2023 Eagles Three-Round Mock Draft: Howie Further Builds On Super Bowl
The Philadelphia Eagles are in a unique position. Due to a savvy trade with the New Orleans Saints, general manager Howie Roseman has two first-round selections in the 2023 NFL Draft. Eagles fans have been clamoring for the front office to consider Bijan Robison as the tenth overall pick, which was acquired in the lead-up to the 2022 NFL Draft.
How The Eagles Got Here
This is quintessentially the antithesis of Howie Roseman’s team-building philosophy. This has been on full display in the 2023 NFL Offseason, as the Eagles allowed Miles Sanders to walk out the door, as their Pro Bowl running back signed with the Carolina Panthers on a four-year deal.
As a result, Philadelphia supplemented its running back room ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. To increase their depth at the position, the Eagles signed Rashaad Penny on a one-year contract. He joins incumbents Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott, who form a three-headed attack that can complement each other well. Furthermore, the Eagles still have Trey Sermon, acquired off waivers last season.
The Eagles enter the 2023 NFL Draft needing to replenish lost depth in the offseason. After a magical Super Bowl run, with arguably the best roster in the league, Philadelphia had opponents lining up to strip their cupboards bare.
Acquisitions: Rashaad Penny RB, Greedy Williams DB, Nicholas Morrow LB, Justin Evans T, Marcus Mariota QB,
Losses: Miles Sanders RB, Javon Hargrave DL, Isaac Seumalo G, Andre Dillard T, Kyzir White LB, T.J. Edwards LB, Zach Pascal WR, Chauncey Garnder-Johnson DB, Gardner Minshew QB, Marcus Epps S
Round One, Pick 17 – Bryan Bresee – DL, Clemson
Trade: The Eagles trade the 10th overall selection to the Pittsburgh Steelers for picks 17, 49, 80, and a 2024 5th rounder.
In vintage Howie Roseman fashion, the Eagles make a savvy trade back in this mock draft scenario. The Steelers are desperate for an elite tackle prospect, so the Eagles stock up on additional selections to plug holes on the roster and supplement their trench depth.
Bryan Bresee was previously considered as a potential top-five selection. Unfortunately, the Clemson defender has suffered significant adversity throughout the last two years of his collegiate experience. Bresee suffered the tragic death of his sister, battling illness and injuries also through that span. This has impacted his production in college and has resulted in him slipping down draft boards.
The Eagles select Bresee with their first pick. They get a defensive lineman with fantastic size at 6’5″, 298 pounds to place next to Jordan Davis. The Clemson prospect is simply explosive. His sky-high potential, unteachable physical traits, and nasty play style will make him a perfect addition to Philadelphia’s defense.
Round One, Pick 30 – O’Cyrus Torrence – IOL, Florida
Isaac Seumalo leaves and the Eagles immediately replace him. While not a flashy selection, O’Cyrus Torrence is the closest thing to a human excavator. He clears holes in the run game and plays with a mean streak. He can start immediately at RG, with his enormous 6’5″, 330 pounds lending memories of Brandon Brooks to Philadelphia fans.
The Florida prospect achieved consecutive seasons with a PFF overall grade of 88.0 or above. He moves defenders with ease, oozing strength, power, and leg drive to displace defenders. In my previous analysis of Torrence, I delved into the improvements that he can make as a pass blocker, yet the promise that already shines there. In his last three seasons in college, the Floria guard did not give up a single sack and allowed just one quarterback hit.
Philadelphia adds to its starting five once again and finds an interior lineman that can hang across from Landon Dickerson for the next decade.
Round Two, Pick 49 – Felix Anudike-Uzomah – EDGE, Kansas State
Roseman returns to the trenches. Further solidifying the defensive line, Philadelphia prepares for the inevitability of Brandon Graham’s imminent retirement. While the 35-year-old is coming off his first double-digit sack season in his incredible career, the Eagles will look for his replacement with an exceptional value selection.
