2024 NFL draft: Eagles take edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, defensive back Cooper DeJean; trades land Birds two extra fourth round picks
The Eagles have now drafted two defensive backs. They took Quinyon Mitchell with the No. 22 pick in the first round Thursday night.
The 2024 NFL Draft concludes on Saturday, and the Eagles have seven more picks. Follow the latest Day 3 rumors, trades, and draft picks here.
The Eagles traded the 50th and 53rd picks and moved up to No. 40 overall to take Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean in the second round. Here's a look at what the Birds are getting in DeJean.
At the end of the third round, the Eagles drafted Houston Christian edge rusher Jalyx Hunt.
In the first round, the Eagles took cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. It could be a slam-dunk pick for the Birds. Here's our beat writers' thumbs up or down on Mitchell.
Follow our complete coverage of the 2024 NFL draft.
Eagles 2024 draft pick tracker
On Friday, the Eagles traded up in the second round to select Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, then snagged Houston Christian edge rusher Jalyx Hunt at the end of the third round.
It's going to be a busy Saturday – the Eagles head into day three of the NFL draft with seven picks, including three in the fourth round.
Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni discuss day two draft picks
Eagles draft edge rusher Jalyx Hunt with No. 94 pick
The Eagles bolstered their edge rusher rotation Friday night, drafting Houston Christian edge rusher Jalyx Hunt with the 94th pick in the NFL draft.
After moving up 10 spots to take Iowa defensive back prospect Cooper DeJean early in the second round, the Eagles made two separate trades to move back in the third round before taking Hunt, a 6-foot-4, 252-pound developmental pass rusher.
Philly native, former Imotep star Tykee Smith drafted by Bucs
Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith, a West Philly native and former Imhotep star, was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 89th overall in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. Smith becomes the second Philly native selected in the draft, after Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected fourth overall to the Arizona Cardinals in the first-round.
The hybrid defensive back spent five seasons in college, his first two at West Virginia, and the final three at Georgia. His first season with the Bulldogs was cut short with a knee injury in 2021, but became a key contributor for a talented Georgia defense the last two seasons.
Eagles trade down again, now have the No. 94 pick
Eagles trade back in third round, snag extra fourth round pick
Best Eagles targets ahead of third round pick
With the Eagles about to draft in the third round with the No. 78 pick, here are the best targets remaining on the board:
Christian Haynes, OG, UConn
Payton Wilson, LB, NC State
Jaden Hicks, Safety, Washington State
TJ Tampa, DB, Iowa State
Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
Dominick Puni, OG/OT, Kansas
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
– Devin Jackson
Eagles get first-round value in Cooper DeJean pick
Quinyon Mitchell embraces 'that underdog mentality'
When Quinyon Mitchell strolled across the draft stage on Thursday night as the newest member of the Eagles, the cornerback exuded an even-keeled energy. Calm and collected, the No. 22 overall pick pointed out a cluster of exuberant Eagles fans in the Detroit crowd, dapped up Roger Goodell, then cracked a smile when the commissioner unfurled his “Mitchell”-emblazoned Eagles jersey for a photo op.
Justin Wentworth, his former high school coach at Williston, watched the moment unfold on television from nearly a thousand miles away in Madison, Fla. The 22-year-old Mitchell he observed was the same kid who made the jump to his varsity program as a sophomore back in 2017.
Watch: Cooper DeJean's college highlights
Commanders take Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott with 53rd pick they received from Birds
Watch: Cooper DeJean meets with the Philly media
Evaluating Cooper DeJean's fit with Eagles
When you watch Cooper DeJean, the first aspect of his game that is alluring is instincts, which allows him to break quickly on short game routes out of zone coverage. Like Quinyon Mitchell, there’s a level of smoothness and patience he displays.
Iowa’s defense didn’t ask DeJean to play press man coverage often, but he trusts his long speed and ability to run stride for stride with wide receivers.
Eagles once again have a third round pick
The Eagles entered Friday night without a third round pick, but acquired one – No. 78 – in a trade with the Washington Commanders that allowed the Birds to move up and draft Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean.
So what happened to the Eagles original third round pick?
Commanders use Eagles' No. 50 pick to take Michigan cornerback Mikey Sainristil
Fitting the Eagles listed Cooper DeJean as a DB
Brandon Graham at the NFL draft: 'Dallas sucks, all day'
Marcus Hayes is high on Cooper DeJean
Eagles trade up, draft Iowa DB Cooper DeJean
The Eagles continued revamping their secondary on Friday, trading up 10 spots to take Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean with the 40th overall pick to start the second day of the NFL draft.
DeJean, widely considered a first-round prospect going into the draft, played primarily as an outside cornerback with the Hawkeyes but has the versatility to play slot cornerback or safety as well.
