Eagles Mailbag: Expect the Unexpected in the 2026 NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft is quickly approaching and Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will have plenty of options later this month. Philadelphia will continue to host prospects on visits ahead of the event as they continue to work and finalize their draft board. Yet the NFL Draft has proven one thing in recent years to the Eagles: Expect the unexpected.
Nobody believed that Nolan Smith Jr., Cooper DeJean or Jihaad Campbell would fall to Philadelphia where they did. Therefore, Roseman and his staff will have to be prepared for all different types of situations. So what is Philadelphia going to do in the first round? I’ll answer that question and much more in my latest Eagles mailbag.
I’ve maintained my stance all along that the Eagles should prioritize picking an offensive tackle early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Lane Johnson isn’t getting any younger and it’s not guaranteed that he’ll be back in 2027. Obviously, the value will have to line-up with where the Eagles are projected to select with the 23rd overall pick in the first round.
Based on all of the rankings and mock drafts, it seems like an offensive tackle such as Clemson’s Blake Miller or Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor should be available at that spot. If either one of those prospects are available, it would be hard for me (as an imaginary general manager) to pass up on them.
Yet if the value isn’t there, I could certainly see the Eagles pivoting to a wide receiver. But in my opinion, the hype for Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has gotten a bit out of hand. While Cooper is a solid player and likely a day one starter, my guess is that Philadelphia would have another prospect ranked higher on their board if they’re on the clock at 23.
As previously mentioned, offensive tackle is a top priority in the 2026 NFL Draft. Simply because I’m not high on the offensive tackle prospects outside of the first two rounds or so. Yet if Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman or Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are available at 23, that would make things tough.
Both Thieneman and EMW are viewed as likely day one starters in the NFL and it’s hard to find a bigger hole on Philadelphia’s current roster than safety. While Roseman hasn’t necessarily placed a high value on safety in the past, we could’ve said the same thing about linebacker and cornerback, but then the Eagles drafted Jihaad Campbell, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
If the Eagles are going to trade A.J. Brown, they have to address the position early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Hollywood Brown is only signed to a one-year deal and ideally wouldn’t be Philadelphia’s WR2 next season. If the Eagles select a wide receiver within the first two days of the event, they would likely feel comfortable with DeVonta Smith, Brown and the rookie leading their room.
There is also the chance that the Eagles could sign one of the available free agent wide receivers as well. It’s interesting to me that Jauan Jennings is still on the market, as he would seem to fit what the Eagles could be looking for if Brown is ultimately traded. That’s a situation that I’m keeping my eyes on.
I could list a ton of names here but I’ll try to be concise. Here are a few names that are projected to be selected on day three that I’m high on and that the Eagles have also reportedly met with during the pre-draft process:
Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M: He will have an immediate impact as a blocker but also has some juice as a pass catcher.
Michael Heldman, EDGE, Central Michigan: Enjoyed a breakout season with 10.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in 2025. He put on a show at his pro day with 40” vertical jump, 7.05-second in the three-cone drill, etc.
Andre Fuller, CB, Toledo: Another one of Quinyon Mitchell’s former teammates. Limited quarterbacks to a passer rating of 56.5 when targeted last season.
Edge rusher continues to be the dark horse position to watch for the Eagles in the 2026 NFL Draft. While many view offensive tackle and safety as bigger long-term needs, edge rusher could be a spot where the value meets need at a good spot for Philadelphia within the first two days of the event.
Given that Nolan Smith Jr. is heading into the fourth year of his rookie deal and Arnold Ebiketie signed a one-year contract, the Eagles could look to add a long-term piece alongside Jalyx Hunt. Philadelphia has already done plenty of homework on edge rushers projected to be selected in the first two rounds, including Texas Tech’s Romello Height and Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton.
1) It’s going to be difficult to gauge how much influence either Josh Grizzard or Jerrod Johnson will have in 2026. It feels like Sean Mannion is in position to get all of the credit or all of the blame, depending on how things go in Philadelphia next season. My guess is that the Eagles wanted more experienced voices on the coaching staff after last season’s debacle.
