It wasn't even 24 hours after the confetti fell on the Philadelphia Eagles that most of us began asking the same questions. What's the likelihood that the Birds will get back to the Super Bowl for the 60th edition of football's biggest game? What are the chances that they'll win it all again?
Our thought patterns probably mirrored each other at that point. With this defense, nothing can stop this team. Then, guys started leaving: Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Oren Burks signed elsewhere. So did Avonte Maddox and Isaiah Rodgers. Slay now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Philly stopped some of the bleeding with low-risk signings. One of the wisest moves of this young offseason came earlier. First-Team All-Pro Zack Baun signed an extension to stay in town.
Philly's pre-draft moves demonstrate they're interested in a few offensive linemen. What else is new? Based on how we've seen them handle Top 30 Visits, we can expect the defending champs to make additions on both sides of the ball.
If nothing changed between now and the 2025 NFL Draft, Philly would walk into the selection meeting with eight picks. Knowing what we know about Howie Roseman, he won't sit idle, but what if he did? What if, in some alternate universe, they exhausted every pick to stack this defense like Buddy Ryan probably would have done?
Maybe we've written too many mock drafts, and we're bored. What the heck? Here's another, an all-defensive edition.
Round 1, Pick 32 - Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M Aggies
One of the questions you've probably heard asked is 'Did Philly invest too many of their financial resources on the offensive side of the ball?
Honestly, we think they're taking a tackle in Round 1, a possible and eventual Lane Johnson successor, but in this parallel universe, Nic Scourton is too tempting to pass up.
Plus, Philly has a reputation for taking their Top 30 Visits seriously. Scourton is certainly a realistic option.
Round 2, Pick 64 - Shemar Turner, Defensive Interior, Texas A&M
Philly has its Dawgs and its 'Philly Tide'. Why not start a Texas A&M farm system as well?
In 2023, the Birds doubled up on Georgia stars with their first two picks. This time around, they add a pair of Aggies, and like Scourton, Turner visited with Philly by way of a pre-draft visit.
Round 3, Pick 96 - Andrew Mukuba, Safety, Texas Longhorns
We figure Sydney Brown will join Reed Blankenship as part of the Eagles ' starting lineup. Lewis Cine and Tristin McCollum are also on the roster. Andre' Sam gives Philly another camp body.
Andrew Mukuba makes things very interesting. He'd join the ball club as a special-teamer who could eventually challenge some backups for playing time.
Round 4, Pick 134 - Nohl Williams, cornerback, Cal Golden Bears
Every time we run a mock draft simulator, Nohl Williams is still available in Round 4 which we think is crazy. He's probably too talented to have that happen.
Oh well... What the heck? He's available. We like him. For that reason, we're taking him. He's a six-foot-tall Consensus All-American who earned 2024 First-Team All-ACC honors.
Dang! Cal is in the ACC now!
Round 5, Pick 161 (from Texans) - Fadil Diggs, EDGE, Syracuse
Here's a boom or bust prospect that we believe is heavier on the 'boom' side. Fadil Diggs is a six-foot-four, 257-pounder who notched 45 tackles, a forced fumble, and 7.5 sacks in his final season with the Syracuse Orange.
Round 5, Pick 164 (from Lions via Browns) - Kobe King, LB, Penn State
We haven't taken a linebacker yet. That's what happens sometimes when your starter is a First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler and you have the son of a franchise legend waiting in the wings.
Nakobe Dean will also be back at some point, but Kobe King will help make waiting easier. He was a Second-Team All-Big Ten nod in 2024.
Round 5, Pick 165 (from Commanders) - O'Donnell Fortune, CB, South Carolina
Many grade O'Donnell Fortune higher than a fifth-rounder (including us). Pro Football Focus seems to think he'll be around at pick 165.
We hope PFF is right because this feels like stealing this late in the draft. Hmmm... 'Stealing a Fortune'... We kind of like the ring of that!
Round 5, Pick 168 - Cody Lindenberg, LB, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Early signs point to Cody Lindenberg being limited in pass coverage. Well, if he was the perfect linebacker, he wouldn't be available in Round 5, would he?
This feels like a pretty good way to end another mock draft. To his credit, he notched First-team All-Big Ten nominations in 2023 and 2024.
Yeah... We'll take a flyer on him!
