Eagles NFL Draft winners and losers: Pass rush gets significantly better; future of Dallas Goedert unclear

The Philadelphia Eagles had one of their most interesting NFL Drafts in recent memory. This isn’t due to the top end of the draft not being as strong as in previous years or the better players remaining in college due to making more money there, but how Philadelphia was going to maneuver the roster being at the back end of each of the first three rounds. 

At the end of the day, the Eagles made five draft weekend trades, including moving up a spot in the first round to select pass rusher/linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Philadelphia had four fifth-round picks between No. 161 and No. 168, using two of them while parlaying the other two to acquire picks and move up in the first round. 

At the conclusion of the draft, the Eagles ended up selecting 10 players — the most under general manager Howie Roseman since 2020. Only one skill-position player was taken, while six were on defense and the other three were on the offensive line. This draft was focused on adding depth to an already talented roster.

Here were the Eagles’ 10 draft picks:

With the draft completed, let’s take a look at the winners and losers from the additions to the roster. 

Winner: Vic Fangio

The Eagles’ first five draft picks were all on the defensive side of the ball, the first three could have an immediate impact on a defense that lost several players in free agency. Campbell is set up to be a pass rusher in Fangio’s defense but also can play in coverage — essentially playing the Andrew Van Ginkel role in Fangio’s defense. 

Andrew Mukuba can play in the slot or line up at safety, having the “ball-hawking” role that C.J. Gardner-Johnson had in this unit last year. Mukuba should be another immediate contributor. Ty Robinson is a pass rusher on the interior, and should be a natural fit in the pass-rushing rotation with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo. 

Philadelphia added immediate contributors and depth at three positions that could have used more quality players. It will be inticing to see how Fangio uses them. 

The draft passed and Goedert still remains on the roster. This isn’t a bad thing for the Eagles, even though they still have inclined their intensions to move on from Goedert. Philadelphia signed Kylen Granson and Harrison Bryant this offseason, while still having Grant Calcaterra as the top tight end options — so there’s depth in case the Eagles move on.

This tight end group could be the deepest in years if Goedert remains, but the Eagles still plan to move on in order to save money down the line. Goedert isn’t a part of the team’s long-term plans with this being the final year of his contract. 

Let’s see if there will be any takers for Goedert after the June 1 deadline, when Philadelphia can spread his cap space out over two years.

Winner: Eagles pass rush

The Eagles had a solid pass rush heading into the draft, albeit with some question marks. How was Philadelphia going to replace edge rusher Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams? Were the Eagles really going to bank on Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt as their primary edge rushers and go with Carter and Davis as the primary players on the interior? 

Philadelphia knew it needed to add depth to the pass rush, with an immediate contributor or two. The Eagles did just that when Campbell fell to them in the back half of the draft and they drafted up one spot to land a top-10 player on their board. As mentioned earlier, the Eagles finally have the player who can fit the Van Ginkel role Fangio is seeking. 

Ty Robinson adds pass-rushing depth on the defensive interior, allowing the Eagles to take Davis off the field on third down. The Eagles have four players they can mix and match at defensive tackle pending on the down and distance. 

There are still some questions regarding the young pass rush but the group is deeper. 

Sydney Brown was a favorite to start at safety opposite of Reed Blankenship heading into the draft. The Eagles were likely going to bring in competition anyway, but drafting Mukuba in the second round wasn’t good for Brown’s chances of starting on this defense in 2025.

The Eagles selected Brown with the No. 66 pick two years ago. Mukuba was the No. 64 pick this year. Philadelphia once thought as highly of Brown as it does Mukuba now, but this is certainly a “prove-it” year for Brown on this defense. 

There’s also the possibility the Eagles could sign Justin Simmons this month once the compensatory pick deadline passes, adding a veteran safety into the room who has a good history with Fangio. This is certainly an uphill battle for Brown to start on this defense but it will play out in training camp.

The Eagles added offensive line depth in this draft, more developmental players than anyone who could start in 2025. Drew Kendall was selected in the fifth round and played primarily center in college, but the Eagles will cross train him as a guard. Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams were tackles picked in the sixth round and are also developmental pieces who provide depth and compete for roster spots. 

Notice how neither of the high draft picks were on the offensive line, despite the open competition at right guard between Green and Tyler Steen. The Eagles traded Gardner-Johnson for Green and have had Steen in the pipeline for the last two seasons (Steen was a third-round pick in 2023). 

The right guard competition remains between Green and Steen to open minicamp, a good sign of the Eagles’ faith in either of them to win the job. 

The Eagles traded Kenny Pickett earlier this offseason and got Dorian Thompson-Robinson as part of the return, a player who they could develop as the No. 3 quarterback. Philadelphia was likely to bring in competition, and drafted Kyle McCord in the sixth round. The Eagles showed interest in a quarterback when reports came out they were looking at Shedeur Sanders when he fell to the fifth round, but the Cleveland Browns jumped them to select the Heisman Trophy finalist.

Selecting McCord in the sixth round was telling, as the Eagles don’t believe the No. 3 quarterback spot is set in stone yet and McCord is a pocket passer who significantly improved over the past year. McCord, who went to St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, can continue that development in offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s system. 

The chances of Thompson-Robinson making this team aren’t good at the moment. He’ll need a good summer to get back on the radar.