The Eagles will have two first-round picks in April’s NFL Draft, and as Howie Roseman efficiently works through the first wave of free agency, the team’s biggest needs have somewhat changed.
Philadelphia signed Rashaad Penny in a surprising move and then was able to re-sign James Bradberry, along with Darius Slay.
There were losses on both sides of the football, as Miles Sanders (Bears), and Andre Dillard (Titans) departed on offense.
Javon Hargrave (49ers), T.J. Edwards (Bears) Kyzir White (Cardinals), and Marcus Epps (Raiders) all departed on the defensive side of the football, leaving huge holes to be filled.
Howie Roseman has talked about not wasting resources, and with the NFL draft a month away, here are the Eagles’ biggest needs after the first wave of free agency.
Defensive tackle -- NFL Draft
By retaining Darius Slay and James Bradberry, cornerback is no longer the biggest need on the board.
The Eagles re-signed Fletcher Cox, but lost Javon Hargrave to the 49ers, while Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh are both set to be free agents once again.
Philadelphia has Milton Williams and Marlon Tuipulotu on the roster along with 2022 first-round pick Jordan Davis.
Howie Roseman loves to build from the inside out and he’ll look to find Cox’s eventual replacement.
Safety -- free agency or draft
Marcus Epps signed with the Raiders, while C.J. Gardner-Johnson is impatiently available in free agency. Undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship makes things a little clearer and he’s an obvious starter in 2023.
Philadelphia will need to address the safety position in a major way if Gardner-Johnson departs.
Edge rusher -- draft
The Eagles have Josh Sweat returning and Tarron Jackson on the roster, along with Derek Barnett, and the organization just re-signed Brandon Graham.
Philadelphia will lose Robert Quinn in free agency and will look to add an edge rusher with one of their four top 100 picks.
Offensive Guard -- NFL Draft
Landon Dickerson is entrenched at left guard, while Isaac Seumalo is still looking for some traction in free agency.
Cam Jurgens will slide to guard with Jason Kelce returning, while Sua Opeta and Tyrese Robinson are also on the roster.
The Eagles could look to add another guard via the draft or undrafted free agency, allowing Jurgens to eventually take over at center.
Running Back -- NFL Draft
Miles Sanders offered a dynamic set of skills and had a breakout campaign in 2022, but he’s taking his talents to Carolina.
Philadelphia signed Rashaad Penny away from Seattle and then re-signed Boston Scott to join Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon on the roster.
Punter -- Free agency or NFL Draft
In 13 games this season, Siposs logged a 45.6 average, and a 39.5 net average, with 16 punts landing inside the 20.
In the Super Bowl LVII loss to the Chiefs, Siposs had an ugly 38-yard punt returned 65 yards by Kadarius Toney, setting up Kansas City at the Philadelphia five-yard line.
Siposs could return, but an upgrade isn’t out of the question.
Dynamic young linebacker -- NFL Draft
This would be a mid to late-round pick because Philadelphia just showed that they clearly don’t value the linebacker position enough to make it a priority outside of a pass rusher.
The Eagles have Nakobe Dean ready to step into the lineup after losing both T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White.
Davion Taylor is also on the roster as a reserve and Philadelphia could benefit from using draft capital on a young linebacker to play opposite Dean.
Cornerback (NFL Draft)
Cornerback is an urgent draft priority for the Eagles even after the return of Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
Outside of the dynamic duo, the Eagles have Josh Jobe, Mario Goodrich, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, and Josiah Scott on the roster, but Philadelphia must draft a cornerback with Darius Slay set to be 33 by the season’s end.
Backup quarterback
Gardner Minshew wants to be a starter and he’ll test the open market, but Philadelphia has a crucial decision to make with the backup quarterback spot.
Former Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book spent the entire 2022 season as the third-string signal caller and Eagles’ brass like his tools.
Jalen Hurts missed two games in 2023 and the Philadelphia offense was able to sustain some normalcy with Minshew in place.
