Eagles Day 2 Recap: Howie Roseman adds another weapon, a massive tackle, and a Pro Bowl pass rusher

Eagles fans went into Day 2 of the NFL Draft wondering what Howie Roseman had left after trading up for Makai Lemon in Round 1.

Turns out, he had plenty.

The Eagles came out of Friday night with Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, Miami offensive tackle Markel Bell, and Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. That is a pretty damn productive night for a team that entered the draft needing more juice on offense, more depth up front, and another real pass rusher off the edge.

Howie did Howie things. Again.

Eagles Add Eli Stowers In Round 2

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The Eagles used the No. 54 pick on Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, and this pick makes a ton of sense when you look at what he actually is.

Stowers is a former quarterback who only moved to tight end a few years ago, which explains why he already has such a natural feel for space. He understands zones. He knows where to sit. He can win down the seam. He can line up in the slot, out wide, inline, or even in the backfield.

That is the fun part here.

The Eagles did not draft some old-school blocking tight end who is going to spend every snap trying to dig out defensive ends. Stowers is a receiving weapon. He ran a 4.51 at 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, had a ridiculous 45.5-inch vertical, and finished his college career with 148 catches for 1,774 yards and 11 touchdowns after making the position switch.

There are concerns. He needs to get stronger. His blocking is a work in progress. Physical defenders can knock him off his route. Fine. That is why he was there in the second round.

But the upside is obvious. Put him in 12 personnel with Dallas Goedert and suddenly linebackers have a problem. Safeties have a problem. Defenses have to figure out how to handle another athletic pass catcher in the middle of the field.

After taking Makai Lemon in Round 1, the Eagles clearly wanted to give Jalen Hurts more answers. Stowers gives them another one.

Eagles Take A Giant Swing On Markel Bell

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Then came Markel Bell at No. 68.

And yes, giant swing is literal here.

Bell is 6-foot-9, 346 pounds, with over 36-inch arms. He looks like someone built an offensive tackle in a lab and forgot to hit stop. The frame alone screams Eagles pick.

This is also exactly the type of player the Eagles probably look at like they just found a stray dog he can turn into a monster. With no Jeff Stoutland around anymore, developing project offensive lineman isn’t a slam dunk anymore, but obviously the Birds have faith in Chris Kuper’s pedigree, the team’s no offensive line coach.

Bell’s story is pretty wild. He came out of high school with zero stars, went the JUCO route, rebuilt himself, became one of the top junior college linemen in the country, then landed at Miami. By 2025, he was their starting left tackle and allowed zero sacks.

That will play.

The concern is pretty simple. Bell is way ahead as a pass blocker compared to where he is in the run game. His height creates leverage issues. He can struggle moving laterally. He is going to need real development before anyone starts calling him Lane Johnson’s replacement.

But this is what the Eagles do. They take massive athletes on the line and let their system figure out the rest.

Maybe Bell becomes the long-term answer at tackle. Maybe he becomes a swing tackle. Either way, taking a 6-foot-9 pass protector with that kind of growth curve in the third round is very easy to understand.

Eagles Trade For Jonathan Greenard

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The biggest move of the night was not even a draft pick.

The Eagles traded pick No. 98 this year and a 2027 third-rounder to the Vikings for Jonathan Greenard and a 2026 seventh-round pick. Then they gave Greenard a four-year, $100 million extension with $50 million guaranteed.

That is a real move.

Greenard gives the Eagles another proven edge rusher to pair with Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Arnold Ebiketie. He only had three sacks last year while dealing with a shoulder injury, but he had double-digit sacks in the two years before that. He also still finished with a 13.5% pressure rate last season, which ranked seventh in the NFL.

So yeah, Howie saw the discounted sack total and bought the pressure rate. Classic Howie move.

Roseman said the Eagles already had a good defensive line, but wanted to “elevate it to another level.” That is exactly what this does. The Eagles missed on keeping Jaelan Phillips after Carolina gave him a monster deal, then pivoted to Greenard instead.

There is risk because of the shoulder injury and the contract size. But this is the Eagles. They build through the lines. They pay pass rushers. They do not sit around hoping the edge market gets cheaper.

Greenard also got the perfect Philly welcome, sitting courtside at Sixers-Celtics with DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon. Nothing says welcome to Philadelphia like playoff basketball chaos and 19,000 people losing their minds.

Eagles Had A Pretty Damn Strong Day 2

When you zoom out, this was a very Howie Roseman night.

The Eagles added a freaky receiving tight end. They grabbed a mountain of a tackle. Then they flipped two third-round picks for a Pro Bowl edge rusher and immediately locked him in.

That is aggressive. That is expensive. That is also what the Eagles do when they see a roster window worth attacking.

After two days, the Eagles have added Makai Lemon, Eli Stowers, Markel Bell, and Jonathan Greenard. That is a first-round receiver, a receiving tight end, a developmental tackle, and a proven pass rusher before Day 3 even starts.

Not bad.

Howie Roseman might be out of fourth-round picks, but apparently he is not out of ways to annoy the rest of the league.