Eagles Free Agency Moves Reveal Obvious Direction for NFL Draft

One of the biggest surprises for the Philadelphia Eagles during free agency was Jaelan Phillips departing for greener pastures. Phillips signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the Carolina Panthers -- numbers the Eagles weren't willing to match.

"They definitely did want me to come back, and that's something I knew after the season that they were going to be making a push," Phillips said last month at his opening press conference with the Panthers (via the Panthers website). "But ultimately, the Panthers just came with a more attractive offer.

"And, clearly, that just shows the belief they have in me, and the belief they have in their team. They're willing to invest in pieces to try to take this team to the next level. So, yeah, it came down to it, but ultimately it was kind of a no-brainer to come to the Panthers."

With Phillips departing for Carolina, that created a hole in the pass rush for Philadelphia. The Eagles did add Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka this offseason, but those moves are mostly for roster depth. They did the same with Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari last offseason and still needed a premier edge rusher to make the defense elite.

Jalyx Hunt took a massive step last season, but his production soared once Phillips arrived. Hunt had 27 pressures, 5.5 sacks, and forced fumble, two interceptions, and a 16.8% pressure rate since Week 10 (Phillips' first game). Nolan Smith also had 25 pressures, 3.0 sacks, and a 16.9% pressure rate once Phillips arrived.

Hunt and Smith were significantly better pass rushers once Phillips came to Philadelphia. The Eagles were sixth in the NFL in pressure rate (41.7%), fifth in sacks (26.0), and eighth in sack rate (8.6%) after acquiring Phillips. They also were first in scoring defense (15.5 PPG).

The Eagles believe having a great pass rusher is paramount, evidenced by their willingness to trade premium draft picks for an All-Pro level talent. They parted ways with a third-round pick to acquire Phillips last year, and have significantly invested in pass rushers in the past (see Haason Reddick).

Which brings up the 2026 NFL Draft. The Eagles have four of the first 98 picks in the first, one in the first (No. 23), one in the second (No. 54), and two in the third (No. 68 and No. 98). There's a good chance the Eagles add a starting-caliber player with one of those picks, even if that player will take some time to develop.

The Eagles have gone defense with their first-round pick in each of the past four drafts and selected a defensive player with their last five first-round picks. Could they actually go defense again? There's a need for a long-term replacement for Lane Johnson at right tackle and finding a playmaker at wide receiver in case AJ Brown is traded.

There are needs for a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, but pass rusher is paramount for a Vic Fangio defense. The Eagles don't shy away from improving that position, and still could acquire a good pass rusher via trade. They have been linked to Jonathan Greenard this offseason, and it's never unfair to rule out a Myles Garrett pipe dream.

As for top-30 visits? The Eagles have brought in Penn State pass rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton, who's a projected Day 2 pick. Perhaps that's where the Eagles seek to add depth to the pass rusher spot, bolstering the rotation with Smith, Hunt, and Ebiketie.

The Eagles will do something to add to the pass rush over the next few weeks. They are far from finished at adding talent to the pass rush.