Howie Roseman continues to keep Eagles’ fans on their toes leading up to the NFL Draft. After several weeks of discussion about which offensive weapon would suit the Eagles best with the sixth overall pick, the team quickly changed course in favor of future draft assets.

With the 12th overall pick, the Eagles are officially out of the Ja’Marr Chase or Kyle Pitts sweepstakes which is disheartening to say the least. It seemed like you couldn’t go wrong drafting either one of those guys to be a primary weapon for years to come and potentially help Jalen Hurt’s development. Instead, the Eagles opted to pass on both highly touted playmakers in exchange for future draft assets.

This move doesn’t necessarily bother me given the position in which the Eagles currently find themselves. This franchise is in the murky depths of a complicated re-build and could have three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. There’s undoubtedly more flexibility now to use those picks on strengthening the team around Jalen Hurts if he has a successful season, or package them and move on to another franchise quarterback. However, the problem remains with Howie Roseman still running the draft process. One Pro Bowl player selected in his last 36 attempts does not inspire any confidence that he might magically turn into a Draft Day Guru and hit on all three first-rounders in 2022.

Back to this year’s draft, the Eagles move to 12th overall puts them in a prime position to draft a top cornerback prospect to play opposite of Darius Slay. Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II and South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn are my number one and number two cornerback prospects, respectively, and seem like terrific understudies to Slay’s mentorship. Surtain is more of the technical, fundamentally sound player, while Horn is much flashier with an “in your face” man-coverage or nothing mentality.

Patrick Surtain Pro Day:

6’2″
208 pounds
32.5″ arms
39″ vertical
10’11” broad jump
4.42s forty

JayCee Horn Pro Day:

6’0″
205 pounds
33″ arms
41.5″ vertical
11’1″ broad jump
4.39s forty

Penn State’s linebacker Micah Parsons showed out at his Pro Day and probably solidified himself as a Top Ten pick. However, if he somehow fell out of the Top Ten, the former Nittany Lion would be a game-changer for the Eagles’ defense. At 6-foot-3, 246 pounds, “The Waterboy” has the frame of an old-school downhill run-thumper but plays with the sideline-to-sideline speed that teams’ covet in today’s game. If Parsons is still available with the 12th pick, I am sprinting to the podium with his name in hand.

If the Eagles were still thinking offense with the 12th overall pick, one of Alabama’s stud receivers in DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle could be available in that range. Despite the ongoing concerns about his weight, I have DeVonta Smith ranked slightly higher than Jaylen Waddle. I project both to be more effective as slot receivers in the NFL, but DeVonta gives you that option to put him on the outside and possibly move Jalen Reagor inside. Either one of the Crimson Tide receivers immediately upgrades the Eagles’ speed on offense and slightly lessens the sting about passing on Ja’Marr Chase and Kyle Pitts.

Mandatory Credit: The Philadelphia Eagles