Thumbs up or down: Eagles beat writers weigh in on drafting Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

It’s difficult to be critical of third-day draft picks when so few ultimately become everyday players. If a team ends up with a special teams contributor who plays out his four-year rookie contract, that’s essentially a successful selection. The Jeremiah Trotter Jr. pick seems more like a swing for an upside starting off-ball linebacker than it does for a player who can specialize on special teams, though. There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. Trotter has the college and familial pedigree to compete in the NFL, if possibly not the positional size and speed.

His instincts made up for what he lacked in physical traits at Clemson, and the Eagles are hoping he can do the same at either the MIKE or WILL inside linebacker spot. He actually has a chance to compete for a starting role this season with only Devin White penciled in with the first-team defense. But more than likely it’ll take some time for him to adjust.

I am skeptical about the selection, though, or any one that has emotion tied to it. Jeffrey Lurie was clearly choked up when he spoke to Trotter soon after the son of the Eagles great was drafted. Some of that emotion had to do with the recent death of Tammi Trotter, wife to Senior and mother to Junior. As touching as that might have been, it does suggest the owner was involved in the process.

I recalled the 2019 draft when the Eagles took Shareef Miller in the fourth round partly because Lurie was enamored by the story of the Philly native and his grandfather’s passion for their hometown NFL team. Miller ended up never playing a down in the NFL. Lurie was similarly intrigued by JJ Arcega-Whiteside’s off-field intangibles a year earlier. I’m sure the Eagles had plenty of other advocates for Trotter and legitimate reasons for believing he was worth the gamble. I could end up completely wrong about his potential. I’m not an NFL evaluator, and I don’t have a crystal ball. But Trotter returning to Philly seems all too storybook-like for this skeptic.

Eagles fans ought to have some warm and fuzzy feelings associated with the Trotter pick, given that his father was a fan favorite with the team for eight seasons. But the younger Trotter is a linebacker talent in his own right, and he’ll now have a chance to build his own legacy in Philadelphia, all while carrying on the lessons he learned from his dad and late mother.

Beyond his connection to the organization, the decision to take Trotter in the fifth round makes plenty of sense for the Eagles. Last season, the inside linebacker spot was a weak one, with Nakobe Dean out injured for the majority of the season. A revolving door of players filled the starting spots, including Nicholas Morrow, Zach Cunningham, and Shaquille Leonard, with varying (mostly underwhelming) degrees of success.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Howie Roseman defends his team-building philosophy at linebacker and has belief in Nakobe Dean

General manager Howie Roseman attempted to bolster the position this offseason, signing White, Oren Burks, and Zack Baun in free agency. He also invested a fifth-round pick to draft the 6-foot, 225-pound Trotter, the Eagles’ most recent selection at linebacker since Dean in 2022 (third round, No. 83 overall).

Trotter has drawn some comparisons to Dean, who is similar in size at 5-11, 231 pounds, and playing style. Trotter also doesn’t have stellar size or athleticism, as evidenced by his testing. Still, he can play the game with great technique and instincts, which will be critical to his success as an NFL linebacker. Trotter also brings a similar element of physicality to the game that his father once did despite having a smaller frame than his dad. He made an impact on Clemson’s defense as a two-year starter, collecting 12 sacks, 28½ tackles for losses, three forced fumbles, four interceptions, and 16 passes defensed in a 26-game span.

While Dean and Trotter may have common traits and skill sets, Dean missed the bulk of last season due to injury and is still an unproven commodity to this point in his two-year NFL career. With Dean healthy, Trotter has opportunities to either serve in a depth role behind him or beat him out for a starting spot.

» READ MORE: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. gets a chance to create his own legacy with the Eagles: ‘My dad shed some tears’

Putting the pedigree and nostalgia aside, the Eagles drafting Trotter in the fifth round makes plenty of football sense.

The 21-year-old out of St. Joseph’s Prep has the instincts and college production to suggest he can challenge for a starting role in the Eagles defense right away and should have an easier transition than most rookies not only because of familiarity with the organization but also because of his father’s mentorship to this point.

It’s apparent by now that Trotter doesn’t have the same imposing frame as his father, but the 6-foot, 228-pound linebacker still plays with force against the run and solid feel when dropping into zone coverage. Trotter made his share of impact plays in college as well, recording 28½ tackles for losses, 12 sacks, 16 pass breakups, and four interceptions over his last two seasons at Clemson.

Even after signing White in free agency, the Eagles needed to bolster their depth at linebacker through the draft and Trotter does just that. He should fit nicely into defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme as a result, with a chance to get meaningful snaps at a position where the Eagles typically carry limited numbers, either by beating out Dean for a starting role or serving as a situational depth option once he settles in.

Playing for his old man’s team could cause higher expectations than most fifth-round picks would face, but it should also come with plenty of sentimentality for Trotter, who will wear his dad’s old No. 54 with the Eagles. His physicality and feel for the game will give him a chance to become a long-term starter, especially considering the team’s light investment in the position most years, and could also lead to him becoming even more of a fan favorite than he already is. Even if he maxes out as a depth option, that’s not a bad outcome considering where the Eagles took him in the draft.