least total yards per game with just 301.5.
After his not so subtle jab at the coaching staff, C.J. directed his anger towards the citizens of Philadelphia, specifically Eagles fans. Stating the following:
Unfortunately for him and Detroit, C.J. suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2 and played just 3 regular season games with the Lions. After the expiration of his 1-year contract at the end of last season, Philly opted to give CJGJ a bag, offering a contract with a max value of $33m over 3 years.
Thankfully for those insulted by the safety and will be forced to cheer for him upon re-arrival, he took the time to tweet an apology, though it lacked some serious substance.
It will be interesting to see how he is received at Lincoln Financial after the saga, considering the Bird Gang are known to be unforgiving in failure, yet ultimately forgiving in the wake of triumph.
The reunion between CJGJ and Philly, though surrounded by controversy, should result in positive onfield improvements. In 2022 Gardner-Johnson himself recorded 6 interceptions in his first, last, and only season in Philly, 67% of the entire 2023 Eagles defence. His return should provide some much-needed ballhawking, yet the overall absurdity of the backfields downfall over recent seasons might still suggest Howie will look to secure a lockdown DB in the draft, whether that be at corner or safety.
Saquon Barkley Filled Running Back Void
After the offseason departure of Philly-born D’Andre Swift, who joined the Chicago Bears on a 3-year $24m deal, the Eagles’ running back options looked shallow, with just Kenneth Gainwell, Lew Nichols and Tyrion Davis-Prince. Thankfully for Eagles fans, it only took the front office a couple of hours to react, as they inked former Penn State running back, and former 2018 2nd overall pick to the New York Giants, Saquon Barkley. The upgrade only costs the Birds around $4.58m annually and $13.75m total, as they agreed to $37.75m over 3 years with the superstar.
Young and Talented Receiving Core Lacking Depth
The late-season somewhat desperate signing of Julio Jones last season was a direct attempt to fill the depth receiving positions on the roster. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith need a reliable 3rd receiver, and the entire unit lacks necessary depth talent. This offseason, they’ve added DeVante Parker to assume Julio’s 3rd receiver role.
With Philly-born Olamide Zaccheaus testing free agency, the depth chart is filled out with Britain Covey, Jacob Harris, Joseph Ngata, Austin Watkins Jr., Shaquan Davis and Griffin Hebert. It’s doesn’t take a second look to come to the conclusion that they need more support. Support in the form of players that will see reasonably consistent snaps at WR and hopefully one that can play the slot.
Young Pass Rush/Run Block Duo Lose Mentor
The combination of pocket pressure from Jalen Carter and the interior run defence of Jordan Davis should excel the defensive line on a consistent upwards trajectory alongside their development. The promising pair are supported by the 24-year-old Milton Williams, who was selected by the Eagles with the 9th pick in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Louisiana Tech.
The defensive line has often been a substantial factor in the success the Eagles have recently experienced. Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett, Chris Long, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, Timmy Jernigan, Javon Hargrave, all contributing to that success as well as the new youngsters, Carter and Davis.
In 2024, since the retirements of Long and more recently 33-year-old Cox, alongside new destinations for most of the remaining, the line is under renovation.
14-year Philadelphia Eagle DE Brandon Graham has withstood many regime changes upfront, and he’s in the midst of another. Though proving weekly he’s still able to thrive in his role, father time is undefeated, and at 35, it’s a wonder exactly how many snaps he may have left.
The offseason addition of Bryce Huff from the New York Jets seemed to be a direct reaction to the Cox news, partnered with the impending Graham announcement, whether that be at the end of this season or later.
While Williams and Huff provide terrific flexibility from tackle to end, and even linebacker in regard to the latter, that Segway’s seamlessly into another potential weakness staring the Philly front office directly in the face.
Linebacker Depth Questions, New Faces and Injury Returns
In 2023 the linebacking duties were deferred to the squadron containing Haason Reddick, Shaquille Leonard, Nicholas Morrow, Shaun Bradley, 3rd-year Patrick Johnson, sophomores Nakobe Dean, Kyron Johnson, Christian Elliss, and Brandon Smith, and finally rookies Nolan Smith and Ben VanSumeren.
Unfortunately Dean, Leonard and Brandon Smith all missed significant time in 2023. Only combining to play 7 games. That meant the there was a notable amount of strain placed on the rest of the unit. While the linebacker core was already considered one of the Eagles’ positions that could use talent, the injury flurry launched the front office and fans in to a crash course on the dilemmas that come with depleted LB core.
On to the 2024 Draft
Thanks to Howie Roseman and his plethora of pick swaps, the Eagles’ draft situation is almost never a straightforward research topic. In 2024 however, it’s about as understandable as Howie can make it.
The Eagles’ 2024 Picks
Round 1, Pick 22
Looking For Corners
News has been circulating that Howie Roseman is looking to move up in the 1st round to draft a cornerback. Considering the current 22nd pick is in place to potentially draft a corner from a selection pool of Nate Wiggins (Clemson), Cooper DeJean (Iowa), Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama), Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri), Kamari Lassiter (Georgia), and many more, it’s more than likely Howie has his eyes on one of the 2024 cornerback class’ two crown jewels, Alabama’s Terrion Arnold or Toldedo’s Quinyon Mitchell.
Most mocks have Arnold and Mitchell projected to be picked within the first 15 selections of the 2024 first round. Leaving Philly just outside of a probable reality of drafting one of the two without a trade up. Luckily for the Birds they are currently sitting on two second round draft picks as well as their own first.
