The Danger of Drafting for Need: Why Howie Roseman Plays The Long Game With The Eagles

Drafting or signing players out of desperation is one of the fastest ways to derail a roster.

Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman looks on before the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The worst talent evaluator in the NFL has no nameplate, no office, and no official job title. It’s the nebulous, seductive force known simply as “need.”

League-wide, top GMs and coaches repeatedly sound the alarm: drafting or signing players out of pure desperation — rather than genuine talent evaluation — is one of the fastest ways to derail a roster.

Needs shift quickly. A starter gets injured, a veteran declines, or a free agent walks, and suddenly yesterday’s “luxury” pick becomes tomorrow’s emergency.

For a perceived contender like the Eagles, the pressure is even more intense.

The drumbeat of “win now” from fans, media, and even the locker room can drown out patient, logical decision-making. In a city that demands Super Bowl contention every season, the temptation to force fits at positions of perceived weakness is real. Yet Eagles GM Howie Roseman operates on a fundamentally different timetable — one that stretches far beyond the 2026 depth chart.

Roseman openly acknowledges the appeal of immediate contributors. But his North Star isn’t short-term roster patches or easy approval on sports radio. It’s identifying players capable of earning a second contract — ideally with Pro Bowl or All-Pro upside.

“When you’re talking about first-round picks, you’re hoping you’re getting a two-contract player that has Pro Bowl potential,” Roseman explained. “So you’re looking at it over a hopefully eight-, nine-, 10-year period.”

Today's Luxury Is Tomorrow's Need

Eagles GM Howie Roseman | John McMullen/Eagles on SI

That long-view mindset often requires swimming against the current of conventional wisdom and draft-day groupthink.

“If there’s a player available at a position that’s perceived that we’re strong at right now and we think this is going to be an elite player in the NFL, we’re going to take that player,” Roseman said.

NFL draft boards are as unique as snowflakes — no two organizations see talent exactly the same. Some teams chase plug-and-play starters with high floors. Others gamble on raw athleticism and sky-high ceilings.

Roseman and the Eagles’ scouting staff consistently tilt toward the latter: traits, developmental upside, and long-term projection.

“To come in and expect 21-, 22-, 23-year-old players to be the best version of themselves is probably a little naive,” Roseman noted. “Just like all of us, these players need to be developed. A lot of times in the draft, we’ll talk about what could this player be in Year 3, what could this player be at the maturity of the player? — not just the first year.”

This philosophy isn’t just theoretical. The Eagles have repeatedly shown willingness to draft best-player-available even when it didn’t scream “immediate need.” Recent examples include investing premium picks in the trenches and defensive playmakers with the belief that elite talent compounds over time.

Roseman has also emphasized preparing for multiple scenarios at pick 23 in 2026 — staying disciplined to the board while remaining flexible to move up or back if the value dictates. The danger of ignoring this approach is evident across the league. Teams that repeatedly reach for “needs” often end up with mediocre players who fail to develop, while missing out on difference-makers who could have anchored the roster for years.

History is littered with examples of contenders who panicked in the draft, only to watch their window close faster than expected. For the Eagles, with a strong core already in place and fewer glaring starter holes than many teams, Roseman has the luxury — and discipline — to think bigger.

In a weaker 2026 first-round class, that could mean targeting long-term building blocks at offensive line rather than forcing a fix at safety or wide receiver if the elite talent isn’t there.

In the end, “need” is a reactive evaluator. Roseman prefers to be proactive — betting on talent, traits, and time. For a franchise that has already tasted Super Bowl success under his watch on two occasions, that patient, big-picture approach may be the quiet key to sustaining contention well beyond 2026.