The best late-round steals in Eagles history (And why they slipped)

The Philadelphia Eagles hit on first-round draft picks in the past. They've fared significantly better in the second round.

What about the hidden gems? How well have the Eagles fared in the later rounds in the draft?

For years, Eagles fans have hoped for a hidden gem that catapulted their team to a championship. They finally found that player in Jason Kelce, the lynchpin of the Super Bowl LII championship team and two conference champion teams.

Kelce is going to be a sure-fire Hall of Famer when he's eligible for induction. How many other hidden gems have the Eagles discovered over the years?

For this piece, let's go with Round 3 or later. The Eagles have some good finds in the later rounds of the draft.

Nick Foles (2012, third round)

Foles had two different stints with the Eagles, yet this is the quarterback that took the team to Super Bowl glory. He's arguably one of the most popular players in franchise history -- and has a statue outside of Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles have not issued Foles' number (9) since he left the franchise after the 2018 season. The franchise put the number on hold after what Foles did for the organization in leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in the 2017 season. Foles completed 72.6% of his passes for 971 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, and a 115.7 passer rating in the 2017 postseason.

In Super Bowl LII, Foles took home MVP honors after going 28 of 43 for 373 yards, three touchdowns, and a 106.1 passer rating (also catching a touchdown pass from the "Philly Special"). He's the only quarterback to throw and catch a touchdown pass in the postseason. Foles still has the highest completion percentage in NFL playoff history (68.1%).

A third-round pick by the Eagles in 2012, Foles led the NFL in passer rating (119.2) and had the best single-season touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history (27-2) during a 2013 season in which he led the Eagles to the playoffs. Foles is the only NFL quarterback to record 20+ passing touchdowns in a season with no more than two interceptions, earning a Pro Bowl selection and winning Pro Bowl MVP honors.

Foles is one of only three quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for seven touchdown passes and zero interceptions in a game, joining Peyton Manning and Y.A. Tittle in that category. He's one of eight quarterbacks to throw seven touchdown passes in a game.

Foles also shares NFL records in most consecutive completions (25, tied with Drew Brees and Ryan Tannehill) and most consecutive pass completions in a game (25, tied with Brees). He also holds the Eagles' franchise record in passer rating (93.2) and passing yards in a game (471).

Why did Foles fall? Teams were concerned about his mobility when the league was trending towards more mobile quarterbacks. He was also slow to get rid of the ball, which caused his stock to fall.

Harold Carmichael (1971, seventh round)

The NFL had some great wide receivers, but Carmichael was one of the best of his era.

A seventh-round pick in 1971 out of Southern University, Carmichael made a name of himself in the NFL with his 6-foot-8 frame -- a nightmare for NFL defensive backs for over a decade. Carmichael owns every major receiving record in Eagles franchise history, ranking first in receptions (589), receiving yards (8,978), and touchdowns (79). He also caught a pass in 127 consecutive games from 1972 to 1982, which was an NFL record until Steve Largent broke it in 1986.

Prior to the illegal contact rule -- which was put in place in 1978 and restricted contact beyond five yards downfield -- Carmichael relied on other aspects of the game to survive in the NFL. Size mattered in the 1970s.

Carmichael's numbers certainly improved once the illegal contact rule was added, having 216 catches for 3,787 yards and 34 touchdowns from 1978 to 1981. He ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in all three categories, including having the second-most touchdown receptions in that span. The prime of Carmichael's career benefitted with the illegal contact rule, even through he credits what he learned in his early years for getting him to that point.

When Carmichael's NFL career ended, he was fifth in NFL history in catches, seventh in yards, and tied for sixth in touchdowns. Carmichael led all NFL wide receivers in receptions (549), receiving yards (8,414), and receiving touchdowns (77) from 1973 to 1983.

Why did Carmichael fall? Carmichael was a raw prospect from Southern University, and scouts weren't sure if he was a wide receiver or tight end since he was 6-foot-8. The Eagles tried him out at wide receiver and developed him early in his career.

Jason Kelce (2011, sixth round)

The gem of hidden gems, Kelce is arguably the most popular player in Eagles history. He's a future Hall of Fame center too, one of the greatest to ever play at his position.

Kelce is the only center since the merger to earn six First Team All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl title. Kelce is the fifth center in NFL history with that many All-Pro selections.

The other four (Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermotti Dawson, Jim Ringo) are in the Hall of Fame. Of the 54 players in NFL history that have earned six or more first-team All-Pro selections, all of them are in the Hall of Fame.

Kelce's final season was still proof he was at the top of his game. He allowed just one sack and 12 pressures on the season, with a pressure rate per dropback of 1.9%. This coming off a career year in 2022, allowing zero sacks, eight pressures and a 1.3% pressure rate allowed per dropback.

Kelce got better with age. All of his First Team All-Pro selections came after age 30 and he made five straight Pro Bowls from age-32 on. He had a Hall of Fame career in his 30s.

Why did Kelce fall? Kelce didn't have the size nor power to project as a starting center. His movement was slow and didn't show much potential from his tape at the University of Cincinnati. He was the starting center from his rookie year in Philadelphia and became elite as the years went on.

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