Taking a Quarterback in the First Round Would Not be a Surprise

Every veteran quarterback under the heatless winter sun has been linked to the Eagles this offseason from Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson to Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Nothing new there. With Howie Roseman and his flair for the really big move, the Eagles are always linked to whoever the seemingly available hot player is.

What if the general manager’s quarterback quest hits a dead-end in the trade market?

That is when the GM will veer off-road and look to the draft.

Since 2010, the Eagles have averaged drafting a QB every two years, and the last one they took was Jalen Hurts in 2020.

That means this will be the year, per the law of averages, they do it again, and using one of their three first-round picks cannot be ruled out.

Perhaps in the mock drafts still to come by yours truly and those at EaglesToday, you may even see a QB arriving in the first round with either of their three selections - 15, 16, and 19.

It’s not considered a strong class for quarterbacks, but last year’s group of defensive linemen wasn’t overly impressive, either, yet the Eagles did their homework and landed two in Milton Williams and Tarron Jackson, both of whom look like foundation pieces.

Perhaps Roseman and his scouts like what they have seen from some of the QBs in this draft and are willing to spend a first-round pick for one.

Maybe he even trades down to take one in the second round.

The sweet spot for quarterbacks in this draft appears to be the early second round, based on prospect projections from NFL Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who has Ole Miss’s Matt Corral, Liberty’s Malik Willis, and North Carolina’s Sam Howell ranked Nos. 34, 35, and 36 on his list of top 50 prospects.

That doesn’t mean they will be selected in this spot, of course, because quarterbacks always tend to rise as the draft draws near.

The Eagles’ NFC East rival, Washington Commanders, are one of many teams who could use a quarterback. They sit with pick 11.

Jeremiah has Pitt’s Kenny Pickett ranked as his 18th best prospect.

The Eagles would likely have to trade into the top 10 if it is Pickett they fall in love with, or maybe they would have to do something similar for Corral or Willis, provided, of course, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Or they could stay put and, at 19, maybe one of Corral or Willis is there and they grab him.

Again, it depends on their evaluations.

If quarterbacks begin to slide, the Eagles could also explore a move into the second round.

Chicago has the 39th overall pick and the Seahawks own the 41st pick.

Neither of those franchises has a first-round pick, so perhaps they might be interested in moving into the first round while surrendering their second this year and maybe a second- or third-rounder in the 2023 draft.

The one thing the Eagles won’t have to worry about, should they invest early in a quarterback, is Jalen Hurts turtling like Carson Wentz did when the Eagles drafted Hurts in the second round.

Hurts is only concerned about getting better, an approach he took when he was benched for Tua Tagovailoa at the University of Alabama. There’s no doubt he would do so again if the Eagles brought in somebody to compete and develop right alongside him.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation EaglesToday and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.