Howie gonna Howie

There is one thing that is absolutely certain in this draft for the Eagles: Howie Roseman will make at least one trade. So let us lean into it. Roseman may not make a trade in the 1st round, but this week we will only look at mocks that have the Eagles making a trade in the 1st round.

Marcus Mosher, 33rd Team

Eagles trade 22 and 50 to Broncos for 12

12 - CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama

The Philadelphia Eagles have no problem being aggressive when targeting players they want. They traded up for Devonta Smith and Jordan Davis. They also have multiple second-round picks in this draft to help facilitate a trade.

Terrion Arnold would be a perfect fit in Philadelphia, considering he can play outside and in the slot.

The Broncos, in case you were wondering, took Jared Verse.

I like the boldness of this one. Howie Roseman has never shied away from moving up, in this the Eagles jump the field and take the first corner in the draft. A trade with the Broncos makes sense on two levels. First, if a team wants CB1 they probably need to jump the Colts at 15. Second, Denver’s second pick isn’t until the 3rd round at 76, they have eight picks but five of them are 5th or 6th rounders, if they are not taking a QB at 12 they are likely to trade back and add a pick in the top half of the draft. The price here is a little steep, I think the Broncos should give up one of their 5ths, but whatever.

If the Eagles are going for CB1, I’m on board with it being Arnold. Quinyon Mitchell is a very popular choice for CB1, but give me the guy who was making plays in the SEC.

Spencer Aguiar, Rotoballer

Eagles trade 22 and 53 to Seahawks for 16 and 179

EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State

The specifics of this deal might need to be changed marginally, but there are no better trade partners in this draft than Seattle and Philadelphia.

The Seahawks typically like to have eight-plus draft picks each year (currently are at seven) and possess one of the widest gaps between their first pick and second choice (16th versus 81st).

The Eagles will be looking to add to their pass rush with one of the elite talents in this class after trading Haason Reddick to the New York Jets for a conditional third-round pick in 2026.

There is a chance they could stay where they are and hope to land either Verse or Laiatu Latu, but medical concerns on Latu drive the Eagles up the board to get the safer bet.

It is a perfect pairing for two teams that get what they need to improve their units.

The Seahawks take JC Latham.

This is what I love about mock drafts. In one we have the Eagles trading up and the team they traded with takes Verse. In another, the Eagles trade up for Verse. Gotta hear both sides.

The Eagles have just two edge rushers under contract after this year, so the need is certainly there. In this mock the Falcons take Dallas Turner at 8, which feels realistic, and the Rams taking Chop Robinson at 19, which also feels realistic. Getting ahead of the Rams to take Verse definitely feels like a Howie Roseman move. The Seahawks look to be the best bet to jump the Rams, not only for the reasons outlined but also because the Jaguars at 17 and Bengals at 18 are unlikely to trade back.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

Eagles trade 22 and 50 to Seahawks for 16

16 - C Graham Barton, Duke

If the Raiders and Saints pass on Barton, then the Eagles could move up to get a leader on the offensive line. His athleticism, toughness and football IQ could allow him to step in at multiple spots, likely combining with Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson in the interior. Despite his lack of length (32 7/8-inch arm), his play at left tackle over the past three years shows he can move outside if injuries hit that part of the depth chart.

The Seahawks took Jer’Zhan Newton.

Chad, what are you doing here. Also a 5 round mock? Why stop there, that’s just lazy.

Graham Barton played left tackle for Duke for three seasons. Prior to that, as a true freshman in 2020, he started five games at center after Duke’s first and second string centers got hurt. He never played the position again, and never played any other position in college. He was going to see time at center at the Senior Bowl but did not participate due to injury. Every player in the draft is a projection, but Barton’s projection is bigger than most. This reminds me of Cameron Erving, who switched from DT to LT for his sophomore year, and finished his career at center after filling in for injury. He tested well athletically, like Barton. He was seen as a guy who maybe could play tackle but was probably a center, like Barton. He was drafted 19th by the Browns, played guard his rookie year, center in his second season, then was traded for a 5th rounder and has spent the rest of his career bouncing around the league.

Graham Barton is likely not a tackle, which is a position the Eagles need. He might be a center, which is not a position the Eagles need to address in the 1st round. He might be a guard, which is absolutely not a position the Eagles should address in the 1st round. He is not the 16th best prospect in the draft, he is not the 22nd best prospect in the draft. I am repeating myself from previous weeks but if the Eagles are drafting an OL in the 1st round to shift to right guard and hopefully hold down the fort and backup Lane Johnson, they should draft an actual offensive tackle who can maybe play guard.

My turn

This week I have to roll with PFN’s mock simulator because you can do trades. Their draft board is reasonable. When you trade up in a draft you have to do it for a specific player, and I don’t have a particular player in mind. I’ll play this one one pick at a time and see how the board falls.

JJ McCarthy goes 11 to the Vikings, putting the Broncos on the clock without a QB worth taking at 12. They won’t give me 12 for 22 and 50. I don’t want to go any higher than that. The Cowboys then trade 24, 56, and a 2025 3rd for 12 and take Taliese Fuaga. Now we’re getting spicy. At OT Troy Fautanu, Amarius Mims, and JC Latham are still on the board, at CB Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell, at EDGE Laiatu Latu and Jared Verse. I’m not trading up for Latu because I have no idea about his medical evaluation. So I have six players I’ll move up for and nine picks to go. Fauntanu and Mims go back to back at 13 and 14, then, predictably, Arnold at 15.

Let’s see if the Seahawks will play ball. After some negotiation I trade 22, 50, and 120 for 16 and 102. I get three trade offers for the pick I just traded up for, how realistic. I love mock draft sims. At 16 I take Quinyon Mitchell. That was fun.