There’s betting value in Eagles selecting a defensive back in first round of 2024 NFL draft

After having at least a top-15 pick in the last three NFL Drafts, the Philadelphia Eagles will have to settle for the 22nd pick in 2024.

Nonetheless, there are no guarantees that Philadelphia will opt to stand pat at its current position.

Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman is a mover and shaker when it comes to the draft. Last year, Philadelphia made seven trades during the draft, and it traded up in the first round of each of the previous three.

As a result, there’s still a lot that can change ahead of the draft, and since the Eagles don’t have a top-10 pick, sportsbooks have yet to offer odds on which player they might select in the first round.

However, one intriguing betting option currently available is determining the position of the first player the Eagles will draft in 2024.

Surprisingly, the offensive line position has the shortest odds for the Eagles’ first selection at +150.

The offensive tackle position is deep at the top of the draft, with the NFL Mock Database projecting six players off the board by pick No. 22.

Thus, with premier offensive tackles in such high demand, it would take some significant capital for Philadelphia to move up in the draft.

Furthermore, the Eagles would likely need to move up 10 spots to have their pick of the litter of tackles available.

While this is undoubtedly the draft where you’d want to target an offensive lineman, Philadelphia is in a better position than most teams.

The Eagles recently gave out contract extensions to left tackle linemen Jordan Mailata (three years, $66 million)  and left guard Landon Dickerson (four years, $84 million).

Even with center Jason Kelce retiring, the Eagles already drafted Nebraska’s Cam Jurgens in the second round as a possible replacement in 2022.

As a result, selecting an offensive lineman with their first pick might be a bit of a reach.

» READ MORE: With Cristopher Sanchez on the mound, back the Phillies as favorites over the Pirates on Friday

The position that makes the most sense for Philadelphia to target is at cornerback.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles finished the season 28th in pass coverage. Their cornerbacks were even worse, ranking 31st in the league.

Philadelphia does have some age at the position, with James Bradberry at 30 and Darius Slay already 33.

Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell is the highest-rated cornerback on many mock drafts, and he’s projected at No. 15 to go to the Colts.

Even if the Eagles were looking to select an offensive lineman, given their position on the draft board, they’d face much more competition from other teams.

However, competition for a cornerback shouldn’t be as high for Philadelphia at No. 22.

It’s unlikely the Eagles would move up aggressively to select a cornerback of their choice.

Adding Vic Fangio as Philadelphia’s new defensive coordinator could result in a more scheme-focused approach rather than a player-specific model.

Philadelphia brought Fangio in to improve the defense, and he’s likely to point to the secondary as the most significant weakness.

While the Eagles don’t necessarily have to get the best cornerback on the board to appease Fangio, it’s a position they’d be wise not to neglect with their first pick.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.