Consider this column free advice for Howie Roseman.
As the 2022 NFL Draft approaches, the entire city of Philadelphia is wondering what the Eagles will do, what they won't, and (in the minds of many) what Roseman will screw up across seven potentially franchise-changing rounds.
I don't know what will happen when the Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock on Thursday night. I don't know which players will be on the board when the Eagles are up at No. 15. I have no idea what any of the other 31 teams are thinking. Every NFL Draft is a guessing game, but 2022 might be the most unpredictable in the decade.
Here's what I do know: The Eagles should follow certain rules to achieve success, find value, and continue to add to an ascending team.
Follow these and success will follow.
1. Trade up in the first round if any of these players are within striking distance (let's say picks No. 9-13): Kayvon Thibodeaux, Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson II, and Jordan Davis. I doubt Thibodeaux, Gardner, or Johnson will be in range, and it's becoming harder to imagine Stingley slipping into a trade position.
The likelist opportunity lies with Davis, the mammoth defensive tackle from Georgia. I am stunned by how many fans have been anti-Davis in recent weeks. He's a star in the making, reminds me of a young Haloti Ngata (drafted 12th overall by the Baltimore Ravens in 2006) and can be a long-term replacement for Fletcher Cox on the defensive front. If you're worried about Davis' (relatively) career sack total of just seven, let's not forget that Cox only had 7.5 at Mississippi State. Pressure, especially from the middle, can create sack and hurry opportunities for the entire front.
2. Trade down for one of these players: If the Eagles use a pick (likely a second or a third) to move up the board, it could make sense to recoup one in a trade down with the No. 18 pick, perhaps to a team trying to jump the Pittsburgh Steelers for a quarterback. The Eagles could fall back into the 21-32 range, and still be in position for names like Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill, Georgia safety Lewis Cine, Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie or Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth.
3. The Eagles should not draft another first round wide receiver: Over the last decade, 33 wide receivers have either been an initial Pro Bowl selection or made first-team All-Pro. Nearly 60 percent of those players were not selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Start reeling off a list of the best wide receivers in the NFL. More non-first rounders (Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, Devante Adams, D.K. Metcalf, Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Tee Higgins, Hunter Renfrow, Chris Godwin, Terry McClaurin, Kennan Allen) come to mind more than you likely imagined. Sure, stars like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson (oops!), Mike Evans and CeeDee Lamb were first rounders. But the evidence is clear: Star wide receivers are available throughout most drafts.
4. Find an impact safety: Think about every good Eagles team for the last 25 years. Almost every single one of those groups featured either Brian Dawkins or Malcolm Jenkins at safety. There's a void of talent and leadership in the back end of this current defense. After striking out with Justin Reid and Marcus Williams in free agency, names like Kyle Hamilton, Hill, Cine, Jalen Pitre, Kerby Joseph, Jaquan Brisker and Nick Cross all have the ability to be good players in the NFL. One needs to end up in midnight green.
5. Don't be afraid to package picks: And I'm not just talking about a first round trade up. The Eagles are loaded with draft capital over the next three seasons, including 10 in this year's draft. If the Eagles are enamored with Georgia's George Pickens as a potential second-round wide receiver target at No. 51, don't let him get away in the 40s. Use capital to move up. Roseman has the ammo to be aggressive, and shouldn't just let the board fall to him.
6. Add to the factory, and be ready for the next NFL wave: I wanted no part of trading most of the Eagles significant draft capital for a 33-year-old Russell Wilson. Giving up a haul and record guarantee money for Deshaun Watson would have been beyond idiotic. If the Eagles are dumb enough to take a quarterback high in this class to supplant Jalen Hurts, it would be beyond foolish.
Instead, Hurts is rightfully the guy for 2022. I can't wait to watch him get even better, and take another leap in his progression. Hurts can lead the Eagles to a division title in 2022, and likely secure his spot here in 2023. Beyond that? Time will tell if Hurts is good enough and durable enough to be worth a long-term contract. Based on the disappearing middle ground with quarterback deals, it likely will be a tough decision for the Eagles. We could be staring at a Kirk Cousins-type of franchise tag issue down the line with Hurts and this front office.
As veteran quarterback salaries explode, young, cheap quarterbacks on rookie deals will become more valuable than ever. We're talking about a world in which veterans will soon make $50M or more per year, and rookie deal guys (like Hurts right now) will make less than $2M. Eventually, a team (like, say, the Eagles) will attempt to draft a quarterback every few years, never give one a long-term deal, and try to game the system. You could even call it a quarterback factory.
My guy for this year to add to the assembly line: Nevada's Carson Strong.
7. Draft the Punt God: Matt Araiza has a chance to be a special punter. Laugh now, but it'll matter when this guy is changing field position in big games.
8. Find an undervalued power back: Miles Sanders, Kenny Gainwell, Boston Scott and Jason Huntley are the only backs under contract on the Eagles roster. Sanders, listed at 211 pounds, is the biggest of the bunch. The Eagles need a Jordan Howard replacement. Luckily, this draft has a few options. My favorites: Georgia's Zamir White, BYU's Tyler Allgier and Alabama's Brian Robinson Jr.
9. Raid the champs: Roseman kept things very simple last year when taking DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson out of Alabama with Philadelphia's first two picks. Why not try the same strategy again with the defending college football champions? Any combination of Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Cine, Nakobe Dean, Pickens, White, Quay Walker and James Cook would be home run selections.
