The NFL Draft is a little over five weeks away, and with free agency wrapping up its time to fully shift our focus to late April. Howie Roseman and the Eagles have ten total selections, with five coming in the first 83 picks. You can find previous mocks here: 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
1 (15) Jermaine Johnson
EDGE, Florida State
Howie made good on his promise to address the pass rush by signing Haason Reddick, and doubling down with a complete EDGE prospect in Johnson would put the matter to rest. The Florida State product and former Georgia/JUCO transfer is a high-end athlete with a well-proportioned frame and plenty of twitch in his movement. He boasts a developed arsenal of pass rush moves and ability to set the edge against the run that makes for a high-floor, three-down prospect.
*TRADE* Colts receive 16 overall & 154 overall—Eagles receive 42 overall, 2023 1st Rd pick.
As alluring as it is to spend three picks in the top-19 of the draft, I remain convinced that Howie will look to punt one into the future for the purposes of preserving trade capital (you can guess why), and this deal with the win-now-mode Colts does just that.
1 (19) Chris Olave
WR, Ohio State
You can talk me into giving Watkins/Reagor another look at WR3, but adding a sure-fire prospect in Olave to complement DeVonta Smith and newly-inked Zach Pascal would put another matter to rest for the Birds. Olave is a crispy, polished route-runner with the deep speed and ball skills to put secondaries on notice. Is the ceiling high? Not necessarily, but the skillset is as bankable as they come for a receiver.
2 (42) Travis Jones
IDL, Connecticut
Jones may not be the all-universe athlete of fellow nose tackle Jordan Davis, but he’s every bit the pro prospect, and can be had at a cheaper value. He has the requisite length/strength to anchor the middle of the line, and elite twitch/burst allows him to penetrate at a high-level for his size. If it weren’t for the aforementioned Davis, Jones would likely be a late-first rounder, and one lucky team will be happy to benefit from this slide.
2 (51) Chad Muma
LB, Wyoming
The Eagles still have a hole at linebacker, and Muma is one of a few prospects in this range who could potentially fill that need. Despite a small-school status, Muma is rising up draft boards and it’s easy to see why; he’s a stout run defender, a threat to rush the passer, and has flashed adequate ability in coverage. He’s not the elite athlete of other backers in this range, but he’s the full package in terms of diagnosing, mopping up the run, and directing the defense from the middle of the field.
3 (83) Sean Rhyan
OL, UCLA
Offensive line is the most talented position on the Eagles roster, and Howie will always look to add to those riches. Rhyan is a thick, smooth-footed, nasty tackle prospect whose average length may force him inside to guard. He may lack elite traits, but high-end burst, bend, and strength allows him to play with plenty of pop, and polished technique layered on top of that skillset makes for a bankable day two prospect.
Really believe Sean Rhyan ends up as a really nice pro guard.
— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) March 5, 2022
Rhyan has a strong athletic profile as a tackle but… when you run his RAS at OG… man it’s good. https://t.co/2S0UHEM8fW pic.twitter.com/KcMSGxzuN2
*TRADE* Eagles receive 107 overall—Texans receive 124 overall & 162 overall.
With three selections from 154-166 the Eagles have plenty of ammo to pair with an early pick and move up for a player they like; McCollum fits that mold as an elite athlete/ascending prospect at a position of need.
4 (107) Zyon McCollum
CB, Sam Houston State
Despite being an FCS product, Mccollum possesses NFL size, speed, and athleticism. With elite ball production throughout 54 career starts it’s easy to look past competition concerns, and I can’t imagine this sort of prospect falling past day two. He’s an immediate special-teams ace with the tools to develop into a high-level player at multiple spots in the secondary. Sign me up.
5 (166) Pierre Strong Jr.
RB, South Dakota State
I figure Howie will look to add fresh legs to the backfield at some point in this draft, and Strong is another FCS prospect who has seen his stock rise post-combine. He projects as a change-of-pace back with a loose, fleet-footed running style and the home run speed to make a sleeping defense pay.
6 (194) Jake Ferguson
TE, Wisconsin
Ferguson is a prospect tailor-made for the Eagles run-first offense. He’s a balanced tight end who is as reliable blocking from numerous alignments as he is moving the chains. Soft hands and a feel for slipping into open space allows him to be a security blanket for the passer, and good technique/high-IQ in the run game fully rounds out a TE2 profile.
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