NFL Draft: Eagles Earn High Marks as 'Rich Get Richer,' Says PFF
The Philadelphia Eagles were a slightly improved defense and running game - outside of quarterback Jalen Hurts - away from winning the Super Bowl last season.
So they did what any self-respecting Super Bowl contender would do, and have added new Eagles players that address those needs.
But they went a step beyond that, targeting champions from the collegiate level, hoping that energy will result in similar outcomes in the NFL.
In doing so, they earned an 'A+' letter grade from Pro Football Focus, and it all started with the selection of two National Champion Georgia Bulldog defenders.
"Landing the No. 2 overall player on the PFF big board (Georgia DL Jalen Carter) at Pick 9 is a huge win for the Eagles," says PFF. "The Eagles land the 13th overall player (Georgia Edge Nolan Smith) on the PFF big board with the 30th pick in the draft as Philadelphia retools its defensive line once again with elite talent."
But it wasn't just at those two spots that Philadelphia took great strides.
In third-round pick offensive lineman Tyler Steen (Alabama), the Eagles got a tackle prospect who may move inside due to his build projecting him to interior line duties better than on the edge.
Their second third-round pick may prove to be the sexier of the two, however, as PFF says Philadelphia got the class' best true safety in Illinois' Sydney Brown.
"Brown earned a stellar 89.4 coverage grade in 2022 as a rangy deep safety who can cover a ton of ground, and his testing was off the charts.," says PFF.com. "His 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump were all above the 90th percentile among safeties."
The Eagles went back to Georgia's defensive pool on Day 3 and added Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee as well.
Overall it was a solid draft class, And oh, by the way, adding running back D'Andre Swift was arguably the best trade that went down during the weekend.
All in efforts of getting Philly another Lombardi, and some of these young Eagles another championship ring.
Find David on Twitter @DHarrison82
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Philadelphia Eagles? Click Here.
Want even more Philadelphia Eagles news? Check out the SI.com team page here
