April 28, 2025
In case you missed our draft grades on Sunday, make sure you go check those out. Done? Cool. Here we'll show how analysts around the country graded the Eagles' draft, and add some commentary of our own.
Top needs entering the draft: Safety, defensive tackle, linebacker and wide receiver
I gave the Eagles an A after last year's draft, but no way did I think their top two picks -- cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean -- would help power a much-improved defense to a Super Bowl title. That's how to target a need and get an instant impact.
This year? Well, general manager Howie Roseman's No. 1 post-free agency priority is to figure out how to replace 1,067 combined snaps from key defensive linemen Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, both of whom left for massive contracts elsewhere. Roseman signed edge rushers Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari to one-year deals, but I thought he could go D-line in Round 1. Donovan Ezeiruaku, maybe? Or Darius Alexander?
Roseman went a slightly different direction, however, adding versatile off-ball linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who I thought could go in the top 20 picks. Campbell can be a chess piece for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, getting a handful of snaps on the edge per game. This pick tells me there's some concern about the knee injury Nakobe Dean suffered in January, so Campbell could help fill that void. He's a really solid player.
I mentioned in my Friday night recap how much I like safety Andrew Mukuba, whom Philly got at the end of Round 2. He can play the role vacated by the trade of C.J. Gardner-Johnson. He hits like a linebacker.
On Day 3, offensive tackle Cameron Williams could be a steal -- if Philly can help him put all of his talent together. He started just one college season. I had him No. 125 on my Big Board. Ty Robinson will join Fangio's deep front-seven rotation and play multiple positions. Linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. can be a special teams demon. Quarterback Kyle McCord is a solid No. 3 QB. Roseman has done it again, selecting solid players throughout the draft.
#JimmySays: My expectation was also that the Eagles would address the defensive line with their first-round pick, but Campbell was a far superior prospect to anyone who was still available. Some might also argue that Campbell is kinda-sorta a defensive lineman because he's something of an EDGE/OBLB tweener, but in my opinion, he'll play a lot more at linebacker than he will as a pass rusher.
Favorite pick: Jihaad Campbell, Edge/LB, Alabama
With some teams concerned about his durability, Campbell fell to the bottom of Round 1 — and into Eagles general manager Howie Roseman’s sights. We don’t have a crystal-clear picture of how Philadelphia plans to use him, but it sounds like he might become the Eagles’ version of Micah Parsons, which is an ideal fit for his talent as a downhill force player. Sign me all the way up.
Day 3 pick who could surprise: Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Eagles added another Georgia defender. And with former Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean on the mend, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will be leaning on the rest of his linebackers to play critical roles, including Mondon. He can get stuck at times in his reads, but he is an above-average athlete and can make stops all over the field.
#JimmySays: Dane didn't give letter grades. He ranked every teams' draft from 1-32.
Mondon gives the Eagles a bit of a different flavor at linebacker, as he is a better prospect in coverage than Nakobe Dean or Jeremiah Trotter were when they came out.
General manager Howie Roseman can't stop himself from trading up for a defensive playmaker from the SEC. I can't blame him for being enticed by Campbell's all-around game. Mukuba may have been picked earlier than expected but filled a hole left by the traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Robinson's a nice fit at 5-technique for the Eagles, bringing power and straight-line speed to the position left behind by Milton Williams. Roseman worked the phones to add Day 3 picks for more defensive depth in McWilliams, Mondon and Powell-Ryland. McCord possesses the skills to win the team's backup quarterback competition. Kendall (Pete) and Hinton (Chris) are NFL legacies and Williams could surprise as a sixth-round pick at guard or tackle. No offensive skill position players were drafted.
#JimmySays: Even more surprising than no running backs or wide receivers was they they didn't add a tight end, either in the draft or even among their reported undrafted free agent signings.
The Eagles had an interesting draft. Jihaad Campbell might have been a surprise, but he was projected to go higher. He has the talent to be an instant impact player for the Eagles’ front seven. Andrew Mukuba can potentially fill a big need at safety on the back end. His addition creates a really talented, young defensive back trio with Quinyon Mitchell and Super Bowl star Cooper DeJean. Drafting another linebacker in Georgia’s Smael Mondon Jr. was an interesting move. The Eagles did a lot in this draft to keep the spine of their team strong.
Most interesting pick: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Campbell gives the Eagles someone who can do a little bit of everything and is a big, fast, explosive player to play with Zack Baun. What does this mean for Nakobe Dean as he recovers from a torn patellar tendon? Campbell can rush a bit off the edge, but at his peak he can be an impact off-ball linebacker in Vic Fangio’s defense.
#JimmySays: To add to the concern of Dean's knee, he's also on the final year of his rookie deal in 2025.
Best Pick: Second-round safety Andrew Mukuba would have been a higher pick if he weighed a little more. He throws his body around as much as anybody in this draft. But the concern is if he will hold up.
