The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59. While they reached the pinnacle of the NFL, there is always room to get better, as defending a championship in football is no easy feat. The Eagles have been one of the biggest losers of the offseason so far, as they lost a lot of talent in free agency. The team won their championship largely because they built their roster through the NFL Draft, though, and the 2025 NFL Draft will play a huge role in remaining a championship contender.
Last year, the team turned a weakness – the team's secondary – into a strength after they drafted defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. So, what do the Eagles need to do in the draft this year to right their free agency wrongs and put themselves in a good position to defend their championship?
Eagles' positional needs
The Eagles have lost a lot of talent from the roster that won the Super Bowl only weeks ago. They've taken their biggest hit in the secondary. After improving in that regard last offseason, the Eagles have moved on from key defensive backs, including C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, Isaiah Rodgers, and Darius Slay.
The former two players are safeties and the latter two play cornerback. The team will need to find help in the NFL Draft at both spots. The team's defense also lost some talent on the front seven.
Milton Williams and Josh Sweat signed mega deals with new teams. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are still on the roster, so Williams' – a defensive tackle – departure is less of a concern. Sweat's absence leaves a void at edge rusher, though.
Garnering pressure on opposing quarterbacks is vital. Luckily, the edge rusher position is arguably the deepest in the 2025 NFL Draft, so Philadelphia should be able to find reinforcements.
Another sneaky position of need for the defending champions is running back depth. The team obviously doesn't need a starter at that position, as Saquon Barkley is coming off of one of the best running back seasons ever. The ex-New York Giant ran for 2,000 yards in his first season with the Eagles. However, Barkley has a history of injury issues, and the team doesn't have much help behind him on the depth chart now that Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Eagles' best 2025 NFL Draft fit
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While the Eagles' offseason has been a disappointment so far, fans shouldn't be too worried. Howie Roseman is one of the best general managers in the NFL, and he always finds ways to add impact talent to the team's roster. Roseman should be targeting one of the edge rushers who are bound to fall down the draft board with the team's first-round pick, which is the last selection in the round.
There is a surplus of pass-rushing talent in this draft, so someone is bound to slide despite having tons of talent. Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams, Mike Green, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Nic Scouton, and James Pearce Jr. all have a first-round claim, but there might not be enough pass rush-needy teams for them to all be selected within the first 32 picks.
If Pearce happens to fall, the Eagles need to scoop him up. Heading into the 2024 college football season, Pearce was looked at as one of the best collegiate players in the nation and the likely 2025 first-overall pick. However, he slid down the draft board all season long and is no more likely to get picked later in the first round.
Pearce fell down big boards after he didn't improve from a production standpoint during his third season at Tennessee. He still has star potential, though, and Philadelphia has thrived in developing pass rushers. Pearce has all of the physical traits. He is 6-foot-5, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds, according to nfldraftbuzz.com. That combination of length and explosiveness is rare, and Pearce has the potential to become a double-digit sack artist.
The Eagles did bring in Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari this offseason to pair with Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, but Pearce's talent would be too much to pass up on if he were to fall to pick 32.
