6 Linebackers That Could Interest The Eagles In The Draft

Howie Roseman has been busy this offseason. He brought in Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, and CJ Gardner Johnson, among many other names. He even addressed Linebacker a bit by bringing in Devin White. That move alone is not enough to fix the issues they had at linebacker last year though. White is a good start, but he is coming off a couple of bad years.

What they really need to do is acquire a good young Linebacker in the draft.

The Eagles linebacker play was awful last year. Nakobe Dean was injured most of the season, and none of the people behind him stepped up. Zach Cunningham was okay, but not nearly good enough to make up for how bad Nicholas Morrow and the other LBs were behind him. They got so desperate they took a flier on Shaq Leonard, who failed to make an impact in his short stint with the Eagles.

Spending a 1st round pick on a linebacker might not be necessary. Most of the best guys should still be there in round 2. But it would be disappointing for them to get through day 2 of the draft without acquiring a Linebacker. Many of the best NFL defenses have good linebacker play. The Eagles need to catch up.

In 2022 when their defense was highly regarded, they had two solid Linebackers in TJ Edwards and Kyzir Whie. They may not be All_pros, but at the very least they could depend on their LBs. That is the standard they need to get back to.

But what names should interest them? Should they go after a familiar name in Jeremiah Trotter Jr? Or should they be looking at a different name? Let's look at some of the best inside linebackers in the draft.

The name Eagles fans will be most excited by. His dad obviously played for the Eagles and was one of the last great Off-Ball LBs we saw in Midnight Green. His son is not exactly like his dad though. For one, he is smaller. Trotter Jr. Is only 6ft, and 230 lbs. Which is small for a LB. But one thing he does have in common with his dad is football smarts.

Trotter may not have the size and speed of an elite LB. But you will still see him constantly around the ball because he knows where to be to make a play. I have seen a few scouts compare him to TJ Edwards. Not flashy, but rock solid and reliable.

Wilson has the makeup of a great off-ball LB. He was top 3 in both run and pass stop percentage. QBs targeting him had a passer rating of just 47.2. When on the field, he can be a great LB. He is a sideline-to-sideline type of guy.

The one big drawback is injuries. He tore his ACL during his senior year of high school. A second knee injury made him miss his true freshman year in college. Then he missed most of his junior year with a shoulder injury. He is a risk, but a risk with a huge upside.

Cooper is an elite athlete. His burst, lateral quickness, and arm length make his upside perhaps the highest among any linebacker in the draft. His coverage skills could use some work, but he has the speed to make up for it when he does make mistakes. That speed translates to blitzing too. He had 8 sacks last season with the Aggies.

Scouts knock him for some of his coverage skills. Especially in Zone Coverage, they say he needs to take better routes and show more anticipation.

But with how high his upside is, you can look past those little flaws. You can teach a guy how to be better in coverage. His skillset can’t be taught.

It is obvious Colson has the size to play LB. But what scouts really praise is his football IQ. Colson is usually right where he needs to be, and has great pre-snap recognition. The thing people knock him for is that he is not an elite athlete. He is by no means unathletic, but his upside might be a bit limited. That said, his floor is high, and he could bring stability to a LB room in dire need of it.

Gray made Bruce Feldman’s Annual Freak List, with The Athletic writer saying "At 6-3, 270, he has just 11.3 percent body fat, and he vertical-jumped 36.5 inches, broad-jumped 10 feet and bench pressed 390 pounds. This offseason, he topped over 20 mph on the GPS and did six pull-ups with a 70-pound belt attachment."

Some of the knocks on him is that he is not effective when playing on the edge as opposed to inside. But that is fine for the Eagles. What they need is a guy who can line up inside, and still make plays. They have had no problem finding great Edge Rushers. Off-ball LB has been a huge issue for them though.

They need a guy who can play inside, and have the range to cover guys, and make plays at each side of the field. Gray seems to fit that mold.

If you are looking for speed in a Linebacker, look no further than Trevin Wallace. He is explosive, with the range to make plays all over the field. That speed can get him into trouble though. Scouts say he is so reactionary, and quick, he sometimes takes himself out of plays. But if a team could rein him in, and get him to have more patience and anticipation, he could be a very good LB.