April 11, 2025

Eagles 2025 draft: Will Howie Roseman trade up, trade back, or stay put at pick No. 32?

What kind of draft day trade are the Eagles most likely to be looking to make?

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images

Howie Roseman

As any casual follower of the Philadelphia Eagles knows, Howie Roseman tends to make a lot of first round trades in the draft. In 2025, the Birds hold the 32nd overall pick, because, you know, they won the Super Bowl. Will they trade up, trade back, or stick-and-pick?

First, we'll recap the Eagles trade up / trade back / stay put history since 2010 (omitting 2015, the Chip Kelly year), showing the Eagles' picks in the first round of the draft, and then we'll determine their best course of action in the 2025 NFL Draft:

Green = Traded up | Blue = Stayed put | Red = Traded back

Year	Original draft spot	Player drafted	Traded up, traded back, or stayed put
2024	22	Quinyon Mitchell	Stayed put
2023	10	Jalen Carter	Traded up
2023	30	Nolan Smith	Stayed put
2022	15	Jordan Davis	Traded up
2021	6	DeVonta Smith (10)	Traded back, then traded up
2020	21	Jalen Reagor (21)	Stayed put
2019	25	Andre Dillard (22)	Traded up
2018	32	(Nobody in first round) - Dallas Goedert first pick in 2nd round (49)	Traded back, then traded up
2017	14	Derek Barnett (14)	Stayed put
2016	13	Carson Wentz (2)	Traded up
2014	22	Marcus Smith (26)	Traded back
2013	4	Lane Johnson (4)	Stayed put
2012	15	Fletcher Cox (12)	Traded up
2011	23	Danny Watkins (23)	Stayed put
2010	24	Brandon Graham (13)	Traded up

The tale of the tape:

• Traded up (6 times): Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Carson Wentz, Andre Dillard, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter.

Brandon Graham: Highly criticized pick for years, but Graham eventually became one of the best players on the team, a Super Bowl hero, and a beloved personality.
Fletcher Cox: Long-term star DT.
Carson Wentz: He was the franchise quarterback for a while, and the Eagles almost certainly don't have a Super Bowl without his contributions in 2017, but, uh, it ended badly.
Andre Dillard: Nine starts in four years with the team, some of which were disasters.
Jordan Davis: Davis is a good run defender, and he came on as a pass rusher in the playoffs, but his low usage can only be viewed as disappointing.
Jalen Carter: Carter finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, became a star in Year 2.

• Traded back (1 time): Marcus Smith

Marcus Smith: By moving back four spots and selecting Smith, who became a legendary bust, the Eagles also drafted Jaylen Watkins and Taylor Hart.

• Stayed put (6 times): Danny Watkins, Lane Johnson, Nelson Agholor, Derrick Barnett, Jalen Reagor, Nolan Smith, and Quinyon Mitchell.

Danny Watkins: This was the stupidest pick the Eagles made over the last 25 years. Like, even worse than Jalen Reagor. He was freaking 26!
Lane Johnson: Great pick in a weak draft class. Arguably the best offensive lineman in the NFL.
Derek Barnett: Disappointing production, maddening penalties, has played better on a new team.
Jalen Reagor: The Eagles had their choice of Reagor and Justin Jefferson, and picked the wrong one.
Nolan Smith: Mostly invisible Year 1, but was a breakout star Year 2.
Quinyon Mitchell: Immediate starter, bright future.

• Traded back, and then traded up (2 times): Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith.

Dallas Goedert: By moving back 20 spots from 32 to 52, the Eagles were able to pick up a 2019 second-round pick. They then traded up from 52 to 49 with Indy, giving up a fifth-round pick to select Goedert.
DeVonta Smith: WR1b, building block on the offense.

Should the Eagles trade up?

They certainly have the ammo.

2025 picks:

Round 1 (32)
Round 2 (64)
Round 3 (96)
Round 4 (134)
Round 5 (161)
Round 5 (164)
Round 5 (165)
Round 5 (168)

And in 2026, they are currently projected to have 11 picks.

They also don't have many needs relative to other teams around the league, so they are well-positioned to make an aggressive move up for a player at a premium position.

Teams that could make sense as trade partners:

The Steelers (pick 21) don't have a second-round pick.
The Vikings (pick 24) only have four picks this year. They could be looking to add more.
The Texans (pick 25) make a buttload of trades with the Eagles.
The Rams (pick 26) don't have a second-round pick.
The Commanders (pick 29) don't have third- or fifth-round picks.

That's a pretty significant number of teams picking in the 20's who are logical trade partners.

As for who could be trade-up targets? As always, think trenches. Missouri OL Armond Membou, Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams, Oregon iDL Derrick Harmon, and North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel are all examples of players unlikely to make it to pick 32 who the Eagles very likely would have interest in.

Should they trade back?

In 2018, picking 32nd after their Super Bowl win, the Eagles traded first- and fourth-round selections (32nd and 132nd) to the Ravens in exchange for second- and fourth-round selections (52nd and 125th) and a second-round selection in 2019. That trade worked out for both teams (the Ravens especially), as Baltimore selected QB Lamar Jackson, while the Eagles turned that pick into a trio of contributors in TE Dallas Goedert, CB Avonte Maddox, and RB Miles Sanders.

That 32nd spot is interesting, because it's the last pick of the draft that includes a fifth-year option on the player's rookie contract. That has value for teams interested in drafting a highly paid position like quarterback at that spot. To my surprise, since the fifth-year option was added in the 2011 CBA, only one other team has traded up from the second round into the first round to select a quarterback. That was in 2014, when the Seahawks traded the 32nd pick to the Vikings in exchange for Minnesota's second- and fourth-round selections (40th and 108th). The Vikings selected Teddy Bridgewater.

In the 2025 draft, there are a handful of quarterbacks who could reasonably be selected at the end of the first round.

Colorado's Shedeur Sanders (if he slides)
Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart
Louisville's Tyler Shough

As noted above, the Eagles are already flush with picks, so adding more shouldn't be a priority, but if some QB-needy team that passes on a quarterback early in Round 1 — think Browns, Giants, Saints, etc. — makes a crazy offer to move up into the back end of Round 1 from Round 2, the Eagles would at least have to consider it.

Should they just stay put?

Sure! Again, as a team with so few needs, the Eagles can stay put and take the best available player, or perhaps more accurately, the best available lineman (offense or defense).

Should they trade the pick for a stud veteran player?

With the Eagles in cap conservation mode, it is extremely unlikely that they will be able to trade for a star player, since those deals typically would also require a new contract for the acquired player.