Philadelphia Eagles Trade Down to 12... Now What?

Mar 27

The offseason certainly just got a lot more interesting for Eagles fans.

It had been one of the most boring offseasons in recent memory for Eagles fans. While other teams splashed the cash, looking at you New England, the Eagles held tight. They made two signings, bringing former Minnesota Vikings safety Anthony Harris and former elite quarterback Joe Flacco in on one-year deals. Many Eagles fans wondered when the team was going to really make a move, but none would’ve expected a move quite like this.

In an event that pretty much no one saw coming, the Philadelphia Eagles traded back six spots with the Miami Dolphins and will now select 12th overall in the 2021 NFL draft. The Dolphins began the day with the third overall pick. They traded back with the San Francisco 49ers after receiving a boatload of first-rounders, then proceeded to move back up in a trade with the Eagles. For moving back six spots, the Eagles received a first-round pick from the Dolphins.

The 49ers now pick third, the Dolphins will be selecting their pick at six, and the Eagles now sit at 12th overall. Got it?

Many Eagles fans are now left wondering, what now? The pick at six seemed so easy, take the best pass catcher available. Most fans had their hearts set on Ja’Marr Chase or Kyle Pitts. The biggest question was which one of the two was still going to be there. Now at 12, the pool of potential picks looks pretty different. There are a few possible ways the Eagles could handle the first round of the draft in Cleveland.

There’s a very obvious situation that a lot of people are overlooking. There’s an idea that Philadelphia is completely out of the race for a top-four receiver (Kyle Pitts is being included in this.) This idea is mostly wrong. It is highly improbable that all four of the top receivers in Ja’Marr Chase, Kyle Pitts, Devonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle are all gone by the Eagles selection. Judging off of drafts over the past decade, it certainly would be an unprecedented event and a peculiar one considering how far the top wide receivers fell last year. There’s a very good shot that one of those four guys is still there for the Eagles at 12. The Eagles get their top receiver a little later and a first-round pick richer.

Say it does happen, and somehow all four of the top receiving weapons are gone by the time the Eagles pick. This just means some serious talent is going to be available. The Eagles do have more holes than just wide receiver, a lot more holes in fact. Two players that immediately spring to mind for the pick at 12 are South Carolina’s cornerback Jaycee Horn and Alabama’s cornerback Patrick Surtain.

Jaycee Horn turned a lot of heads with his insane pro day and hopefully has forced more people to watch his wonderful tape. He is an ultra-aggressive cornerback, who has a scary combination of length and physicality to go along with top percentile athleticism. Patrick Surtain is a bigger technician of a cornerback. He plays with the technique and smarts that you’d expect from an Alabama cornerback, but with the ability to keep up with receivers down the field. Big, technical, and physical, Surtain is an ideal fit in new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme. Both have NFL pedigree, both of their dads multiple-time pro bowlers in the NFL, and both have the potential to lock down opposing receivers alongside Darius Slay.

The Eagles could opt to bolster their offensive line as well. The line should be a bit better than last year with Brandon Brooks returning at right guard, but how much longer do a lot of these Eagles linemen have, at least at a high level? Jason Kelce is going to go down as one of the greatest Eagles ever but has battled retirement for multiple years now. He’ll be turning 34 this season and the Eagles need to find a replacement soon (Creed Humphrey or Josh Myers in the 2nd please.) Brandon Brooks will be 32 and is coming off of his 2nd Achilles tear. I have faith that he can be very good again this season, but how much longer does he have? There are questions all over the line moving forward in Philadelphia.

One of the biggest hopes for Eagles fans, besides a receiver falling, is Northwestern’s offensive lineman Rashawn Slater falling to 12. Slater is one of the best overall players in the draft and could fill a variety of roles for the Eagles. If they wished to do so, he could start at left tackle and hold the position down for the next decade. If the Eagles like what they have in Mailata, he can immediately start and become one of the best guards of his generation. Another offensive lineman to watch out for at 12 is USC’s guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. He is as solid of a first-rounder as you can get. He’s a plug-and-play starter that should be a really good player for the next decade. Philly could immediately boost their interior line at twelve, then take a receiver in the second round.

Just like how the offensive line is aging and needs retooling, so does the defensive line. Looking specifically at edge rusher, Brandon Graham is still going strong. He's 33 though so a replacement will be needed soon. Former first-round pick Derek Barnett’s contract will be coming up after the season and if he doesn’t have a breakout year, the team might opt to move on from him.

Michigan’s Kwity Paye would be a great fit if he’s still on the board at 12. There are so many similarities between him and fellow Wolverine Brandon Graham. The two have nearly identical measurables. Both are traditional hand-in-the-dirt 4-3 defensive ends. I think that Paye can progressively play more inside on passing downs as he bulks up, just as Graham does. What makes Paye even more intriguing of a prospect is that not only is he a powerful rusher, he is a phenomenal athlete as well. His three-cone drill has become the stuff of legends this year, and he recently ran a 4.52 (unofficial) at his pro day. If the Eagles wanted to find the successor for Brandon Graham, they certainly could do a lot worse than Kwity Paye.

Overall there are a ton of options this year for the Eagles at 12th overall. This is a special draft where there’s not much of a gap between the top ten and the middle of the first round. You can get really good players at 12th overall, including players you wouldn’t expect. It’s all up to Howie Roseman now to make the right pick.