With the hopes of bringing home a third Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia, the Eagles dive into the 2026 NFL Draft to fill any final needs before September. The key additions in free agency and returning veterans look to help the new rookie class.
With linebacker Nakobe Dean, safety Reed Blankenship, and edge Jaelan Phillips leaving for a new home for the 2026 season, the Eagles responded by bringing in Super Bowl champion Riq Woolen, edge Arnold Ebiketie, and wide receiver Marquise Brown to fill in quick needs.
The losses in free agency may look to be harmful in the short term, but the Eagles were prepared in previous drafts for this moment, drafting edge Nolan Smith in 2023 and Jalyx Hunt in 2024, while drafting linebacker Jihaad Campbell and safety Andrew Mukuba in 2025.
As the Eagles head into the 2026 NFL Draft, their biggest positions of need consist of offensive tackle, safety, and edge rusher. This draft supplies them with the best chance to fill one of these positions in round one.
The Eagles enter the draft with nine total picks, ranging from their own draft capital to other organizations’ draft picks via trades.
At pick 23, they sit in the far middle of the bunch to select the top prospect at their desired position, but not far from trading up to the top half.
Major trades have occurred in the draft for the Eagles in the past five years, trading with the New Orleans Saints to secure an additional 2023 first-round pick, trading up for Jalen Carter using the Saints’ pick to trade up with the Chicago Bears.
Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor from Alabama seemingly fits right into the correct draft position and value for the Eagles.
As Lane Johnson enters his age 36 season, the Eagles will need to secure their right tackle of the future.
With the loss of Reed Blankenship, the safety position remains thin, with just Mukuba being the only starter returning for 2026. However, Oregon’s Dillion Thieneman looks to be a great option to fill that need.
Thieneman racked up 99 total tackles in his junior season while earning first-team All-Big Ten honors and first-team All-American honors in 2025. While his run-game defense and coverage have some work to do, a project could be in the works for the Eagles.
While edge rushers are the one position that often does not have a “safe” label, Missouri’s Zion Young makes an exception, with his run defense and pass rush being graded by an average of 92%.
Being named second-team all-SEC while racking up nine and a half sacks.
Looking away from the draft, the big spotlight for the Eagles in the off-season has been the A.J. Brown buzz, questions pondering such as where he will play next year or how much he is truly worth in a trade for his age 29 season.
Brown has racked up over 5000 yards and 32 touchdowns with the Eagles since 2022. While the production has slowed down, he has shown to still gives off his flashy style of play, along with big-time catches in the clutch.
The NFL Draft will take place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, and the Eagles will look to bring in a new star rookie for the future.
