Earlier this morning, Jeremy Fowler was on ESPN’s SportsCenter discussing the NFL Draft. When it came to the Eagles, Fowler had some very intriguing things to say about Philly’s mindset following their trade back to 12. Here’s what he had to say:

“One GM told me that he expects the Eagles to at least field some calls, maybe move up or down. You look at the quarterbacks. If Trey Lance slides, if Justin Fields slides, and the Eagles have a high grade on them, they could make that move. People I’ve talked to think the Eagles could go quarterback somewhere in this draft just to either get insurance for Jalen Hurts, or competition for Jalen Hurts.”

There have been numerous reports debating what the Eagles will be doing at 12. Just yesterday, Derrick Gunn reported he heard multiple times Philadelphia will be targeting either a WR or DB at 12. Both first-round quarterbacks mentioned above are expected to be gone at 12, but there is absolutely no reason to go after them. Trey Lance is a long-term project, and Justin Fields’ ceiling isn’t much higher than Hurts’. Regardless of that, Jalen Hurts needs to be given a season to see how good he is. 

The direction of this report seems to be leaning more on the idea that at some point, likely later in the draft, the Eagles will take a quarterback. It’s been heavily expected for a long time that the Eagles will draft a QB during day three. Only Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco are currently on the Eagles’ roster, and Philly would need a third QB before training camp. Former backup Nate Sudfeld left last week to sign with the 49ers on a one-year contract. 

Hopefully, Howie does the right thing and stays put, drafting either Jaycee Horn or Jaylen Waddle with the 12th pick. The 2021 NFL Draft is just three weeks away starting on April 29th and going through May 1st. Be sure to stay tuned to The Liberty Line for all of your NFL Draft updates.

Mandatory Credit: Mitchell Leff Getty Images