It's funny how things work, two years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles were fortunate to land the man seen by many as the 2025 draft class's best player. Jalen Carter has been a revelation and one of the heroes of the recent Super Bowl run. We'll never forget that sack of Matthew Stafford in the Divisional Round. That helped keep the campaign going. It's still hard to believe he was acquired with the ninth overall selection.
Philly saw some good luck during last year's draft too. Who would have thought this time last year that they'd land Quinyon Mitchell AND Cooper DeJean?
Philly double-dipped at the cornerback position last year to help solidify their secondary. We wouldn't mind if they did so again to upgrade their pass rush.
Grabbing two edge rushers with the Philly's first two picks is our strategy in this Eagles-only mock draft.
We still can't believe it sometimes. Quinyon Mitchell was one of the best cornerback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. We thought he's be long gone by the time the Birds were on the clock with the 22nd selection. Then, it happened.
Six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks. That allowed great players at other positions to slide, one being Quinyon. He was only the fourth DB the Eagles have taken in Round 1 in the NFL Draft's history. Then, Philly double-dipped and traded up in Round 2 to the 40th selection to land Cooper DeJean.
Just like that, they acquired two of the best DBs in the class.
Philly's modus operandi however is to build from the trenches, and we wouldn't mind if they did so this time around.
Brandon Graham may retire. Josh Sweat may move on. We've lost confidence in Bryce Huff? How about two edge rushers taken with Philly's first two draft choices?
Round 1, Pick 32 - James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee Volunteers
This one didn't take many brain cells. We took the best edge rusher still available at 32. Three of the four times we ran a sim, that guy was James Pearce, a six-foot-five, 242-pounder who collected 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble during his final season with Tennessee.
Round 2, Pick 64 - Bradyn Swinson, EDGE, LSU Tigers
Bradyn Swinson plays very well off the edge and with power at the point attack. He's a sleeper who could carry value as a potential riser after notching 8.5 sacks and being named a Second-Team All-SEC nod last season.
Round 3, Pick 96 - Harold Fannin Jr., Tight End, Bowling Green Falcons
Harold Fannin Jr. makes sense. He played for new Eagles QB coach Scot Loeffler when the latter was the head coach at Bowling Green.
During three seasons at the NCAA level (36 games), he caught 180 passes for 2,396 yards and 17 TDs. He also scored five TDs on 33 career caries.
Round 4, Pick 129 - Jack Nelson, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin Badgers
Jack Nelson committed a lot of penalties. He'll need to clean that up. Coaching should do the trick there, and Philly has that.
He also needs to get stronger and work on his balance. It's a good thing the Birds still have Lane Johnson for one more season to get the young guy ready.
Round 5, Pick 162 - Tonka Hemingway, Defensive Tackle, South Carolina Gamecocks
Fellow Gamecock defensive tackle T.J. Sanders got a lot of press last season, and rightfully so. 51 tackles... Four sacks... He could rise but so might his former teammate Tonka Hemingway.
The latter added four sacks of his own and a forced fumble. He's also close to Milton Williams in terms of a physical match. He's a nice addition to the rotation that already includes Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo.
Round 5, Pick 166 - Denzel Burke, Cornerback, Ohio State Buckeyes
Denzel Burke was a four-year starter at the collegiate level with good instincts and bump-and-run ability. Philly has gotten younger at cornerback and this guy continues the youth movement.
He moves well enough to step in and add some special teams value and maybe push someone for a backup role.
Round 5, Pick 169 - Arian Smith, WR, Georgia Bulldogs
This isn't an exaggeration. We did everything we could to avoid doing the cliche thing by adding a Georgia star. Every time we did this simulation, however, Arian Smith was available at 169... And, we LOVED the pick.
There are some issues with Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson. Most importantly, they don't catch the football very well. Arian Smith is the third receiver Philly is looking for, though it's hard to grade him because he was underutilized during his time with the Bulldogs.
Still, he's a speedster who stands at six feet tall. He caught 48 passes for 817 yards with four touchdowns in 2024. Jahan Dotson returns in 2025, but Smith is potentially an upgrade from Ainias Smith, Johnny Wilson, and Britain Covey
