Re-Evaluating The Eagles Needs After The Draft

The draft is over. On paper, it looks like Howie did it again. The Eagles added a versatile defender in Jihaad Campbell who could see time both on the Edge and at Inside Linebacker. Then they grabbed a Safety who could push for the starting job in Andrew Mukuba. They added Ty Robinson to their rotation at DT. Then they also added a nickel corner, LB, C, Edge, and 3 potential RTs to develop behind Lane Johnson.

As many needs as they had, Howie Roseman seems to have done a great job filling them. But that does not mean they are done. They still have some holes, and Howie is not one to sit on his hands.

So, where should the Eagles direct their attention now that the draft is over? Here is a look at their biggest needs post-draft.

This is the biggest question the Eagles need to answer. What to do with Dallas Goedert. Not only did he not get traded during the draft, the Eagles did not add a young TE either in the draft or as a UDFA.

The current situation is untenable. They can't rely on the Tight Ends they have behind Goedert. None of them are starting-caliber players. But they also can't keep Goedert on his current contract. They don't want to take the lofty cap hit, and he does not want to play for no guaranteed money.

They could renegotiate, the way the Eagles did with Josh Sweat last season. That is the best-case scenario. But you can imagine Goedert might not be keen to take a pay cut right after he played a big role in winning a Super Bowl. They might need to move on.

If they do, the only real fix would be trading for a veteran. Michal Mayer is buried behind Brock Bowers on the Raiders' depth chart. But he showed promise in his rookie season before Bowers came in and stole the spotlight. Mayer still has 2 years on his rookie contract, is a solid pass-catching option, and can block. He is a downgrade from Goedert, but still a capable starter.

Cole Kmet, now buried behind Colston Loveland on the Bears' depth chart, is also an option. We do not know what Ben Johnson plans out there in Chicago. He may want to use two TEs. But maybe he is available. The problem there is he is not much cheaper than Goedert. Kmet carries a $11 million cap hit and then has an out in his contract. If that option is picked up, he would have two more seasons with $11 million cap hits. Though if the Bears just cut him, which is possible, the Eagles could pick him up at much lower cost.

Mayer is the best option if they can't work it out with Goedert.

I find it hard to believe they will go into the season with no competition for Kelee Ringo's spot as the other outside starter. They showed very little faith in him last season and have not given ringing endorsements when asked about him.

By all accounts, he fits the mold of what you want in a starting corner. He is big and fast. But I have heard too many people I trust also call him stiff, and cast doubt that he will hold up as a starter. If it is Ringo, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean out there, teams are going to pick on Ringo. At the very least they need to bring in someone to compete with him.

The problem is who. Eagles fans are excited about the idea of Asante Samuel jr. But the young corner is not his dad, at least not early in his career. There is a reason he is still unsigned. There are injury red flags, and even when healthy, he has not exactly played great. QBs has a passer rating over 90 when targeting him in each of the past two seasons. He has upside, but injuries have limited him, and it's an injury that has plagued him for a while.

I think a reunion with Rasul Douglas could make more sense. Douglas grew into a solid NFL corner after leaving Philly, and is known to be a ballhawk. At 29, the length of the contract would be the big factor. How much he costs will also be a big factor. Eagles can't afford to pay him long term, or even too much money short term. But the player fit makes sense if they can work out a contract.

I also like Shaquill Griffin. He is a bit of a journeyman and has hopped around between a ton of teams. Griffin is coming off a strong season with the Vikings, where he held QBs to a passer rating under 80, and came away with a couple of picks. He should not break the bank or get anything long-term, but he would be a nice efficient band-aid.

Andrew Mukuba was a great get in round 2. He could very well fill the hole left by CJ Gardner Johnson as the rangy playmaking Safety. Something neither Sydney Brown nor Reed Blankenship can provide, with both of them being more of Strong Safeties.

But Mukuba is also a rookie. Eagles fans were spoiled by how well Mitchell and DeJean played in year 1. That is not always the case. Sometimes, even great players have an adjustment period. See Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, and Nakobe Dean. I love the pick, but they might not want to tell on Mukuba being a great Free Safety for them in year 1.

Is Justin Simmons still on the table? He outright said he wants to play here and has a connection to Vic Fangio. If you could get him on a 1-year deal, it could be the perfect move still. Let Mukuba learn behind a savvy vet and grow without the pressure of having to immediately be an impact starter on a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Julian Blackmon would also make sense. He is a solid, not great option at Free Safety. He won't elevate the defense, but he won't hurt the team either.

They could also just trust Mukuba. Again, I love the Mukuba pick and think he will be the long term answer at FS. This is not a glaring need, I just think it would be ideal to not throw the rookie into the deep end.

Nobody gives the long snapper much thought, but it could be a need. After letting longtime snapper Rick Lovato go, the Eagles currently have a 34-year-old Charley Hughlett as their long-snapper. They might still look to bring in someone younger.