2) Jordyn Tyson has infinitely more upside than Omar Cooper Jr. from a talent standpoint. If both players are available, Tyson is the easy choice. While his medicals will be a major factor and could cause him to fall, there is a drastic difference between the two players from simply a talent standpoint. My guess is that Roseman would run the card up himself if Tyson is available at 23.
Player contracts can become incredibly complex, especially given the way that the Eagles often structure their deals. For example, Philadelphia utilizes void years, which are essentially imaginary years added onto a contract that allows the team to spread out the signing bonus into the future.
That adjustment allows the Eagles to take less of a cap hit now, while taking cap hits during years that the player will likely no longer be with the team. Given the example that you used, one team may look at that as a deal that’s worth $5 million per year with essentially only two years guaranteed.
But the Eagles could add multiple void years to that deal, which would make the player’s cap hit significantly less than $5 million per year. Yet that’s not how every team operates and makes it incredibly difficult to completely understand and keep track of, at times.
There are far more knowledgeable people regarding contracts than myself that I would recommend that you follow on X, such as these accounts:
Eagles Eric (@EaglesXsandOs)
Spotrac (@spotrac)
JasonOTC (@Jason_OTC)
My guess is that the Eagles and the Patriots have had an under-the-table agreement on an A.J. Brown trade for quite a while. The Eagles have had several opportunities to publicly shutdown the rumors and they have yet to do so. It feels like the only obstacle in the way of a deal is the dead cap hit that Philadelphia will have to absorb.
It seems like Roseman wanted at least one first-round pick to absorb the massive dead cap hit ahead of June 1st. Yet if Philadelphia is waiting until after that date, then Roseman’s asking price could come down a bit. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Roseman ultimately settle for less than a first-round pick for Brown.
Yes. The 2026 NFL Draft is rather top heavy with offensive tackle prospects and the Eagles shouldn’t hesitate to pick on early, if the value makes sense. While many Eagles fans might view the pick as a “waste,” they’ll be thanking Roseman for doing so if Lane Johnson retires in 2027. Philadelphia has usually tried to stay ahead of their needs but they have neglected the offensive tackle position for too long.
Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. I’m not sure that there’s a guarantee that either Nick Sirianni or Jalen Hurts will be on the team in 2027. From the outside looking in, it feels like there is a ton of pressure being placed on both Sirianni and Hurts to get things turned around following an early playoff exit last season.
In an ideal world, Sirianni and Hurts would both be in Philadelphia five years from now. Yet it’s hard to envision that at this point, given how both of them have been talked about since last season’s embarrassing ending. If Sirianni is still around in five years and Hurts isn’t, my guess is that Roseman would be picking the franchise’s next quarterback.
The best case scenario would be for the Eagles to address both EDGE and WR in the 2026 NFL Draft. Philadelphia could use long-term additions at both spots and that would be the easiest and most cost-effective way to do so. Yet you can never rule out the possibility of a trade with Roseman running the show.
Here are a few players to watch for at both positions in the coming months:
EDGE:
Jonathan Greenard, Vikings
Kayvon Thibodeux, Giants
Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Romello Height, Texas Tech
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
WR:
Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars
Jauan Jennings, Free Agent
Deebo Samuel, Free Agent
Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
Chris Bell, Louisville
I’ve published seven Eagles mock drafts with three more to come before the event starts. Therefore, I feel like I’ve put a lot of my thoughts out there on what I believe that the Eagles should do. Yet I’ll go with a different approach, here are the positions that I would target on each day with Philadelphia’s picks:
Day 1: Offensive tackle and safety
Day 2: Wide receiver, edge rusher and tight end
Day 3: Cornerback and interior defensive lineman
This question received quite a few replies on X and rightfully so, it was a good one. But I’ll have to agree with a majority of the answers and go with Brian Dawkins and Reggie White. It feels like safety and edge rusher are two of the biggest questions on Philadelphia’s current roster and it would help to add two of the greatest players at their respective positions into the mix.