Philadelphia Eagles in Position For More Brotherly Love in NFL Draft

Jonah Elliss and T'Vondre Sweat are two prospects in the draft who have brothers on the Philadelphia Eagles, but would they be worth the risks?

Brother acts are not new to the NFL, with the most recent example, of course, being retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

What is rare when brothers play on the same team. There was an overlap last year when the Eagles had linebacker Christian Elliss on the active roster and defensive tackle Noah Elliss on the practice squad.

Christian, however, was released last year with the Eagles hoping they could bring him back, except the New England Patriots foiled those plans by claiming him. Noah is back on a futures contract and another one of his siblings is available in the draft and could be an Eagles target as early as Day 2, though more likely Day 3 if Jonah Elliss is still available.

There’s another potential brotherly reunion with Josh Sweat’s little brother T’Vondre Sweat potentially being available after he was arrested last weekend on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, per the Travis County (Texas) Sheriff's office.

Here’s more on both:

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat (93)

Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

JONAH ELLISS

The Utah product is one of 12 children Luther Elliss and his wife, Rebecca, have. Seven of them are adopted. Luther was a defensive tackle in the NFL for 10 years and was a first-round draft pick in 1995.

Jonah Ellis is a bit undersized at 6-2, 248 pounds, but his college production last year was off the charts. In 10 games, he had 12 sacks with 16 tackles for loss while showing the versatility to drop into coverage when needed, where he had three pass breakups.

NFL Media analyst Scott Pioli tagged Elliss as one of the most underrated players in the draft.

This is what the former assistant general manager of the Atlanta Falcons wrote:

“Measuring 6-foot-2, 248 pounds, he is an undersized edge rusher who surprised a lot of people by entering the draft this year. Although he is a good, young player with major upside, he still has to develop to become a finish product. The son of two-time NFL Pro Bowler Luther Elliss, Jonah possesses good initial get-off, strong pass rush instincts and disruptive ability with a nonstop motor.”

T'VONDRE SWEAT 

This one is tricky and complicated by his recent arrest for DUI. Sweat is considered one of the top defensive tackles in the draft and NFL Media’s Bucky Brooks had him as his fifth-best DT prospect.

But … his arrest could mean he will fall from a projected late first-round, second-round pick, until Day 3.

The Eagles took a chance on Jalen Carter after thoroughly investigating him for his run-in with police in connection with a drag racing incident before last year’s draft that led to the deaths of two friends at the University of Georgia. They took Carter ninth overall.

Sweat’s incident didn’t lead to any deaths, but it is considered a pattern of what has been reported as a partying lifestyle while at the University of Texas.

Officers responded to a crash between an SUV, which Sweat was driving, and a sedan at 4:41 a.m. Sunday morning in Texas. The driver of the sedan left on foot immediately after the crash, according to the Austin Police Department.

Sweat posted a $3,000 bond following his arrest and was scheduled to the Tennessee Titans and the Seattle Seahawks later this week, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Perhaps the Eagles feel pairing him with his brother might help him stay on the proverbial straight-and-narrow path.

There is no question the talent that the 6-5, 366-pound Sweat possesses.

He was named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and was a first-team All-American after totaling 45 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, four PBUs, and one blocked kick.

Sweat also won the Outland Trophy given to the nation’s top interior lineman on either the O-line or D-line.