Breaking down Eagles picks in Matt Miller’s 7-round ESPN mock draft.
It’s NFL draft season, and Philadelphia will try to rebuild its defense while replacing Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox, two future Hall of Famers, following a good start to the free agent frenzy.
Matt Miller sent the Eagles reinforcements at numerous critical positions on both sides of the ball in his latest seven-round mock draft for ESPN.
Among Philadelphia’s first three selections from the ACC was a linebacker who could change the course of a game.
This is a brief analysis of the Eagles’ selections in Miller’s most recent mock draft.
According to Miller, Philadelphia will select a cornerback in the first round.
After a difficult 2023 season, the Eagles’ defensive passing metrics were mediocre at best, and their nine interceptions tied for 25th place. Although they added seasoned nickel C.J. Gardner-Johnson and should be able to bring James Bradberry and Darius Slay back to full health, Philadelphia undoubtedly needs to add elite quality to the cornerback position. In man coverage situations, Wiggins’s famous speed (4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash) is evident on tape. His mix of length, speed, and hustle would get him on the field early in Philadelphia; he had two interceptions in the previous season.
Breakdown: GM Howie Roseman aims to develop via the trenches, and Philadelphia hasn’t selected a cornerback in the first round since Lito Sheppard in 2002. Although talented, Wiggins weighs less than 180 pounds, therefore he can have growing pains when playing the run.
In Round 2, Miller projects the Eagles will select the linebacker from North Carolina State.
After years of drafting poorly, the Eagles’ lack of depth and youthful potential at linebacker was exposed in the previous season. Though no one in this class can match Wilson’s three-down abilities, the addition of veteran Devin White should be helpful. In 2023, he recorded six sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions. Wilson, who is 24 years old, raises questions about durability, but his track record is that of an NFL starter.
Breakdown: Wilson, the winner of the Bednarik Award, is a skilled dual-threat linebacker who can play man or zone coverage. He also has third-down potential as a blitzer.
