Philadelphia Eagles Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

Another "bonus" pick here, the Eagles can sit back and let a talented player fall into their laps. However, they tend to target certain positions in Round 1 -- and they love long, athletically gifted corners in the mold of Gonzalez.

Running back isn't a spot I'd normally peg for Philly in Round 1, but at this point, what do you get for the team that has (almost) everything? An electric back and possible replacement for Miles Sanders if he walks in free agency.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a deep stable of defensive linemen, but expiring contracts could create a shakeup in the offseason. Myles Murphy has exciting physical tools with the ability to win with quickness and power off the edge. He fits the mold of defensive ends we've seen Howie Roseman target in the past.

Bringing back James Bradberry could negate the need for Philadelphia to add a corner early in the draft, but even if that is the case, the Eagles' corner tandem would be on the wrong side of 30 so finding youth makes sense. Deonte Banks is a physically-gifted corner that offers versatility and is a hot name at the position.

It's one of the bigger question marks of the first round — just how many defensive parts will the Eagles lose after the Super Bowl? Corner is a good place to start, and they'll have several strong options to choose from.

Will the Eagles be able to keep all the talent on the line around? With their second pick in the first round, they'll have a shot at getting younger and even more versatile with a dangerous pass rusher like Foskey.

The NFC champs don't have a ton of needs given their position with such a young and deep team, but pending departures up front could allow them to look to reload with another pass rusher. Van Ness brings a bit of versatility and flashes a ton of potential with the way he explodes off the line.

The Eagles were struggling to find depth in the interior and will be losing several defensive linemen to free agency or retirement this offseason. Teaming Ika up with Jordan Davis doesn't seem fair and might be the closest you can get to building a literal wall in the middle of a defense.

The draft's ultimate luxury pick can (and likely will) be used on an area of need, and Joey Porter Jr. just feels like a Philadelphia Eagle in, like, every way possible. Porter is a great corner prospect who can play in man or zone but needs to prove he can do it without being so handsy. Once things settle down for him, Porter's game could really open up in the NFL.

BJ Ojulari totaled more than 100 pressures over his sophomore and junior years at LSU, and he's another 2023 draft prospect who's just 20 years old. The younger brother of 2021 Giants second-rounder Azeez Ojulari, the 6-3, 250-pound BJ recorded an absurd 42-inch vert at The Opening (regional event) in 2019.

When Howie Roseman acquired another first-round selection for this draft, there was a chance it would be used on a quarterback. But with Jalen Hurts playing at a near-MVP level this season, the Eagles can go in a much different direction.

With Darius Slay, James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Avonte Maddox, the Eagles put together a fantastic secondary this season. But with Bradberry entering a void year on his deal, and Gardner-Johnson entering free agency, odds are the Eagles will need to add a cornerback.

Similar to the battle for OT1, the battle for CB1 might be the most intriguing of the entire draft cycle. Cornerback also looks to be one of the deepest positions this season, with perhaps 15 prospects in the mix to be drafted in the first three rounds. How they come off the board might come down to scheme fit more than anything else, but Oregon's Christian Gonzalez is certainly among those being considered for that top CB spot. His blend of size, change-of-direction skills, and coverage versatility is ideal for modern NFL defenses.

I can hear you now.

"Howie Roseman will never draft a running back in the first round."

What about at the end of the first round, after drafting a cornerback earlier?

Ten, maybe five, years ago Bijan Robinson might be the first-overall selection. But as we have seen in recent years, running backs are sliding down draft boards. The reliance on the passing game, coupled with the wear-and-tear that comes with the position, makes drafting a running back early an increasingly unlikely proposition.

But with running back being a need for Philadelphia, Roseman takes advantage of that market inefficiency, drafting one of the better overall prospects at the end of the first round. He is also a near-perfect fit in Philadelphia, as his skill set translates best to an offense that relies heavily on zone-blocking concepts.

Christian Gonzalez, a Colorado transfer, is a big-time athlete who is still growing into the position. He has the size, strength and speed to line up against NFL wide receivers; he just needs to improve in run support.

The Eagles haven't taken a RB in the first round since 1986 (!), but we said the same thing about Andy Reid and RBs right until the moment he selected Clyde Edwards-Helaire a few years ago. And while CEH may not be the best example of why Philly might consider a back here, Gibbs has drawn comparisons to Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara as both a runner and a receiver. He would be yet another weapon for Jalen Hurts in this offense.

The Eagles are in a very advantageous spot as a team headed to the Super Bowl with a top-10 pick. There aren't many needs for Philadelphia to fill, but cornerback could become one. James Bradberry has been a fantastic signing for the Eagles this year, but he's only on a one-year deal. If they can't bring him back, that's a big loss. Bradberry finished the regular season with an 82.8 coverage grade and the second-most forced incompletions in the league (19).

Gonzalez brings CB1 potential to the position. His movement skills at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds are so smooth, and this year he took his ball production to the next level with four interceptions and nine forced incompletions.

Van Ness brings intriguing potential to the table. He's 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds and can really convert speed to power as a pass rusher. He played mostly as an interior player in 2021 but moved to the edge this past season. His play was more impactful as of late, with him jumping from a 69.2 run-defense grade and 71.8 pass-rush grade in 2021 to an 80.9 run-defense grade and 74.3 pass-rush grade in 2022. He's raw and inexperienced, but there's a lot of athletic potential to him.

The Eagles, one of the NFL's four best teams, gained this first-rounder from New Orleans last year, and now they have a chance to add a premium prospect to their loaded roster. They don't have many current needs, but they do have several decisions to make in free agency, including whether to bring back defensive linemen Fletcher Cox, Robert Quinn, Brandon Graham and Javon Hargrave. Let's use this pick to help them get younger.

Kancey's 2022 tape is extremely impressive, and I moved him way up my Big Board. He wreaked havoc the past two seasons, racking up 13.5 sacks when lined up as a defensive tackle, the most in the country. At 6-foot, 280 pounds, he's undersized, but so was former Pitt tackle Aaron Donald. (To be clear, he's not Donald, but he's still pretty good.) We know Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman invests heavily in the D-line, and Kancey would fit next to 2022 first-rounder Jordan Davis.

Philadelphia made a preseason trade to acquire safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but he had such a great season that he might be too expensive for the Eagles to bring back. In that case, this pick is the best like-for-like replacement -- Branch can play as a slot corner or a deep center fielder, filling Gardner-Johnson's shoes. Branch is my top-ranked safety, but he'll be a cornerback on some teams' boards. I projected the Eagles to add a defensive tackle with the No. 10 pick, and injecting this defense with young talent should be their offseason priority.

Adding another pass rusher to a lineup loaded with sack artists should be part of general manager Howie Roseman's plan to build strength on strength.

With Miles Sanders and Boston Scott set to become free agents, the addition of an explosive runner/receiver with big-play ability would undoubtedly enhance an offense that is always in attack mode with Jalen Hurts at the helm.

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