The Philadelphia Eagles took a tough defeat in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, but the future is bright for them to be right back there. After their trade with the New Orleans Saints during last year's draft, the Eagles have two first round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the impending free agents they have, there are a lot of pieces they can look to target at a variety of positions. The way that Howie Roseman works, you never know what he is thinking going into the draft. With a few months until Draft Day, let's dive into a seven round mock draft for the Eagles.
TRADE ALERT: Eagles trade pick 10 to Vikings for picks 23, 87, and 2024 1st
Round 1, Pick 23 (Via MIN): Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
Roseman loves to trade and it is almost a lock that the Eagles don't wind up sticking at 10th overall with the Saints pick. Philadelphia moves back 13 picks while getting an extra third rounder this year and first rounder in 2024. With their new pick, the Eagles snag a cornerback as James Bradberry is likely gone. Phillips would bring a lot of young juice to the Philly secondary. The Utah corner is explosive and has very smooth change of direction. He would be a strong addition opposite Darius Slay.
Round 1, Pick 30: B.J. Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
The Eagles can never beef up their front seven enough. While they have two other worldly edge rushers in Josh Sweat and Hasson Reddick (hybrid linebacker), they could use more depth. Philadelphia struggled to create pressure against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, so Roseman will certainly take that into account when drafting. Ojulari is explosive and can make an immediate impact. He has a strong upside despite having some size concerns at the line of scrimmage.
Round 2, Pick 62: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Miles Sanders has shown his vast desire to stay in Philadelphia, sending a heartfelt message to the team on Instagram. But for Roseman and the Eagles, it likely won't be plausible as far as their money situation goes. The Birds have other free agents at other positions that are more desirable for returning. Even though Sanders had a pretty solid season, he was a non-factor in the Super Bowl and Kenneth Gainwell broke out in the postseason. Gainwell, a former fifth-round pick out of Memphis, is still on his rookie deal and would do well as the number one back. Charbonnet would be a great compliment to Gainwell; the UCLA product runs with strong vision, is good in short yardage, and is a talented pass casser as well.
Round 3, Pick 94: Ji'Ayir Brown, S, Penn State
After trading for him last offseason, the Eagles saw C.J. Gardner-Johnson have a super productive season at strong safety. Now, the 25-year-old is a free agent, although the Eagles are expected to franchise tag him. No matter what happens with CJGJ, the Eagles need more talent at the safety position. Brown was extremely productive the past two seasons at Penn State. He is explosive, very productive, and versatile. All that fits the Eagles needs tremendously well, plus he wouldn't have to go that far coming from Happy Valley.
TRADE ALERT: Eagles trade picks 87 and 250 to Saints for picks 115, 148, 167, and 2024 4th rounder
Round 4, Pick 115 (via NO): Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin
With the extra third round pick the Eagles received and a seventh rounder, they trade back to the fourth round while also getting two fifths and a 2024 fourth rounder. With the fourth round pick, Philadelphia focuses on their interior defensive line. Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Ndamukong Suh, and Linval Joseph are all free agents. Benton fits the Eagles very well and fills the void as a violent and heavy-handed interior lineman left by the aforementioned free agents.
Round 5, Pick 148 (via NO): Jalen Graham, LB, Purdue
The Eagles saw a huge leap in production from the linebacking corp, with T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White providing big breakouts. However, they are both getting set to hit the free agent market. Nakobe Dean has a chance to start going into his second year, but there isn't much else at the position outside of Reddick. Graham was one of the best coverage linebackers in the country this past season and has solid burst and instincts. He is always around the ball and although he's a bit raw, the right coaching could make him a great pick.
Round 5, Pick 167 (via NO): Brandon Kipper, OG, Oregon State
Versatile guard Isaac Seumalo is set to hit free agency and it is very likely the Eagles won't be willing to pay him as much as he will be targeting. He put together a couple of very solid seasons the last two years and will be tough to replace. Even without him leaving, Roseman is always looking to build the trenches. Kipper moved inside this season was more dominant at guard than he was previously at right tackle. The former Beaver is a tough and experiences interior linemen who plays well against the run and pass.
Round 7, Pick 221: Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State
Jalen Hurts definitely proved that he is THE GUY at quarterback for the Eagles, getting them to the Super Bowl in his second year as the starter. His backup, Gardner Minshew, is entering free agency, however, and the only other quarterback on the roster is Ian Book. They don't necessarily have to go the draft route for a backup, but if a strong potential guy like Haener is available, then why not? The Fresno State product has a very strong arm and runs when he has to. He isn't a true duel threat like Hurts, but he would be a solid backup that would fit the system.
Main Image Credit: From Getty Images