Eagles Outlook: Howie Roseman bolsters his front-seven in recent 2023 NFL mock draft
Regardless of the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles are still in the middle of their 2022 campaign, that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead a bit.
On Friday, Pro Football Network released their most recent 2023 NFL mock draft. As you probably know by now, the Eagles currently have two selections in the first-round of next year’s draft; their own and the New Orleans Saints’.
As it stands, the Saints have the 10th overall selection. We obviously won’t know where the Eagles select after the postseason, but PFN projects the team to select at 31st overall, meaning they’ll lose in Super Bowl LVI.
With their first selection in the first-round, Pro Football Network predicts Howie Roseman and Co. will stick to their guns and select Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy.
Their reasoning:
“The Eagles are still scheduled to potentially lose a lot of talent on the edge this offseason, making scouting the 2023 NFL Draft EDGE class a heightened priority. With their top-10 selection, Myles Murphy is a difficult prospect to pass on if he’s there. He’s a 6’5″, 275-pound menace with terrific composite power and short-area athleticism.”
Looking ahead to next offseason, defensive end feels like it’ll be a top priority for the Eagles front office. Not only because they prioritize that position nearly every offseason, the position will more than likely be an obvious need.
Derek Barnett and Robert Quinn will both likely be gone since their contracts expire this offseason and Brandon Graham will be one year older, leaving Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick at the only two certainties at the pass rusher position entering next offseason.
If the Eagles want to address this need through the draft, Myles Murphy certainly fits the bill. He does a little bit of everything from the defensive end position, something Jonathan Gannon covets in his pass rushers.
This season, Murphy has racked up 6.5 sacks with a pass rush win rate of 14.8 percent. He’s also notched 33 combined tackles this year along with 11 tackles for loss. He’s also a menace against the run, posting a 92.1 Pro Football Focus run defense grade for his career.
PFF ranks Murphy as their second-best edge rusher entering next year’s NFL Draft, right behind Alabama’s Will Anderson.
Given how much Philadelphia’s front office values their defensive lineman and the clear need at the position entering the upcoming offseason, it would be shocking if Howie passes up on Murphy if he’s still on the board when the Eagles are on the clock.
With their second first-round selection all the way down at 31st overall, Pro Football Network has Philadelphia taking another Clemson product, LB Trenton Simpson.
Their reasoning:
“This is a value addition for the Eagles, who get a hyper-versatile defensive piece at the second level. Trenton Simpson could stand to improve his play strength at the next level, but he’s an absolute queen on the chess board. He has the athleticism, range, and football IQ to do whatever a defense needs.”
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Like PFN points out, this is a complete value addition for the Eagles. Even if the team feels like they have the luxury to go with any position at this spot in the first-round, I’d venture to say it won’t be a linebacker. But, Simpson is far from your prototypical linebacker.
Before this season, Simpson spent the majority of his playing time in the nickel. He transitioned to more of a box safety role this year and hasn’t missed a step. Due to this versatility, Simpson is a solid chess piece to have for any defensive coordinator.
Regardless, it would be out of character for Howie to select a linebacker here. During his tenure as the Eagles general manager, Roseman has never selected a true stand-up linebacker in the first-round. The team also may have other pressing needs to address at this spot, like offensive line or defensive back.
Not to mention, the Eagles have Nakobe Dean waiting in the wings at LB. I think every fan would agree they’d like to say Dean get the nod next season if Kyzir White walks in free agency.
In the end, if the Eagles do decide to prioritize the defensive side of the ball in next year’s NFL Draft, I wouldn’t be upset about it. I’d just like to see them address another position outside of linebacker.
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