Anudike-Uzomah is a terrific prospect that has just about everything. At 6’3″, 255 pounds, the Kansas State prospect has terrific size for an EDGE rusher. Moreover, they had spectacular production in college for the Wildcats. Anudike-Uzomah had 19.5 sacks, 25.5 TFL, eight forced fumbles, and 89 pressures in his past two seasons.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, paired with Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, will be part of a formidable pass rush that terrorizes opposing offensive tackles for years to come.
Round Two, Pick 62 – Luke Musgrave – TE, Oregon State
The Eagles rushing attack is simply dominant. Behind a league-best offensive line, Philadelphia can line up with heavy personnel and wear opponents down on the ground. Unfortunately, the 2021 trade that saw the departure of potent pass catcher Zach Ertz, left the Eagles with just one premium weapon at tight end. As Musgrave slips down the board due to his recent knee injury, Roseman attempts to get a great value prospect at a position in need of some depth.
While backup tight end Jack Stoll was solid in his limited role, he caught just 11 passes for 123 yards and five first downs. The Eagles also have Grant Calcaterra, a sixth-round draft choice from 2022 that had five catches for 81 yards. Musgrave provides them with a legitimate TE2, which will allow them to employ heavy personnel much more often. PFF touted him as “the best athlete at the position in the class”.
Musgrave provides the Eagles the opportunity to line up with two tight ends and throw the football effectively. His size (6’6″, 253 pounds), athleticism (1.54 10-yard split and 4.61 40-yard dash), and potential (touted by the Ringer’s Danny Kelly as having a “scintillating combination of size and gazelle-like speed”) make the Oregon State weapon a terrific shot for Howie Roseman to take here in the second round.
Round Three, Pick 80 – Garrett Williams – CB, Syracuse
The Eagles need some youth at cornerback. Entering the offseason, Philadelphia was fearful that both James Bradberry and Darius Slay would be suiting up for different teams around the league. Fortunately, the front office managed to retain both of them, returning perhaps the best outside combination in the NFL.
Williams offers upside as a defensive back with terrific ball skills, who PFF praised as having “some of the best feet of any cornerback in the draft class”. He played just seven games in 2022, but his collegiate career was full of incredibly solid production. In 28 games for Syracuse, Williams had 21 passes defended, four interceptions, and 9.5 TFLs. Moreover, he also managed to add two sacks and a forced fumble in his tenure.
Philadelphia needs depth at the position, with both cornerback and safety being quite thin. While Maddox takes care of the traditional slot cornerback role, Williams can backup Slay and Bradberry, while also providing the flexibility to line up as a box safety. While Williams had just nine snaps in the slot in his three seasons at Syracuse, he lined up 171 times in the box and had a knack for the backfield. The Eagles get themselves a defensive back to further complement their secondary.
Round Three, Pick 94 – A.T. Perry – WR, Wake Forest
Speaking of depth needs, Philadelphia has an elite duo at wide receiver in superstars A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Unfortunately, Quez Watkins was disappointing in a complementary role last season. The 2020 sixth-round pick saw his yards per reception drop from 15.0 to 10.7, and his overall production plummet from 647 yards receiving to 354.
That being said, the Eagles don’t necessarily need a slot receiver. Brown and Smith both have the flexibility to line up in multiple different ways, so A.T. Perry provides another weapon for Nick Sirianni to deploy. At 6’3″, 198 pounds, the Wake Forest receiver has been extraordinarily productive in his last two seasons of college football. Perry has racked up an incredible 2,389 yards and 26 TDs in his last two seasons. Moreover, PFF has credited him with an overall grade of over 80 in those two campaigns.
Perry gives Hurts another receiver with a large catch radius. He joins Brown, Smith, Goedert, and Musgrave to form a truly intimidating passing game. Opponents will absolutely hate this pick.
And there you have it. What is your favorite pick of this three-round Philadelphia Eagles 2023 NFL Mock Draft? Let us know on our social media and don’t forget to follow Stadium Rant for all of your sporting news.
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