Computer Mock Draft 1.0- Eagles Grab A High Upside DE

We are firmly in Mock Draft season. But instead of doing my own Eagles mock draft, I wanted to try something different. So I let the computer make the picks. I pulled up an NFL Draft Simulator, in this case Pro Football Network, and set it to auto-pick the entire draft.

I will do the same thing every Monday between now and the draft. I will also put out the usual article simulating the Eagles' first-round Pick, which has correctly picked a player that the Eagles have drafted for four straight years now.

But who does the computer have the Eagles in the 1st edition of this mock draft?

The Eagles get their Edge Rusher, and he is an incredibly productive one. 17 Sacks last season at Marshall, a 20.2% Pressure rate, and a 9.4% Run Stop Rate. In terms of talent, he would be a great pick-up. And if you are worried about the school he played at, he impressed at the Senior Bowl too, showing he can hang with players from bigger schools.

The one big problem with Green is off the field. He has faced two different accusations of Sexual Assault. One back in High School, and one while he was at Virginia. Neither materialized into charges, but the accusations are there and can't be ignored. Teams will have to do their own homework, and if those accusations are legitimate, he might be someone you need to take off your board entirely.

Even if the Eagles re-sign Zack Baun, which sounds like the plan, LB could still be a need. Nakobe Dean has been great when healthy, but he has not always been healthy, and he is going into the last year of his deal. There is very little depth behind Baun and Dean.

Enter Barrett Carter. A couple of years ago Barrett Carter looked destined to become the best LB in college. He followed up a great Sophomore Year with an ok Junior year and took another step back in 2024. But the traits that made him once so highly regarded are there. He still projects to be a solid starting LB in the NFL.

The Eagles have Georgia guys all over their D-Line, why not add them on the O-Line too? Dylan Fairchild has 1,440 snaps for Georgia over the past 3 years. Most came at LG, but he did play 134 at RG, so he has some versatility. Fairchild also fits the Eagles mold in that he is an elite athlete for his position.

In his 837 Pass Block Snaps, he gave up only 1 sack. Pass Blocking will not be an issue for him. Run Blocking is a work in progress. So maybe going to the most run-heavy team in the league is not the best fit, but he has the traits to be much better, and the Eagles are the best place to learn with Jeff Stoutland here, and a lot of great players around him.

The computer has the Eagles doubling up on Edge Rushers in this draft. First Mike Green, and now Powell-Ryland. Like Green, Powell-Ryland certainly does lack for production. He has 24 sacks in the past 2 seasons over 25 games and had a shiny Pass Rush Win Rate of 16.9% this past season.

Powell-Ryland is one of the better athletes among Edge Rushers in this draft. He had the 10th-best 40 time, 9th-best 10-yard Split, 5th-best Vertical, and 5th-best Broad Jump. He could stand to add some strength, and he isn't as good against the run as he is against the pass, but you aren't getting the perfect prospect at the end of the 4th round, you are looking for guys with tools you can hone. Powell-Ryland has those tools.

With Kenny Gainwell a free agent, and Will Shipley being the only guy left behind Saquon Barkley, it would make some sense for the Eagles to add another RB, and Damien Martinez would be a great get in round 5.

In 3 seasons, 2 at Oregon State and 1 at Miami, Martinez racked up 3,173 yards, 26 TDs, and averaged 6.1 yards per carry. He did not offer much as a pass catcher, but the Eagles have not exactly used their RBs much as pass catchers anyway.

The computer not only double dips on Edge Rushers, it double dips on LBs. It would be unprecedented for the Eagles, but not without merit, and Kiser would certainly be a nice get in the 5th round.

As part of the Notre Dame defense that helped them get all the way to the National Championship game, Kiser played at a pretty high level. He is a smart instinctual player, though not the most explosive athlete. He kind of fits a similar mold Jeremiah Trotter Jr fit last season. The fact he is experienced on Special Teams is a plus too since he likely would not see the field much on defense in year 1. But he has the upside to be a solid piece.

PFN did not have the Eagles with the 169th pick for some reason. But the player they mocked to the Steelers there makes some sense for the Eagles, so I just went with him.

The Eagles released Slay. That does not make them needy for a CB, but they love to have depth there, so why not take a late flier on another DB? Parrish has been very solid as a Zone Corner for K-State, is solid vs the run, and flashed some playmaking ability in 2023. In terms of upside in the 5th round, he is a guy you could see becoming more than the round would suggest he is. Not a bad pick to round out the draft.