Bills open the second round by drafting Florida State WR Keon Coleman
Jeff McLane gives a thumbs up to Quinyon Mitchell pick
I had Quinyon Mitchell as the Eagles’ most likely first-round pick in The Inquirer draft meter and their pick in my mock draft. It would be disingenuous for me to pan the selection, especially when I thought it would require a trade up to No. 16 to acquire the Toledo cornerback. Howie Roseman stood pat at No. 22 and took a defensive back in the first round for the first time as general manager. On paper, it was a sound choice.
But the obvious qualifier for all draft picks, even first rounders, applies: No one knows, including the Eagles, how Mitchell will fare once he’s playing against NFL competition. He had a few pre-draft strikes against him, the most prominent being his small-school credentials. He seemed to answer those concerns at the Senior Bowl. But no offense to Florida’s Ricky Pearsall — another first-round selection — or the other wide receivers in Mobile, the jump to the pros will be significant.
10 best available players, according to Daniel Jeremiah
Senior Bowl director raves about Quinyon Mitchell's character
When coming from a smaller school, showcasing your talent against players from big programs can help prove you belong in the NFL. New Eagles defensive back Quinyon Mitchell, from Toledo in the Mid American Conference, had questions early in the draft process about the competition he faced in college. In going through the process of electing to sign with an agency, many recommended Mitchell opt not to compete at the annual Reese's Senior Bowl, which gathers the top draft-eligible juniors and seniors from across the country.
Instead, Mitchell chose to compete down in Mobile, Ala., and dominated against top talent, competing and winning against players like Florida's Ricky Pearsall, this year's 31st-overall pick for the San Francisco 49ers, Michigan's Roman Wilson, among others.
Edgerrin Cooper, Junior Colson, and other defensive players the Eagles could target
After taking a defensive back in the first round on Thursday night, here's a look at some options for the Eagles at two of their other areas of need, edge rusher and linebacker:
LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
Cooper Beebe, Roman Wilson, and more Day 2 options on offense
The Eagles are slated to make two picks — Nos. 50 and 53 overall — on Day 2 of the NFL draft. Here are some offensive players they could target with those picks:
OL Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
Watch: The moment Quinyon Mitchell found out he's an Eagle
How the Eagles found a needle in a haystack in Reed Blankenship
Reed Blankenship could feel it — the tingling, the puncture. He couldn’t bring himself to look, but he knew it wasn’t good, and immediately called out for help. For a perpetually persistent, hard-working kid from northern Alabama farm country, Blankenship was confronted with a major hurdle. In the months ahead, it would only get more daunting. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure whether the dream he always envisioned for himself was possible to attain.
Fast forward a few years later, and Blankenship, who went undrafted in 2022, has staked his claim on a pivotal role in the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. What helped Blankenship overcome adversity? Which factors in his life shaped his character? How did the 25-year old go from undrafted rookie free agent to starting safety?
Day 2 of NFL draft won't air on ESPN
Day two of the 2024 NFL draft begins tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern, but you won’t be able to watch it on ESPN.
That doesn’t mean it’ll be hard to find. ESPN will air its normal draft coverage on ESPN2, with Mike Greenberg hosting alongside Mel Kiper Jr., Booger McFarland, and former Eagles front office executive turned NFL analyst Louis Reddick.
Did Nick Sirianni get the inside scoop on Quinyon Mitchell from his former roommate?
Both Toledo head coach Jason Candle and defensive coordinator Vince Kehres played at Mount Union and are close with Nick Sirianni, who was a wide receiver at that Division III school and got his start in coaching there. Candle was Sirianni’s roommate, and Kehres is the son of legendary Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres (11 national titles), who is one of Sirianni’s most influential mentors.
Perhaps Sirianni asked his old roommate about his star player. If he did, what might Candle say?
Bill Belichick's analysis of Eagles draft pick Quinyon Mitchell
How many draft picks do the Eagles have tonight?
The second and third rounds of the 2024 will take place tonight, and the Eagles have two picks — No. 50 and 53.
As of now they'll have five more picks on Sunday, though general manager Howie Roseman is known for making draft-day moves.
What are the Eagles biggest needs heading into second round?
Especially after extending star wide receiver A.J. Brown on Thursday, the Eagles have a strong offensive nucleus in place for the foreseeable future. Still, one of their biggest needs comes along the offensive line, with the potential to add an immediate starter at right guard and/or a successor for Lane Johnson at tackle sticking out as one of the main priorities for Day 2.
Even with Smith under contract through 2028 and Brown’s new deal stretching through 2029, adding a No. 3 wide receiver to complement the pair would also make sense.
How Quinyon Mitchell fits among past Eagles DB draft picks
Before the 2024 NFL scouting combine, The Inquirer did a deep dive into the Eagles draft history, identifying the top seven draft needs, which included: defensive back, safety, linebacker, edge rusher, wide receiver, offensive tackle, and interior offensive line.
Using previous draft picks at those positions, specifically ones who were measured at and participated in the combine, while using NFL.com and Sports Reference’s databases, The Inquirer stacked the data of players selected during Howie Roseman’s tenure as general manager, which dates back to 2010, to see if there is any commonality in the traits and physical measurables the Eagles value.