Eagles In Transition: It's Time To Address Offense In Draft

PHILADELPHIA – As the bill comes due on some of the excellent defensive players general manager Howie Roseman has brought into the team’s building, it’s time to transition to the offensive side.

The Eagles spent more on the offensive side of the ball this past season than any other team in the league. Four of their key offensive players will account for $75.8 million of the salary cap in 2026: Jalen Hurts ($31.9M), A.J. Brown ($23.4M), DeVonta Smith ($10.7M), and Saquon Barkley ($9.8M).

On defense, the Eagles’ two highest-salary-capped players are Jordan Davis ($12.9M) and Zack Baun ($7.5M). There are four free agents – Jaelan Phillips, Reed Blankenship, Adoree Jackson, and Marcus Epps.

Where the Eagles are really helped here is that they have five players on rookie deals, including a pair of All-Pros in Quinyon Mitchell ($4.04M) and Cooper DeJean ($2.5M), two-time Pro Bowler Jalen Carter ($6.9M), Nolan Smith ($3.8M), and Moro Ojomo ($1.16M).

The sense after hearing from Roseman on Thursday is that the Eagles will begin transitioning to younger, cheaper offensive players in the draft, so they can start paying the homegrown talent on defense.

With that in mind, would it surprise anyone if the Eagles use all four picks that they have in the top 100 on offense? Those picks, all on the first two days of the NFL draft, are scheduled to be Nos. 23 (first round), 54 (second round), 68 and 98 (third round).

The last time the Eagles spent a first-round pick on offense was 2021 when they moved up to No. 10 to select DeVonta Smith.

Landon Dickerson An Anomaly

The last time they took an offensive lineman in the first round was 2019, when they moved up to make Andre Dillard their surprise choice. That didn’t work out well.

The Eagles have taken just three offensive linemen in the first two days of the draft. Two came in the second round – Landon Dickerson in 2021 and Cam Jurgens (2022). They were key pieces to an offensive line that won a Super Bowl in 2024, but neither seemed fully healthy all season in 2025.

The other is Tyler Steen, a third -round pick in 2023. He became a starter for the first time this season and was the only offensive lineman on the team to start all 17 games this year.

Since 2022, their drafts have been heavily slanted to the defense.

2022: Three of their five picks were on defense, and three of their first four picks came on that side – Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Kyron Johnson.

2023: Five of their seven picks were on defense – Carter, Smith, Sydney Brown, Kelee Ringo, and Ojomo.

2024: Six of their 10 picks were on defense, including a stellar top three of Mitchell, DeJean, and Jalyx Hunt.

2025: Their first five picks were on defense – Jihaad Campbell, Drew Mukuba, Ty Robinson, Mac McWilliams, and Smael Mondon.

More NFL: Howie Roseman Responds To Questions About Two Players' Futures With Eagles