Breaking down most likely positions for Eagles in 1st round of 2025 draft
Breaking down most likely positions for Eagles in 1st round of 2025 draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
During Howie Roseman's long tenure as the Eagles' genera manager, he has drafted 14 players in the first round.
Here's a look at all 14 by position:
Edge: 4 (Brandon Graham 2010, Marcus Smith 2014, Derek Barnett 2017, Nolan Smith 2023)
DT: 3 (Fletcher Cox 2012, Jordan Davis 2022, Jalen Carter 2023)
OT: 2 (Lane Johnson 2013, Andre Dillard 2019)
WR: 2 (Jalen Reagor 2020, DeVonta Smith 2021)
CB:1 (Quinyon Mitchell 2024)
iOL: 1 (Danny Watkins 2011)
QB: 1 (Carson Wentz 2016)
That's helpful as we look ahead to what he might do with his first-round pick this year, but it doesn't mean he won't buck trends. Last year, Roseman made Mitchell his first-ever first-round corner and that pick really worked out.
This time last year, we had cornerback ranked as the second-most likely position behind offensive tackle. The Eagles didn't draft a single OT last year because of the way the board fell, which is why they ended up signing Mekhi Becton immediately after the draft.
Let's count down the most likely positions in the first round in 2025:
12. Specialists: The Eagles did make a switch at long snapper this offseason but they're obviously not going to draft a specialist in the first round. Moving on.
11. Quarterback: Jalen Hurts is already in the conversation for the best quarterback in Eagles history after winning a Super Bowl and getting named Super Bowl MVP. He's still just 26 and has a long career ahead of him. The Eagles will bump up Tanner McKee to QB2 this year after trading away Kenny Pickett and their new No. 3 is Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Could the Eagles draft a QB on Day 3 to compete with DTR and reload the QB Factory? Sure. But they're not going to do it in the first round.
10. Running back: Saquon Barkley is coming off a 2,000-yard season and got rewarded with a contract extension this offseason even though it wasn't time for one. The Eagles' backups right now are A.J. Dillon and Will Shipley after Kenny Gainwell left in free agency. There's a chance the Eagles could use a pick on a running back at some point but it's very unlikely not going to be in the first round. Although it is fun to think about Omarion Hampton sharing a backfield with Barkley. The Eagles brought in Jaydon Blue for a 30 visit, so perhaps he is the ceiling for a RB to the Eagles in Day 2 of this draft.
9. Linebacker: The Eagles haven't drafted an off-ball linebacker in the first round since 1979 and after giving Zack Baun a three-year, $51 million contract this offseason, that streak likely won't end. Had the Eagles not re-signed Baun, you could probably talk me into linebacker, especially if Jihaad Campbell fell into their range. But with Baun locked up, the Eagles should probably wait if they're going to draft a linebacker in 2025.
8. Receiver: Roseman has drafted a couple of receivers in the first round. One worked and one didn't. But this year, a receiver wouldn't be the wisest of moves in the first round. The Eagles still have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith locked up long-term and Jahan Dotson is a cromulent WR3 in this offense with how much gets funneled through those top two wideouts. The value might line up for a receiver at No. 32 but it's hard to imagine the Eagles going in that direction.
7. Cornerback: Now we're starting to get to the more realistic options, although the chances the Eagles go back to a cornerback for the second straight year aren't great. Not only did the Eagles pick Quinyon Mitchell in the first round last year but they traded up to draft Cooper DeJean at pick No. 40 in the second round. This offseason, the Eagles moved on from Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers left in free agency. So right now it looks like Kelee Ringo vs. free agent signing Adoree' Jackson for that other starting job. Could the Eagles draft a cornerback at 32 to compete? Perhaps. But it's not the most likely outcome.
6. Tight end: We're all still waiting to see what happens in the Dallas Goedert saga but based on comments made by Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni at the NFL owners meetings, it seems likely that Goedert won't be on the roster in 2025. Without knowing for sure, it makes it tough to evaluate the position but either way, it's time to draft Goedert's replacement. Now, the value probably doesn't line up at No. 32 because Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland will both likely be gone well before the Eagles pick and there doesn't seem to be another first-round tight end. But this is a year the Eagles could use a Day 2 pick on a replacement for Goedert.
5. Interior offensive line: The only time Roseman has taken a guard in the first round was his biggest bust as a general manager. But that was all the way back in 2011. The Eagles are solid at 4 of their 5 offensive line spots but that right guard position is up for grabs after Mekhi Becton left in free agency. For now, it appears to be a competition between Tyler Steen and Kenyon Green but a first-round guard would change all that and would instantly become the favorite to win the gig. So a player like Tyler Booker from Alabama, Grey Zabel from North Dakota State or Donovan Jackson from Ohio State could serve as a plug-and-play guard at No. 32.
4. Safety: Roseman has never drafted a safety in the first round but that's not unique to his era of Eagles football. The franchise has never selected a safety in the first round. But there's a clear need this year after trading away C.J. Gardner-Johnson. While Sydney Brown could be the next guy up to play alongside Reed Blankenship, that's a projection and the safety position feels unfinished. The value might also line up at this position. A player like Nick Emmanwori from South Carolina or Malaki Starks from Georgia might be available at 32 and it would line up from a lot of different perspectives.
3. Offensive tackle: Lane Johnson has said he could play three more years even though he'll be 35 by the start of the 2025 season. And maybe he does. But the Eagles never want to wait to draft an offensive lineman when they absolutely have to and there's plenty of validity to the idea of drafting Johnson's eventual replacement and letting him learn behind the all-time great. It would also make some sense to draft a tackle who has the ability to perhaps bump inside to guard in the interim, filling both a long-term and short-term need. Some names in this range? Josh Conerly Jr. from Oregon, Josh Simmons from Ohio State, Kelvin Banks Jr. from Texas.
2. Edge rusher: The Eagles lost Josh Sweat in free agency and Brandon Graham to retirement. But the cupboard isn't completely bare. The Eagles bring back Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt from the 2024 team and then they added Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche on one-year deals. They also still have Bryce Huff on the roster after a disappointing first season with the team. So edge rusher might not be as pressing a need as it was before adding Ojulari and Uche but it's a long-term need for a a team that really values the position as evidenced by Howie's past drafts. There are also a bunch of names who might be available late in the first round: Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College, James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee, Mykel Williams from Georgia, Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M, Nic Scourton from Texas A&M and more.
1. Defensive tackle: Milton Williams got a $104 million deal with the Patriots and even though the Eagles are bullish on former seventh-rounder Moro Ojomo, it won't be easy to replace Williams. Right now, the Eagles have Jalen Carter, Ojomo, Jordan Davis and Thomas Booker IV in their defensive tackle rotation. This is a position the Eagles value and this class is considered to be a very good one for defensive tackles. On one hand, the Eagles could wait until Day 2 but there are going to be some intriguing names around that No. 32 range like Walter Nolen from Ole Miss, Derrick Harmon from Oregon, Kenneth Grant from Michigan, T.J. Sanders from Arkansas, Omarr Norman-Lott from Tennessee and Darius Alexander from Toledo.