Eagles top personnel executive Howie Roseman is preparing to over see his ninth draft later this month when the 2019 NFL Draft kicks off.
Roseman's history with the draft, as is the case with most general managers, is a checkered one. He has some hits and he has some misses. Figuring out which picks Roseman deserves credit or blame for is not easy, considering the two seasons he spent working with former head coach Chip Kelly.
When examining which have been his best-or-worst picks, however, it seems only fair to include every year he was listed as general manager — other than 2014, when the bad blood between Kelly and Roseman was at an all-time high.
With that in mind, here is a look at Roseman's five best picks in the eight previous drafts he has had final say over, taking into account both talent and where the player was selected.
1. Fletcher Cox: Cox was a first-round pick, so he wasn't exactly a diamond in the rough, but Roseman deserves plenty of credit for trading up and plucking away at player at No. 12 that has had arguably a better career then any player taken ahead of him. Cox has been the best player on the Eagles' defensive line since his arrival, and was a huge reason they won the Super Bowl in 2017.
2. Jason Kelce: Kelce is not the second-best player Roseman has ever drafted (although he isn't far off). He is, however, perhaps the best value Roseman has ever gotten from a draft pick. Kelce was a sixth-round pick in 2011, and turned into one of the best centers in the league for the majority of his career. Kelce has not only become a Philadelphia sports legend, but he has been a leader in the locker room almost since his arrival.
3. Lane Johnson: Johnson is the only player on this list that was drafted when Kelly was working for the team. Johnson, the No. 4 overall selection, had become arguably the second best player selected in the first round. Sure, it is easy to argue that should be the case at No. 4 overall, but plenty of teams miss at the top of the draft. Roseman deserves credit for finding one of the best tackles in the league with a pick he absolutely could not mess up. It is also worth noting he passed on all of the quarterbacks in that year's draft despite the team's obvious need at the position.
4. Carson Wentz: Wentz's career has been up-and-down, and there will be plenty of time to debate his future. Wherever side of the debate you fall on, there is no debate that Roseman deserves plenty of credit for going up and getting Wentz. Roseman went from No. 13 overall all the way up to No. 2, making a stop at No. 8 in the process, to draft a quarterback that played a role in winning a Super Bowl in just his second season. There is still a chance Wentz will be this team's quarterback for the next 10 years. Even with a questionable future, Wentz remains one of Roseman's signature moves in the draft.
5. Jalen Mills: Like Kelce, Mills is not on here because he is one of the best players Roseman drafted. Mills makes the list because of the value Roseman got, and what he represents. Mills fell to the seventh round in 2016 because of some off-the-field issues. Roseman did his homework on Mills, something he does on every player in the draft with red flags, and decided to take a chance on the LSU prospect. Since then, Mills has been the team's best and most consistent cornerback, an amazing return for a seventh-round pick.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
