Biggest questions about Eagles 2026 NFL draft strategy, and other AMA highlights
Inquirer NFL draft expert Devin Jackson answered reader questions about draft possibilities for the Eagles later this week.
With the 2026 NFL draft fast approaching, The Inquirer’s Devin Jackson conducted an AMA (ask me anything) session with Eagles Reddit users.
Jackson touched on possibilities for the Eagles if they trade up (or if they don’t), late-round sleeper possibilities, and the state of the top 10 after the blockbuster Giants-Bengals trade over the weekend.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
We know Howie Roseman loves to move around, do you think it’s more likely he gets aggressive and trades into the top 15? If so, would he likely be aiming for an offensive tackle to replace Lane Johnson? Or aiming for a skill player like a WR if the A.J. Brown trade reports are true?
Jackson: I’ll start with the trade-up move that you suggested. In my latest mock, I had the Eagles move up from 23 to 19 to take Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling. I think if Howie Roseman makes a trade up, it won’t be leaping into the top 15. I think the compensation is huge, as most teams don’t want to give up future draft capital to move up in a draft that isn’t as strong as years past. But if they did, I would anticipate it would be for one of the top tackles, like Utah’s Spencer Fano or Freeling, or for a pass catcher, like Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson or Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
Who are the top five players you think are on Howie’s board that the Eagles have a realistic shot in getting at 23?
Great question!
So if the Eagles stay at No. 23 with no trade up or back, here’s who I am expecting to be in play potentially at that spot:
Max Iheanachor, T, Arizona State
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Blake Miller, T, Clemson
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
If we’re extending it to who could be available around pick 23 that are trade-up candidates:
Kadyn Proctor, T, Alabama
Monroe Freeling, T, Georgia
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Which Day 3 sleeper picks do you think the Eagles would be aiming for? Possibly a safety to replace Reed Blankenship?
Identifying Day 3 sleepers is always a fun exercise, because those are players who could potentially turn into starters. For me, I like Penn State’s Zane Durant, a small but explosive defensive linemen that can bring some serious pass rush juice. Stephen F. Austin defensive back Charles Demmings is another player that I like late, as a physical player who can locate the football on vertical throws. As for safety, I really like Texas Tech’s Cole Wisniewski, a former linebacker turned safety that is a downhill thumper and is strong closing on middle-of-the-field throws.
With the Bengals trading for Dexter Lawrence, are there substantial changes to the expected top 10 pick order? Will the Giants use both picks or try to get someone specific?
From what I have been able to gather with the Giants, they want Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles or safety Caleb Downs at No. 5 overall. As for No. 10, ideally they would like a wide receiver to pair with Malik Nabers, like a Jordyn Tyson or Carnell Tate (Ohio State), but there is no guarantee either makes it to No. 10. There’s also a scenario where the Giants take Styles and Downs could still be on the board at No. 10. I’d watch for New York to get active if Tyson or Downs is still around when the Saints (No. 8 overall) and the Chiefs (No. 9) are on the clock.
» READ MORE: 2026 NFL draft, position by position: Can the Eagles find an impact wideout?
It’s pretty clear the Eagles will continue their usual strategy of collecting talent that falls down the board. Who do you think are outside chances to get down to our pick and how do they fit into our needs?
As for fallers down the board, two players particularly come to mind: Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, one of the draft’s top corners, and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, the run-stopping edge rusher who can play multiple alignments. Faulk to me is probably the more ideal scheme fit, considering the Eagles’ need for edge rusher help and depth, but his pass rushing still needs some improvement to be effective on an every down basis. McCoy is a stick coverage player who sat out the 2025 season with a knee injury suffered not long after the 2024 season ended. McCoy could be eased in as a long term replacement at corner after the Eagles signed Riq Woolen this offseason.
Are there any draft prospects that the Eagles have spent a lot of time with that might not be on our radars?
The Eagles have kept their interest with prospects close to the vest, but I have heard a lot of interest in Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor and Clemson’s Blake Miller. They met with both at the combine and during the predraft process. As for later-round players, LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. has been a common name that came up. He was at the Shrine Bowl, where the Eagles had heavy representation, in January.
A few more players to keep tabs on: Treydan Stukes, the safety and nickel hybrid from Arizona, and Germie Bernard, whom the Eagles had a formal interview with at the combine as a potential Day 2 receiver.
How do you feel about A.J. Brown’s potential trade?
It was starting to feel inevitable with all of the reporting we and others have done this offseason and with how Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni were pretty straightforward in their answers. I think it certainly doesn’t help the Eagles’ offense under Sean Mannion, but just with the struggles the passing offense was having the last few years and how vocal Brown was throughout the last two years, it was time for both parties to go their separate ways. His production will be difficult to replace.
Are we moving on from Hurts?
I don’t think so. Nothing the Eagles have done this offseason leads me to believe that, and I don’t think there’s a quarterback in this class that would force them to move on from Hurts either.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is a diehard Eagles fan, and just like you, he’s got takes on the offseason, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, and stadium plans. By the nature of his day job, however, he’s also ecstatic that Pittsburgh will become the epicenter of the NFL universe in two weeks, when the Steel City hosts the draft. It marks the second time in 10 years the Commonwealth has welcomed the marquee event. Which positions does Shapiro think the Eagles should address? How about whether the team needs to move on from Brown? Shapiro discusses these topics and more, including owner Jeffrey Lurie’s recent remarks about Lincoln Financial Field’s future, with The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Listen here.
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