General manager Howie Roseman is not known as a general manager who will sit on his hands and let things play out. His reputation came into play once again at the 2024 NFL draft.
After waiting his turn to take Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd overall pick, Roseman moved up the board from 50th overall to 40th to grab Cooper DeJean in the second round.
Depite the trade up, the Eagles still landed some intriguing options later in the draft. Jalyx Hunt is one of the most intriguing small school prospects. The Houston Christian pass-rusher has the athletic makeup of a successful edge defender but will take some time to develop.
Ainias Smith is an interesting offensive weapon. As a receiver who looks like a running back, he has the potential to become a YAC threat in an already-dangerous Eagles offense. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is not just a sentimental fit in Philadelphia. He could become a starter eventually.
But the question right now is whether any of these rookies will crack the starting lineup in Week 1. The Eagles might have struggled down the stretch last season but they are still among the most talented teams in the league.
Here’s a rundown of their most notable additions and what the starting lineups could look like on both sides of the ball.
New Eagles running back Saquon Barkley working with Jalen Hurts Aubrey Lao/Getty Images
Free Agent/Trade: RB Saquon Barkley, Edge Bryce Huff, TE C.J. Uzomah, LB Devin White, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, WR DeVante Parker, WR Parris Campbell, QB Kenny Pickett, LB Oren Burks, Edge Julian Okwara, LB Zack Baun, IOL Matt Hennessy
Draft:
CB Quinyon Mitchell,
CB Cooper DeJeanEdge Jalyx Hunt,
RB Will Shipley,
WR Ainias Smith,
LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.IOL Trevor Keegan,
WR Johnny Wilson,
IOL Dylan McMahon
The Eagles withstood some critical losses this offseason, but they were also aggressive in taking care of those needs. For instance, Olamide Zaccheaus and Quez Watkins both signed elsewhere, but the Eagles brought in DeVante Parker and Parris Campbell. Jason Kelce retired, but Philly brought in some additional interior depth with Matt Hennessy.
Saquon Barkley was a clear upgrade. Bringing in the former Giants back allowed them to move on from D’Andre Swift.
They raided the other New York team by signing Bryce Huff who is a younger version of Haason Reddick, who they traded away.
Bringing back C.J. Gardner-Johnson is another move that should pay off and will definitely impact what the starting secondary looks like.
On that note, here’s a look at what the offense and defense could look like based on these new additions.
Cam Jurgens will be able to slide over to center and replace Jason Kelce Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Starting Lineup: QB Jalen Hurts, RB Saquon Barkley, WR A.J. Brown, WR DeVonta Smith, WR DeVante Parker, TE Dallas Goedert, OT Jordan Mailata, OG Landon Dickerson, C Cam Jurgens, OG Tyler Steen, OT Lane Johnson
Despite Kelce’s retirement, there’s a lot of continuity between this year’s offense and the one that finished eighth in EPA per play last season.
The Eagles did a good job of anticipating Kelce’s exit and drafting Cam Jurgens a few years before they really needed him. He was able to start at guard last season and will now make the move to the pivot.
Tyler Steen, who was picked in last year’s draft is then a logical plug-and-play option at right guard.
As long as Steen can play reasonably well after a year of coaching from Jeff Stoutland, the Eagles should have a good offensive line to block for a talented group of skill players.
As long as he’s healthy, Saquon Barkley adds a new level of dynamic playmaking to the backfield. D’Andre Swift enjoyed solid production as a runner but Barkley is a much more accomplished receiver.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are back to anchor the pass-catching unit, but DeVante Parker should be considered an upgrade as the third receiver. He doesn’t really fit in as a slot player, but Brown and Smith both played there quite a bit last season.
Parris Campbell will also get looks if they want to start the game with Brown and Smith on the outside.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Starting Lineup: DE Josh Sweat, DT Jalen Carter, DT Jordan Davis, DE Bryce Huff, LB Nakobe Dean, LB Devin White, CB Darius Slay Jr., CB Quinyon Mitchell, NB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S Reed Blankenship, S Sydney Brown
Here’s where things get really interesting.
The Eagles secondary was a major liability at times last season. They’ve made a lot of moves that are going to give them some flexibility there. Specifically, drafting both Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean gives them multiple avenues in the back half.
The first position battle that will draw the attention of the Philly faithful is the first-round pick Mitchell vs. veteran starter James Bradberry. The fact that Howie Roseman said the Eagles addressed “an area of need with their first-round pick” then double-dipped by drafting DeJean is a pretty strong indicator that the rookie will start.
From there, the question becomes what they will do in the slot. DeJean has versatility. He could be an option there but we saw C.J. Gardner-Johnson play there quite a bit in his first stint with the Eagles.
They also brought back veteran Avonte Maddox.
For now, it would seem like putting Gardner-Johnson in the slot and giving Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown early nods would give them the most experienced trio to cover the middle of the field.
Where DeJean is repping in training camp will be a fascinating storyline to follow. He’s the next clear threat to break into the lineup.
Regardless, the Eagles secondary won’t look the same as last year and that’s the most important thing.
2024-05-01 13:00:54
#Predicting #Eagles #Starters #NFL #Draft
