December 14, 2022

Eagles mock draft roundup: In-season edition

It's never too early to look forward to the NFL Draft...

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

The Philadelphia Eagles are 12-1, and they are looking like Super Bowl contenders with a legitimate MVP candidate at quarterback in Jalen Hurts. And we're talking about mock drafts? Sure, why not?

Personally, I'll wait until the season is over and we know where each of the Eagles' two first-round picks are going to land in the draft order before I publish a mock draft of my own (at least with full-on analysis and whatnot), but as long as everyone else is cashing in on those sweet, sweet page views, I'll just go ahead and hop on that content train as well.

Todd McShay, ESPN

Pick No. 5: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas: This is a serious luxury pick for the 12-win Eagles after landing this selection from the Saints in the 2022 offseason. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, the last time a team went to a Super Bowl (as ESPN's FPI projects) and then had a top-five draft pick was 1992, when Washington won the championship and then drafted Desmond Howard fourth overall via a trade-up. I considered Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee here, because GM Howie Roseman values the interior defensive line, and pairing Bresee with Jordan Davis up the middle would give Philadelphia quite the run-stopping duo. However, Miles Sanders is set to be a free agent, this offense leans heavily on the run (433 rushes, second most in the NFL), and Robinson is a special prospect with elite size, speed, power and elusiveness.
I know the "it's too early for a running back" arguments are coming, and I agree 99% of the time. But why spend heavily on re-signing Sanders or bringing in another back in free agency when Robinson -- who is an upgrade -- is available here on a rookie deal? Robinson cruised to 1,580 yards and 18 TDs on the ground this season while breaking 91 tackles. Dropping him into the league's best offense would be scary for every other team.
Pick No. 31: Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame: After getting Bijan Robinson earlier, Philly would likely pivot to the defensive side of the ball. Brandon Graham is in the last year of his deal, Derek Barnett tore his ACL in September, and Robert Quinn is just a rental after coming to town at the trade deadline. So while the Eagles lead the NFL in sacks (49), they will still be looking for pass-rush help opposite Josh Sweat after the season. Foskey uses his great initial burst to put offensive tackles on their heels, and he had 11 sacks in each of the past two seasons. Other spots for the projected champs to consider would be the secondary and linebacker.

#JimmySays: You already know what I'm going to say here, but I'll go through the motions anyway. If the Eagles have the fifth overall pick, there is a -3,000,000% chance that Howie Roseman will spend it on a running back. I'm not sure he would even use the 31st overall pick on Robinson, given the extreme number of free agent running backs that are going to be available this offseason.

James Fragoza, ProFootballNetwork

Pick No. 5: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson: The more wins the Eagles rack up, the more shocking it is to see them drafting in the top five — thanks, New Orleans. Taking advantage of their early selection, Philly adds to an already strong defensive line by snatching Clemson’s Myles Murphy.
Murphy can move up and down the line and is already a stout run defender. Let him refine his game in the Eagles’ loaded locker room and the 6’5″, 275-pound pass rusher could reach his ceiling sooner rather than later.
Pick 31: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas: With their top-five pick, the Eagles addressed the defensive side of the ball. But with the final pick in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, they turn their attention toward Jalen Hurts and Co. Miles Sanders is a quality back, but imagine Bijan Robinson in this offense?
A backfield of Hurts and Robinson with Goedert at TE and A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith at WR? Yea, good luck stopping that. Simply put, the dynamism of that backfield duo alone would be too much for defenses to handle.

#JimmySays: Lol, and sure enough, there he is at 31.

Chris Trapasso, CBS

Pick No. 5: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson: Murphy isn't a ready-to-go, instant pass-rush specialist. But he fits what the Eagles have traditionally liked at the edge position. He's big, long, and can play three downs.
Pick No. 31: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas: The Eagles get the premier back in the 2022 class to add even more firepower to this already dynamic offense.

#JimmySays: So we're now three for three on Robinson, and two for three on Murphy.

Personally, I think that if the Eagles land the No. 5 overall pick and they use it on anyone/anything other than Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, or a bountiful trade out, that would be a disappointment.

It's noteworthy that none of these mocks so far have the Seahawks taking a quarterback at No. 2, which is just insanity to me. Geno Smith had a great 2022 season at the age of 32 and should be celebrated for that, but the Seahawks are going to pass up a chance at a long-term answer in a quarterback-rich draft in favor of him? If Smith is that valuable, the Seahawks should tag-and-trade him and then draft a QB.

Keith Sanchez, TheDraftNetwork

Pick No. 5: Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson: The Eagles don’t have many holes but you can never have enough edge rushers. Myles Murphy has good length and is a high-level athlete. I think taking Murphy right here in this NFL mock draft is the right move for the Eagles and will prove to be a great pick in future years.
Pick No. 31: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama: The Eagles have the best record in the NFL and have two first-round selections, so they are sitting in a position where they simply add difference-makers regardless of the position. Jahmyr Gibbs is a running back who is explosive running the football but also showcased to be a high-level pass-catcher. The addition of Gibbs to this offense will make it even more dangerous.
Pick No. 63: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson CB, TCU: There will be talk about Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson’s size, but he is talented. The Eagles have the roster to draft position-specific players and I think they will draft Hodges-Tomlinson to play the nickel cornerback role for them.

#JimmySays: TheDraftNetwork published a two-round mock, which at least added a player to the monotonous first-round pairing of Murphy and a running back at 5 and 31.

There's merit in the Eagles drafting an outside corner if James Bradberry bolts in free agency, but the 5'9, 177-pound Hodges-Tomlinson likely isn't an option since the Eagles have Avonte Maddox locked up through the 2024 season.