Eagles Face Pressing Need at Edge Rusher Heading into 2026 NFL Draft

With a deep edge-rushing class GM Howie Roseman may play the value game.

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Tech defensive lineman Romello Height (DL40) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA — Howie Roseman may be the best in the business when it comes to draft-proofing his roster, and the Eagles were able to do that in Phase II of free agency this spring by signing a couple of one-year deals with younger players who still have some upside in Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

However, as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches next week, the Eagles find themselves once again in need of a centerpiece on the edge after in-house free-agent priority Jaelan Phillips received a lucrative deal reportedly worth up to $120 million from the Carolina Panthers.

If the Eagles had to play tomorrow, the starters would be Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, with Ebiketie and Tryon-Shoyinka providing support in the rotation.

There’s still plenty of upside left in Smith and particularly Hunt, but most view the group as lacking a true high-end, every-down disruptor.

In essence, the same position the Eagles were in when they acquired Phillips from the Miami Dolphins before the 2025 trade deadline.

The 2026 edge class is considered deep and that could benefit the Eagles, who will likely focus on the position on Day 2. 

The top pass-rushers are Texas Tech’s Davis Bailey and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, but those are top-10 level players well out of the Eagles’ reach at No. 23 overall.

Miami’s Rueben Bain might have to move inside due to his arm length, while teammate Akheem Mesidor is the kind of older prospect the Eagles shy away from, at least early in the process. Auburn’s Keldric Faulk is an excellent prospect with inside-outside versatility who isn’t a natural pass-rusher.

That would leave Clemson’s T.J. Parker and Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell as the options at 23, and both are bridge picks that may go in Round 1 or early on Day 2.

A Deep Class

Nov 15, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) celebrates a sack on Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

The drop from players like Parker and Howell when measured against the next wave of edge defenders is minimal.

In three years, Illinois’ Gabe Jacas or Mizzou’s Zion Young might end up being double-digit sack artists in the NFL.

Roseman and his staff have shown specific interest in Bailey’s teammate with the Red Raiders, Romello Height, and Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton. 

Both could be rotational players early on as Day 2 picks, but that still puts the onus on Smith and/or Hunt to develop into headliners.

The Eagles are expected to pick up their fifth-year option on Smith by May 1, and the Georgia product has proven to be a very good player slowed down by shoulder and triceps issues.  Hunt, meanwhile, has shown enormous potential but is still raw as a player.

With the draft a week away, expect Roseman and his staff to add another athletic, scheme-versatile edge with the potential to contribute immediately in sub-packages with the long-term goal of  developing into a starter.

Whether the Eagles strike early or wait for the value of the depth in the class, addressing the edge could be key to returning the Eagles to the top of the defensive rankings in 2026.