Howie szn =/= mock draft szn

We’re a month from the draft, and while no one knows for sure who the Eagles will draft, or even where they will draft because you can never rule out a trade, we do know a few things. We know that if you just blindly assume that Howie Roseman will draft an offensive or defensive lineman in the 1st round in any draft, you will look pretty smart.

8 of the 11 1st round picks Howie Roseman has made have been either an offensive tackle (Lane Johnson, Andre Dillard), defensive tackle (Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter), or edge rusher (Marcus Smith, Derek Barnett, Nolan Smith).

So of course nearly everyone just assumes they’re going in a different direction.

Cornered

An extremely popular choice in mock drafts has been cornerback, and for good reason. But the Eagles under Howie Roseman not only don’t draft CBs high, they really don’t draft them high. Here are the first CB drafted, if at all, with Howie Roseman in charge, and their draft pick:

2023 Kelee Ringo 105

2021 Zech McPhearson 123

2018 Avonte Maddox 125

2017 Sidney Jones 43

2016 Blake Countess 196

2013 Jordan Poyer 218

2012 Brandon Boykin 123

Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas, in the 3rd also in 2017, are the only cornerbacks drafted before the 4th round under Howie Roseman. He’s spent just as many Day Two picks in trades for veterans: a 3rd in the trade for Ronald Darby, and a 3rd and 5th for Darius Slay.

So it would seem to go against the grain for the Eagles to draft a CB high in any year. However in 2021 the team was reportedly extremely high on Jaycee Horn, who was taken four picks before the Eagles were on the clock. And the team has met with Cooper DeJean in one of their 30 visits, and with Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Ennis Rakestraw and Kris Abrams-Draine at their pro days. So it may not be totally out of character in this somewhat out of character offseason.

Patience is a virtue

Since Roseman’s return in 2016, when the Eagles have drafted a lineman on either side of the ball, in any round, it’s been with the intention to have them either start the season as a backup or rotational player.

Derek Barnett was fourth in DE snaps played in his rookie year, behind starters Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry, and backup Chris Long. Andre Dillard was never going to start ahead of Jason Peters. Jordan Davis didn’t make his first start until Week 3, and his season high usage his rookie season was just 42% of snaps. Jalen Carter started just one game and played a majority of snaps just 7 times last year. Nolan Smith was never going to start ahead of Haason Reddick or Josh Sweat or play ahead of Brandon Graham.

It’s no different for 2nd round picks. Sidney Jones spent his rookie season recovering from injury, appearing in just one game. It wasn’t until Week 13 that Dallas Goedert played a majority of snaps in back to back starts. Miles Sanders rotated with Jordan Howard until Howard got hurt in the second half of the season. JJ Arcega-Whiteside was behind Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, and DeSean Jackson. Jalen Hurts was never going to win the starting job Week 1. Landon Dickerson began the season as Isaac Seumalo’s backup. Cam Jurgens played 35 total snaps.

Forget the positions, since 2016, the Eagles have had 15 1st or 2nd round picks. Just three of them started Week 1: Carson Wentz, Jalen Reagor, and Devonta Smith. So the idea that the Eagles, who will or should have competitions at cornerback, right guard, and linebacker, could draft plug and play players at those positions is simply not in line with Howie Roseman’s draft history.

The Haaason Reddick trade put the possibility of the Eagles drafting an edge rusher to the forefront of their draft needs, but the need was always there: Josh Sweat is on the final year of his contract and Brandon Graham will retire after the season. The team has just two players at the position under contract for 2025: Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff. Drafting one who will possibly start the season fourth on the depth chart would be completely in keeping with how the Eagles operate.

Take A Walk

With baseball starting this weekend and Haason Reddick being traded, I am reminded of one of the best passages in one of my favorite books.

In Ball Four, the book that is the diary of Jim Bouton’s 1969 season, Bouton writes about the experience of getting traded after he’s acquired by the Astros for cash and “the” Dooley Womack, a former teammate who features in an anecdote early in the book. Upon being dealt, Bouton wrote that after finding out where you are being traded to, the next thing you wanted to know was who you were traded for. “You like to hear a big name on the other end. It’s good for your morale.” The Dooley Womack was not. “I hope there was a lot of undisclosed cash involved. I hope a hundred thousand, at least. Maybe it’s me for a hundred thousand and Dooley Womack is just a throw in. I’d hate to think at this stage of my career I was being traded even up for Dooley Womack.”

Haason Reddick was traded to the Jets. In the four o’clock hour Friday news dump. For a 2026 pick. While a lot of fans were watching the Phillies opening day. That’s a special level of disrespect.