The Most Important Eagles’ Rookie No One Is Talking About

PHILADELPHIA - It makes sense that Philadelphia Eagles’ sixth-round pick Antwaun Powell-Ryland is the least-discussed member of the team’s rookie draft class.

In a large 10-person group with eight players going on Day 3, Powell-Ryland was the last player selected by the Eagles at No. 209 overall out of Virginia Tech.

The issue certainly wasn’t about college production with the one-time four-star recruit who began his college journey at Florida. After transferring from the Gators, APR finished his college career with a FBS-leading 25 ½ sacks over two seasons with the Hokies, including 16 in 2024.

Those are numbers they haven't seen in Blacksburg since Hokies and NFL legend Bruce Smith was dominating. So what gives?

The concerns start with the projections to the pro level. Measured at 6-foot-2 ½ and 258 pounds with 31 ¼ arm length, Powell-Ryland doesn’t have the ideal length premium NFL pass rushers typically have.

As a traditional end who lined up exclusively outside the tackles for Brent Pry at Virginia Tech, Powell-Ryland is more Bryce Huff than Nolan Smith or Jalyx Hunt when it comes to play style, so the lesser aspects of the position in Vic Fangio’s scheme like setting the edge or dropping into coverage as a flat defender are things Powell-Ryland will need to learn at the pro level.

That said, there is something in Powell-Ryland that consistently shows up on the film. He arrived in Philadelphia with active hands and a much more well-rounded pass-rushing bag than some of the other Day 3 options Eagles On SI was told Philadelphia had interest in on Day 3, players who were perceived to have higher upsides like Georgia’s Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, who went No. 139 overall to Minnesota, and SMU’s Elijah Roberts, who was selected at No. 157 by Tampa Bay.

The other aspect for any Day 3 picks is opportunity.

The Eagles are very high on a number of their Saturday selections. However, offensive linemen Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton, and Cameron Williams are under no urgency early because of the depth and talent on the offensive line. Sixth-round quarterback Kyle McCord has the luxury of honing his already impressive accuracy and processing ability in relative anonymity behind Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee.

Meanwhile, fifth-round cornerback Mac McWilliams is likely to continue cross-training into the regular season as the last CB on the 53-man roster. In contrast, fellow fifth-round selection, linebacker Smael Mondon Jr., will likely get knocked down a peg by September for a presumably healthy first-round pick, Jihaad Campbell.

That leaves only fourth-round defensive tackle Ty Robinson, who is penciled into the rotation on the interior as the only Day 3 pick with a clearer path to playing time than Powell-Ryland, a player who is a heartbeat away from the edge rotation if he has a strong summer either via injury or a poor summer by prove-it players Azeez Ojulari or Josh Uche.

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