Impending Offensive Changes Could Affect Eagles' Draft Plan

PHILADELPHIA - The exercise in futility that is a typical Philadelphia Eagles mock draft is even more trivial this year, given the projected uncertainty that a shift in offensive scheme under Sean Mannion will provide.

The new offense is expected to look more like a Kyle Shanahan- or Sean McVay-authored unit versus what we’ve gotten used to in Philadelphia over the past five seasons.

If that's the case, that means a different style of player on the offensive side of the football should be considered by GM Howie Roseman and his personnel staff.

It could be a more patient runner in the backfield, a manufactured-touch option at receiver, or smaller and more athletic offensive linemen.

The most popular name connected to the Eagles in the uber-ridiculous early mock drafts before free agency is massive Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.

It made sense.

Listed at 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds, Proctor is tailor-made for the old Jeff Stoutland Eagles, who were building the running game on inside zone, pin-and-pull, and combo blocks to take advantage of their powerful front.

More so, the team has been looking for an heir apparent for future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson for a few years, and one who could play the power game inside at right guard before kicking out whenever Johnson retires as the template.

You could basically rename that template Proctor, who has all the “critical factors” Stoutland would want.

Fit Vs. Talent

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Moving forward, the Eagles are headed toward more of a wide-zone, stretch attack with Ryan Mahaffey taking the run game coordinator duties and Chris Kuper tutoring an offensive line that will be taught to explode off the line of scrimmage with angled reach blocks.

Proctor is extremely athletic for his size, but does reach blocking for much of Sunday afternoons sound like the best way to utilize the 360-pound guy?

It's a delicate balance for Roseman, who is in charge of the Eagles' 53-man roster.

As fast as the NFL moves, you can't guarantee what the coaching staff is going to look like past 2026 on either side of the football, especially in Philadelphia where heightened expecations demand winning at a high level.

That means taking the best player available is always the best idea in a sport where "need" is the worst talent evaluator. However, selecting players that are not going to be utilized well by the coaching staff on hand is not exactly the best recipe either.

The best-case scenario, of course, is a player so gifted that he can translate to any coach or scheme and find a way to excel. Maybe, Proctor is that kind of talent but it seems worth highlighting that Roseman and Co. should be thinking about things a little differently this year.

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