Round 1
- Georgia DT Jalen Carter (No. 9 overall)
- Georgia edge Nolan Smith (No. 30)
Round 3
- Alabama OG Tyler Steen (No. 65)
- Illinois S Sydney Brown (No. 66)
Round 4
- Georgia CB Kelee Ringo (No. 105)
Round 6
- Stanford QB Tanner McKee (No. 188)
Round 7
- Texas DT Moro Ojomo (No. 249)
The rich got richer, for sure. But the thing with the Jalen Carter pick – the centerpiece of a strong draft class, but a prospect with well-documented character concerns – is that the Eagles built the perfect environment in which he can thrive. They assembled a veteran-laden D-line over time, already arguably the best in the NFL, and have a bevy of Carter’s college teammates on the roster (including two added during this year’s draft). They also have no shot to land Carter if GM Howie Roseman didn’t make a savvy pre-draft trade a year earlier. Carter might be the best player in this draft; Philadelphia got him with the ninth pick (after a trade up from No. 10) and is a successful enough franchise to be able to survive Carter busting for non-football reasons. One of those other Bulldogs the Eagles nabbed: Nolan Smith. Had he gone to another team in the top 15 or 20 picks, I wouldn’t have liked it nearly as much. But scooping him up at the bottom of Round 1 and knowing he doesn’t have to be a 50-snaps-per-game player immediately ups the appeal a notch or two. Even if his smaller size poses some issues, the explosive Smith has time to grow into a starting role. Tyler Steen actually has a chance to start in Year 1 if he can make the transition to guard and beat out Cam Jurgens. If not, Steen has extensive OT experience and could make for a quality four-position reserve. Sydney Brown, snatched up one pick after Steen, might be in a similar spot at safety. He has Reed Blankenship and Terrell Edmunds ahead of him on the depth chart. At the very least, the rookie figures to man the third safety role and play special teams. Was Kelee Ringo worth trading a 2024 third-rounder to land? Time will tell, but like with Carter, Philly’s roster strength and quality asset management allow this franchise to take smart, calculated gambles on prospects with elite physical traits. Style-wise, Tanner McKee feels like a strange fit, given the quarterbacks the Eagles already have, but who are we to doubt this team’s approach when it’s clearly firing on all cylinders? I thought Moro Ojomo would have gone 80-to-100 picks earlier. He’s now a cheap insurance policy for Carter, which makes it all the better. Sending a fourth-rounder two years from now to the Lions for RB D’Andre Swift was the cherry on top of a stellar draft haul.
