What will the Eagles do with Their No. 22 First-Round Pick?
The greatest reality show will be on display when the NFL draft takes place today through Saturday in Detroit.
The Eagles pick at 22nd in the first round, but based on their history, it would be surprising if they stayed there. GM Howie Roseman could move either up or down, although the recent track record would suggest a move up is more likely.
Since 2016 (when Roseman reassumed control of the draft after the firing of Chip Kelly), the Eagles have had some major hits, along with some huge misses, which is all part of the draft process. Here are the first round picks since 2016.
2023: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia (9th overall selection)
2023: Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia (30th)
2022: Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia (14)
2021: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama (10)
2020: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU (21)
2019: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State (22)
2017: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee (14)
2016: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State (2)
Of these players, the jury is still out on Nolan Smith, who played sparingly last year. Carter started last year on fire, but sputtered in the second half, although the Eagles still have high hopes for him.
Davis has been a disappointment, but it has only been two seasons.
DeVonta Smith has been a home run selection.
Of the others, Reagor was a disaster, especially since the Eagles picked him ahead of Justin Jefferson, who Minnesota gladly chose a pick later at No. 22.
Dillard also turned out to be a major disappointment as was Barnett, who is no longer with the Eagles.
Wentz started on fire, and one could say that the Eagles would not have won the Super Bowl in the 2017 season without him, even though he suffered a season-ending injury that December.
Wentz played on three playoff teams (although he appeared in just one playoff game), but it’s obvious that the Eagles expected more, especially after his performance in 2017, which he never has come close to duplicating.
As for the Eagles moving up, they did that to acquire several of their recent first round picks. For Carter, they moved up from No. 10 to the No. 9 pick in a trade with Chicago.
For Davis they moved from No. 15 to No. 13 in a trade with Houston. The Eagles leaped ahead of Baltimore at No. 14, a team that reportedly liked Davis. Baltimore had the consolation prize of selecting Kyle Hamilton, who is simply one of the best safeties in the NFL.
The Eagles traded up from No. 12 to No. 10 with, of all teams, Dallas, in 2021 to acquire Smith. In 2019, the Eagles traded up from No. 25 to No. 22 with Baltimore to select Dillard.
The Eagles didn’t have a 2018 first round pick after trading the No. 32 overall selection to Baltimore, which selected two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson.
In 2016, the Eagles moved up twice. They originally had the 13th overall pick, and moved up to No. 8 in a trade with Miami and then moved up to No. 2 in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. That pick was used to select Wentz.
Here are the eight picks that the Eagles have this year.
First round: No. 22
Second Round: No. 50, No. 53
Fourth Round: No. 120
Fifth Round: No. 161, No. 171, No. 172
Sixth Round: No. 210
What we would do
The guess is that the Eagles will go to the offensive line, since there are several tackles projected in the first round. Defensive line is also a possibility, but if this reporter had the choice, it would be cornerback.
The player we would target is Toledo corner Quinyon Mitchell, who was a four-year player for the Rockets.
Mitchell (6-0, 190) appeared in six games as a reserve as a freshman in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and then was a three-year starter.
This past season he was a second team AP All-American who had 18 pass breakups, finishing with a school record 46. He also had one interception and 40 tackles.
At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash, with a 38” vertical jump.
A knock on him, according to Pro Football Focus, is his lack of experience in press coverage.
That said, the Eagles would in all likelihood have to trade up for Mitchell. If for some reason, he fell to No. 22, they shouldn’t think twice about selecting him.
Photo: Quinyon Mitchell / Courtesy of the University of Toledo
advertisement
Author: Marc Narducci
Archives
Who’s Who in Health Care
Ahead of the Curve
Money Matters
Going Greener and Cleaner
Self-Made Man
Building Toward the Future
A Holistic Approach
On The Move
Firing Up
A Look Around the Links
Drinking it All In
Caring for One Another
Breaking the Silence
What’s the Big Idea?
Making Connections
More...
