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The Philadelphia Eagles have several pressing needs on their roster and the NFL Draft will be a prime opportunity to add playmakers to the roster.
One scenario that’s starting to pick up steam is the idea that the Eagles and more specifically, Howie Roseman, would consider trading up or targeting a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick.
Pro Football Focus recently listed 5-teams who should make the jump and Philadelphia landed high on the list.
PICK NO. 6: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
What it Would Take
Eagles get picks: 4, 105Eagles give picks: 6, 37, 148 + 2022 5th
If the Eagles are objectively evaluating what Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts did this season without rose-colored glasses on, it makes very little sense to go anywhere other than quarterback. The only way I could see otherwise is if the Eagles completely strip down their aging roster and hit reset. Even then, this quarterback class could be too much to pass up.
With reports that Wentz wants out after he was the fifth-lowest-graded passer among starters in the NFL this season, his uncuttable contract looks like one of the worst in the league. The worrisome thing is that for as much as the Eagles’ offense looked better with Hurts because of his legs, his passing grade was actually lower than Wentz’s. It will take a massive improvement from either will to put them close to competing in 2021.
You may be asking, “Why would the Eagles trade up if the Falcons and Bengals won’t take quarterbacks in front of them?” The answer is that there are four other teams on this list. If you look at the difference in compensation between what the Eagles have to give up and what the Broncos — who sit at No. 9 — can offer, you’ll see their Week 17 loss to the Football Team wasn’t inconsequential.
Still, the Eagles could likely stand pat and still get QB4 in this draft class, and that might be OK with them. That will likely be North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, who is a similar runner to Hurts and wouldn’t require a playbook change.
Quarterback is the most important position on the field, but the Eagles have greater needs on the roster and it’s hard to fathom the response from fans if Philadelphia takes a shot on a signal-caller, with Ja’Marr Chase, Patrick Surtain II, or DeVonta Smith all sitting on the board.
Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson figure to be selected in the first four picks, leaving Trey Lance as Philadelphia’s only option in such a scenario.
The optics of trading away one former North Dakota State star quarterback for the opportunity to draft the latest Bison’s star would prove polarizing for sports talk on radio stations around the city, but it’s not something Howie Roseman is likely to do.
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