A Look At Recent Eagles Drafts

by Marc Narducci | Apr 10, 2026

With the NFL Draft fast approaching, it’s a good time to look at how the Eagles have fared recently. This year’s draft is April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. The Eagles will have nine selections beginning with the 23^rd pick in the first round.

In doing this exercise, we have decided to look back beginning in 2020 through 2024.

The 2025 draft evaluation will depend largely on how players like (1) LB Jihaad Campbell and (2) S Andrew Mukuba preform, but more than a year is needed to evaluate it.

Here is a look five recent Eagles drafts beginning in 2024, with plenty of big hits and of course, some misses as well. As you can see, the Eagles have been successful drafting, and it has shown with their success on the field.

2024

Best Pick (s): (1) CB Quinyon Mitchell and (2) DB Cooper DeJean. Both players were major contributors for the Super Bowl winning team as rookies, and each earned Pro Bowl honors in their second seasons. The Eagles needed help in the secondary and couldn’t have selected two better players.

Worst pick: (5) OL Trevor Keegan. Selected as the 172^nd overall pick, he only would play one game for the Eagles.

Result: This was a big-time draft for the Eagles. In addition to Mitchell and DeJean, (3) DE Jalyx Hunt has been a major contributor, with 6.5 sacks this past season, while (5) LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been a key special teams performer. (4) RB Will Shipley hasn’t gotten many chances, but still remains on the team.

2023

Best pick: (1) DT Jalen Carter. Selected ninth overall, Carter has become one of the top defensive tackles in football. He was great in 2024, but saw his play slip in 2025, although an injured shoulder could have played a role in his performance.

Worst pick: (3) S Sydney Brown. In his three years with the Eagles Brown started nine of 42 games that he appeared in, but never showed consistency. He is now with the Atlanta Falcons.

Result: This was another solid draft. (1) edge Nolan Smith, who was selected 30^th overall, has 10.5 sacks in three seasons and while not dominant, has made a contribution. (3) OG Tyler Steen started all 17 games this past season and has been solid, but not spectacular. (4) CB Kelee Ringo has been inconsistent, but (7) DT Moro Ojomo came into his own this past season, starting nine games and recording six sacks. The book is out on (6) QB Tanner McKee who is entering the final season in his contract and his name has been mentioned in trade rumors. This was a productive draft.

2022

Best pick: (2) Center Cam Jurgens, who was selected 51^st overall. Jurgens played hurt last season and has had some injury issues, but he has started 41 games and is a two-time Pro Bowl choice. He was a key part of what was considered the NFL’s best offensive line in 2024.

Worst pick: (6) DE Kyron Johnson. He never made an impact, the only real miss of the draft.

Result: The Eagles only had five selections and hit on four of them. The others were (1) DT Jordan Davis, (3) LB Nakobe Dean and (6) TE Grant Calcaterra. Dean earned a free agent contract this offseason with the Las Vegas Raiders. Davis, while it took a while to develop, just signed a lucrative extension and Calcaterra has been a solid backup. Based on so few selections, this was a successful draft.

2021

Best pick(s): (1) WR DeVonta Smith, selected 10^th overall and (2) OG Landon Dickerson, selected 37^th. Smith has started 78 games with 385 receptions for 5,019 yards and 31 touchdowns. He has been among the best No. 2 receivers in the NFL and could move to No. 1 if AJ Brown gets traded. Dickerson has started 77 games and been named to three Pro Bowls, including for the 2024 season that the Eagles won the Super Bowl. He played hurt last year, and his play slipped a bit.

Worst pick: DB Zech McPhearson, who was selected in the fourth round, 123^rd overall. He never made an impact with the Eagles.

Result: This was a home run draft. Besides Smith and Dickerson, (3) DT Milton Williams blossomed after being selected in the third round. Williams signed a lucrative contract with New England after earning two sacks in the Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. He then played in this past year’s Super Bowl with the Patriots. (5) RB Kenneth Gainwell was a key reserve back for the Super Bowl champion team before signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent and has since signed with Tampa Bay.

2020

Best pick: (2) QB Jalen Hurts, selected with the No. 53 overall pick. To get a quarterback in the second round who led your team to two Super Bowls, winning one and earning the MVP in the 40-22 victory over Kansas City, is a massive victory.

Worst pick: (1) WR Jalen Reagor. Selected 21^st, he was a major bust, and what hurt more is that one of football’s best receivers, Justin Jefferson, was selected with the next pick at No. 22 by Minnesota.

Result: Hurts saved this from being a disastrous draft. Third round LB Davion Taylor never panned out and fourth-round safety K’Von Wallace made minimal contributions in his three seasons. Yet any draft in which a future QB who has been a three-time Pro Bowl selection is selected has to be huge despite the disappointment with the rest of the selections.

Jalen Carter No. 98 Philadelphia Eagles / Courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles

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A Look At Recent Eagles Drafts

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