Philadelphia Eagles Complete NFL Mock Draft: Post-Free Agency Edition

Expect the Philadelphia Eagles to default to their foundational principles in Round 1 of April's Draft.

PHILADELPHIA - Full disclosure forces me to admit any mock draft you run across is an exercise in futility.

That said, there are times where the educated guesses take on a little more credibility and we've at least singled to center in that goal after the first two phases of free agency have unfolded for the Philadelphia Eagles.

GM Howie Roseman has draft-proofed his roster by closing holes at running back, edge rusher, and safety while also adding contingencies at wide receiver, interior offensive line, linebacker, and slot cornerback.

The biggest needs on paper remain on the defensive side, most notably LB and CB, as well as right guard on offense unless you believe in the lukewarm support of second-year player Tyler Steen or have confidence that injuries will not be an issue with Matt Hennessy after two straight seasons with Atlanta in which they were.

Here's our first shot at the draft and what the Eagles might try to accomplish.

Round 1 - No. 22 overall - OL Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma - The early hunch is that Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is the somewhat realistic player the Eagles want and Roseman has been proficient in the targeted trade-up over recent seasons with DeVonta Smith, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter.

Mitchell is likely to come off the board a little too early, however. If that's the case, the Eagles typically will retreat to their foundational principles of offensive or defensive line.

The next step is the depth of offensive tackle class at the top of this draft, something that will almost assure a talented option falling to Philadelphia. From there the Eagles would want a player they believe could start at RG before sliding out to replace All-Pro Lane Johnson eventually.

What better prospect to do that than the one Johnson has already been mentoring and has been a natural RT at Oklahoma? Although 6-7 is a little tall for a guard, Guyon's initial quickness projects better inside than a lot of the OTs. The Eagles, meanwhile, have already had immense success with the 6-6 Landon Dickerson inside so what's an extra inch?

Oct 28, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Tyler Guyton (60).

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Round 2 - No. 50 overall - LB Payton Wilson, North Carolina State - Relying on the unproven Nakobe Dean and the underachieving Devin White on the cheap isn't fair to Vic Fangio.

The rangy Wilson is a prototypical modern LB in the mold of Chicago's Tremaine Edmunds with coverage skills that should fall to the second round due to his age (24) and injury issues in college. The Eagles will need to get comfortable with his medicals but Wilson is certainly a football fit.

Round 2 - No. 53 overall - WR Roman Wilson, Michigan - The Eagles' attempts to find a WR3 in the offseason have been less than awe-inspiring. DeVante Parker is a descending, outside the numbers, contested catch player while Parris Campbell has had one competent season in five tries due to injury and ineffectiveness.

The 5-11, 186-pound Wilson would finish the hand-wringing at the spot on Day 1. He's talented enough to be a bridge pick but certain teams will pigeonhole him to the slot because of his size. That and the depth at the position as a whole should push Wilson down the board a bit.

Round 4 - No. 120 overall - OG Cooper Beebe, Kansas State - Philadelphia is using a lot of its top-30 visits on offensive linemen so don't be surprised when they potentially carpet bomb the group after losing All-Pro center Jason Kelce to retirement and capable reserves Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta to free agency.

Beebe is a top-30 visitor as a 330-pound throwback who excels when drive blocking. He also played at tackle before moving inside to guard giving him a Driscoll-like versatility as a backup. His pass pro will have Beebe falling into Day 3.

Round 5 - No. 161 overall - TE Theo Johnson, Penn State - The Eagles didn't tender Jack Stoll as a restricted free agent and lost him to the New York Giants, meaning the TE2 slot right now will be a battle between Grant Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam.

That's not a comfortable place to be behind Dallas Goedert and Johnson is a nice Day 3 option in what looks like a lackluster TE class after Brock Bowers and Ja'Tavion Sanders. Johnson is a nice mix of size and ball skills and could compete right away for playing time.

Round 5 - No. 171 overall - WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice - Philadelphia seems obsessed with the abilities of All-Pro weapon Christian McCaffrey so why not tap into that bloodline?

Saquon Barkley isn't in Christian's class as a RB so don't expect too much out of his younger brother, who is a former dual-threat QB with untapped potential at WR.

You know McCaffrey is going to be a sharp route-runner and the football IQ will be off the charts. Whoever pulls the trigger on him will be getting a very good player.

Round 5 - No. 172 overall - CB Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn - Pritchett is a boom-or-bust prospect. He has the length to project higher but he's light and not very physical so the thought here is he falls a bit and is a worthy roll of the dice at this point in the draft.

Round 6 - No. 210 overall - LB Jaylan Ford, Texas - Ford has excellent size but is an average athlete with so-so instincts. He's got a better feel for coverage than run fits and has good hands so Ford might turn into a solid zone coverage LB and special-teamer, the latter of which is more important again with the rule changes to kickoffs.