Worst Pick: I like their draft, so I will go with this: They didn't pick an offensive lineman until the fifth round. That surprises me for a team that always seems to have guys developing and ready to play.
The Skinny: They went defense with their first five picks to fortify a unit that suffered some losses in free agency and has some injury issues. First-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell was the best off-ball linebacker in this draft. I like quarterback Kyle McCord in the sixth. They added a bunch of other talented players. Howie Roseman had another good draft.
#JimmySays: I thought the fifth and sixth rounds were where this draft had good offensive line values, and the Eagles did nice job of getting Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton, and Cameron Williams later than where most had all three players projected.
General manager Howie Roseman has embarked on his journey to rebuild the Eagles defense, and he started by actually selecting a linebacker in the first round! Mukuba was picked slightly early and I'm not sure there was a major need at safety.
Robinson is a no-nonsense, thick and athletic rusher inside, and McWilliams a super-chippy and sudden cornerback with some Avonte Maddox to his game. As per usual, some of my favorite Roseman picks occured later, especially the three-pick stretch of Hinton, Williams, and Powell-Ryland. The two blockers have plus starter upside, and Powell-Ryland would've probably been a Day 2 pick if he had longer arms.
#JimmySays: The Eagles didn't have a need at safety? 🤔
In a case of the rich getting richer, Howie Roseman nabbed the draft's most exciting off-ball linebacker in Jihaad Campbell at No. 31 overall, boldly moving up one pick to assure his addition. It was a move that made a lot of sense, as opponents will have little choice but to get the ball out quickly to running backs and tight ends in trying to avoid the Eagles' vaunted pass rush, and Campbell offers extraordinary agility in coverage. Roseman returned to the position later in the draft with yet another Georgia standout in Smael Mondon Jr., another fast and physical linebacker who flashes future starting ability.
In between, the Eagles landed a natural cover safety in Andrew Mukuba and two of the more underrated and pro-ready interior linemen of this class, defender Ty Robinson and NFL legacy Drew Kendall at center. These weren't positions of need for the defending Super Bowl champions, but they only make the roster younger, hungrier and cheaper.
That "always compete" mentality also made quarterback Kyle McCord an intriguing selection in the sixth round. No one is suggesting that he is going to push Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, but he might challenge Tanner McKee and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. McCord flashes starter-caliber accuracy, serving as a late-round investment policy for a team that seemingly has it all.
#JimmySays: I don't think McCord has much of a chance of pushing McKee for the QB2 job, at least in 2025. McKee has earned that spot. But if McKee moves on after his rookie deal expires following the 2026 season, then McCord could potentially replace him as the QB2 at that time. I certainly like McCord's chances of beating out Thompson-Robinson for the QB3 job this summer.
Howie Roseman isn't satisfied unless he’s made a few trades, added blockers … and reeled in a University of Georgia defender. Check, check and check, ex-Bulldogs LB Smael Mondon Jr. arriving in Round 5. Nearer the top, it’s also very Roseman to get a sublime talent such as multi-dimensional LB Jihaad Campbell, who could fill multiple needs in Philly once his shoulder is sound, at the end of Round 1. Same goes for second-round S Andrew Mukuba. Sixth-round QB Kyle McCord might blossom into a quality backup in time. And, yes, Roseman added three O-linemen.
#JimmySays: I actually thought this was a very un-Howie draft. I mean, they selected a linebacker and a safety with their first two picks.
The rest of the league might have groaned seeing GM Howie Roseman add another talented playmaker to an already stacked Philly defensive front. Campbell was surprisingly available at the end of the first round, perhaps because teams don’t value off-ball linebackers as much as other positions. But Campbell was a quality pass rusher during his time at Alabama. The Eagles also added the versatile Mukuba, who can play free safety and nickel cornerback. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio could have more flexibility with Cooper DeJean if Mukuba hits the ground running.
#JimmySays: It was less because teams around the league de-value linebackers, and more because Campbell is presently rehabbing a shoulder injury.
Howie Roseman is at it again. In theory, the draft order should put the Super Bowl champs at a bit of a disadvantage. It rarely works out that way when we're talking about the Eagles. Campbell, our No. 14-ranked player in this class, is arguably the best value pick of Day 1. Mukuba was likely only available at the end of the second round because of his size, but you'd never know it based on the way he plays. He's a physical, downhill force in the run game who also plays with great instincts in coverage. He'll immediately fill a big need for the Philly defense. Don't sleep on Ty Robinson, either. The Nebraska product is an excellent athlete who could contribute right away in Philly's defensive line rotation. And Eagles fans should be thrilled with with Mondon in the fifth round. The Georgia product is one of the best coverage linebackers in this draft, potentially giving him a path to immediate contributions in sub packages.
#JimmySays: I agree that Mukuba will likely start immediately at safety.
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