The Denver Broncos are sitting 12th in the draft and are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback to spark their turnaround, they also seem to believe this is the draft to do it. The question is, are the Denver Broncos confident enough Bo Nix will drop to consider trading their 12th to Philly and forgo the potential of selecting Michael Penix Jr.. Many are adamant that Bo Nix is the right fit for Denver.
In such a case of the Eagles moving up and selecting Terrion Arnold or Quinyon Mitchell, either would reflect well on Philly’s depth chart and Birds’ faithful should hope Howie can pull off another Jalen Carter-type draft day.
If the Eagles are unable to move up and Arnold and Mitchell’s names are called before someone accepts an offer, that’s not a terrible scenario considering Kool-Aid McKinstry is nothing to laugh at. McKinstry performed well at his pro day even though he needed foot surgery, and is widely considered a tough, athletic CB. Kool-Aid is predicted to go anywhere between the mid-late first to the early second round, but could easily fall to the mid-late second. And despite all of that hype around the 2nd Bama corner, there’s serious buzz surrounding Nate Wiggins potentially being selected before him, and there’s a real chance the Eagles would select Cooper DeJean over either, but less likely Wiggins.
The likelihood of three of these prospects going before the Eagles have an opportunity at one of them is extremely low, but not zero. In 2022 7 defensive backs were selected in the first round, 4 of which were before the 22nd pick, in 2021 5 defensive backs were taken in the first, the 3rd of which was taken by the 22nd pick, so it could and has happened that the Eagles could be looking at much less than they’re expecting at the position. Thankfully, the draft is stacked with CBs and the Eagles could still choose from a decent pool including Ennis Rakestraw Jr. from Missouri, Michigan’s Mike Sainristil, and Georgia Bulldog, Kamari Lassiter.
Eagles Top 10 2024 NFL Draft Cornerback Targets
- Terrion Arnold, Alabama*
- Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo*
- Nate Wiggins, Clemson
- Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
- Cooper DeJean, Iowa
- Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
- Mike Sainristil, Michigan
- Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
- T.J. Tampa, Iowa State
- Max Melton, Rutgers
Likely Picked Before 22*
First round projected
First-second round projected
Second round projected
Second-third round projected
If the Eagles front office aren’t able to make their CB dreams come true, you’re unlikely to see them reach. Instead the draft plan will likely shift to another depleted portion of the depth chart, the offensive line, followed by the defensive line and finally the receiving core.
Attractive O-Line Options
If the Eagles do end up using their first on an OL, you can assume they weren’t able to trade up. With the 22nd pick, the top offensive linemen available should be something like, OT Amarius Mims from Georgia, IOL Troy Fautanu from Washington, OT Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma, OT JC Lathan from Albama, IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon, OT Graham Barton from Duke and a few others. The top three OL prospects in the draft, OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu from Penn State, OT Joe Alt from Notre Dame and OT Taliese Fuaga from Oregon State are projected to go in the top 15 and very likely won’t be available at 22.
Amarius Mims is the preferred choice in adapting a body-type to the Birds OL. His 6’8″ 340 pound frame would fit in quite well with the rest of their massive line in front of Jalen Hurts and the driving force of the brotherly shove. But something to look out for is the deja-vu that comes with Jackson Powers-Johnson. A center who has many of the attributes to fit him in to the mold of a Jason Kelce replacement. JPJ is the same height as Kelce, around 6’3″, though he’s slightly heavier his athleticism and ability to move stands out much like Kelce’s as a prospect. Similarly, Zach Frazier fits the same archetype, but has a less flattering draft profile when compared to JPJ, though he could also be a great fit up front in green.
Eagles Top 10 2024 NFL Draft Offensive Line Targets
- Joe Alt, Notre Dame*
- Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State*
- Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State*
- JC Latham, Alabama*
- Amarius Mims, Georgia
- Troy Fautanu, Washington State
- Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
- Graham Barton, Duke
- Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
- Zach Frazier, West Virginia
Likely Picked Before 22*
Top 15 projected
First round projected
First-second round projected
Second round projected
The other possibility is that someone with substantial talent falls to 22, most notably a defensive lineman or a wide receiver. Some top-rated talents that the Eagles likely won’t be selecting but their talent makes it enticing:
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State*
- WR Malik Nabers, LSU*
- WR Rome Odunze, Washington*
- EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama*
- EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State*
- TE Brock Bowers, Georgia*
- DL Byron Murphy II, Texas*
- EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA*
- WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU*
- EDGE Demeioun Robinson, Clemson
Likely Picked Before 22*
Top 5 projected
Top 10 projected
Mid first round projected
Mid-late first round projected
Round 2, Pick 50 (via NO) & 53
Keep in mind there is a considerable likelihood lingering that the Eagles could move on from one or both of these picks in pursuit of a top-tier first round cornerback. If they opted to draft a corner with the first rounder, look for Howie to direct his attention towards the offensive line and vice-versa, to see what’s leftover from the first and half of the second round.
What’s hopeful is, someone in the OL top 10 above drops and the Eagles are able to use one of these to check that box. There are chances of that happening with Jackson Powers-Johnson and Zach Frazier specifically. What’s more likely, the Eagles use these and more of their later picks to hunt for the most talent left on the board across all positions, but most likely receiver and linebacker.
If the Eagles are still without a corner in this draft, now is the time to make that selection. Using one of these mid seconds on Kamari Lassiter, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Mike Sainristil, T.J. Tampa or Max Melton, all of whom have draft opportunity in and around the 50s, would not be a bad idea whatsoever.
As for 2nd round receiver and linebacker targets, keep these names in mind:
- WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
- WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
- WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
- WR Xavier Lagette, South Carolina
- WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
- LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
- WR Keon Coleman, Florida State
- LB Payton Wilson, NC State
- LB Junior Colson, Michigan
- WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington