The Eagles Mock Draft Roundup, Who Every Expert Has Them Picking at 22
Just a few more days until the NFL Draft. Who will the Eagles pick at 22? Will they go with a cornerback for the first time in 20 years? Will…
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 31: Amarius Mims #65 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts after a touchdown during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 31, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)Just a few more days until the NFL Draft. Who will the Eagles pick at 22? Will they go with a cornerback for the first time in 20 years? Will Howie stick with an offensive lineman? Or maybe an edge rusher to replace Haason Reddick? What do the "experts" think the Eagles will do? Let's do an Eagles Mock Draft Roundup to find out which way the Eagles might go.
Mock drafts often vary in accuracy. Predicting specific players to specific teams is very difficult. But what the best guys do usually get right is the type of player or the position a team will target. Looking at every mock draft might not get you the exact player, but it may hint at which direction a team is going to go.
Last year, late in the process, we did actually start to see Jalen Carter show up a lot in Eagles mock drafts. The year before Jordan Davis was a popular pick as well. There is some method to the madness with Mocks, even if most get it wrong.
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)For More Draft Content, Check Out the Following Articles:
- Tyrone Johnson Mock Draft 3.0- Howie Sticks To What He Knows
- We Simulated The Eagles Draft 10,000 Times, Here Are The Results
- 8 Prospects The Eagles Could Target After Day 1 Of The Draft
Here is (nearly) every mock draft from a major outlet, and who they have the Eagles picking at 22. Some have the Eagles trading up, and a few have them trading down.
Shoutout to Brendan Gunn who did the legwork for this. I came into work fully prepared to go through dozens of Eagles mock drafts. But by the time I got in, BGunn had already done that for me as a reference to help Andrew Salciunas and John Kincade in the mornings. So I borrowed his hard work to make my job a little bit easier.
Here is your Eagles Mock Draft Roundup:
Chad Reuter/NFL.com: Trade up 16/Jared Verse-EDGE-Florida State
"One year after moving up a slot to draft Jalen Carter, the Eagles once again climb the board for a top defensive prospect. They swap one of their second-round picks (No. 50) for the first of Seattle's two fourth-rounders (No. 102) to move up six spots for Verse, who has a bright future as a power rusher and stout run defender on the edge."
Edge rusher is arguably a need now that they traded Haason Reddick. But me personally, I would hate this. Not because I don't like Verse, I do. But because you are now giving up two picks, to address something that never needed to be a need. In Reuter's draft, Laiatu Latu went at pick 23. You could stay at 22, pick Latu, and then still have your 2nd round pick.
Peter Schrager/NFL.com: Cooper DeJean-DB-Iowa
"DeJean had an outstanding college career and showed out at his private workout. He can play corner or safety and is a special teams Swiss Army Knife. Is 22 too rich? Maybe. But I can see him in an Eagles uniform."
This one I would be very happy with. Cornerback is obviously a need, and Cooper is among my favorite corners in the draft. He could also play inside, or even at Safety if needed. Staying at 22, and getting a great player, that fits a need, is an ideal outcome on day 1 of the draft.
Daniel Jeremiah/NFL.com: Nate Wiggins-CB-Clemson
"The Eagles' pass defense was atrocious last season. Wiggins is the most natural cover man in this year’s draft."
Another corner whose name I would be happy to see on draft day. Wiggins is an athletic freak and may have the highest upside of any corner in this draft. He ran the fastest 40-time for any corner at the Combine.
Bucky Brooks/NFL.com: Kool-Aid McKinstry-CB-Alabama
"The Eagles need to improve on the island. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme requires corners to read routes and tackle well on the perimeter. McKinstry might lack elite athleticism, but he plays like a 10-year veteran outside the numbers."
Kool-Aid is my favorite potential pick. Not just because he has the collect name in the draft, but because I think he will be a special cornerback. He was also a leader with Alabama. The Eagles saw a lot of their leadership on defense leave, and Brandon Graham will be gone soon as well. Getting a potential future leader in on that side of the ball would be a plus.
Lance Zierlein/NFL.com: Nate Wiggins-CB-Clemson
"Wiggins is quite slender at 173 pounds, but he possesses blazing speed and smooth footwork to mirror and match routes outside. Clearly, corner is a big area of need in Philadelphia."
Another Wiggins pick. Again, would be over the moon with this. He is not just fast as hell, but he is a technician. his small size is slightly concerning, but we saw Devonta Smith overcome the same issue as a WR.
Pete Prisco/CBS Sports: Amarius Mims-OT-Georgia
"They know Lane Johnson won't be playing forever, so why not take a tackle who can replace him? Amarius Mims had limited starts at Georgia, but he is a massive man with a ton of upside."
The Eagles taking an O-Lineman is a real possibility. they like to get ahead of things. And purely for replacing Lane, Mims makes sense. My problem with him is he does not have Guard versatility, at least not that we know of. If they take an O-Linemen at 22, for me, it needs to be someone who can start at RG for 2 years. I am not spending a 1st on a guy who won't play until 2026. Not with how many other needs they have.
Mel Kiper 4.0/ ESPN : Nate Wiggins-CB-Clemson
"Wiggins surrendered just one completion of 20-plus yards in 2023, and he has outstanding speed -- he ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the combine. The blend of cover skills and physical tools should make him an early contributor."
Yet another person mocking Wiggins to the Eagles. Seems like he is a popular pick. Cornerback is definitely the popular position, but Wiggins in particular is the name coming up most often.
Matt Miller/ESPN: Nate Wiggins-CB-Clemson
"They signed veteran nickel C.J. Gardner-Johnson and should get Darius Slay and James Bradberry back healthy, but there’s no doubt Philadelphia needs an infusion of top-end talent at cornerback. Wiggins has legendary speed (4.28-second time in the 40-yard dash) that shows up on tape in man coverage situations. He had two interceptions last season, and his combination of length, wheels and hustle would get him on the field early in Philly."
Wiggins again... People really love connecting him and the Eagles. That makes sense. He is not my favorite of the corners, but I won't complain if he ends up in Midnight Green.
Andrew DiCecco/ Inside The Birds- JC Latham-OT-Alabama,
"He’ll start at right guard – a position at which he logged some snaps earlier in his career – before eventually pivoting to right tackle whenever stalwart and mainstay Lane Johnson decides to call it a career."
If they are going to take a lineman, this is the way to go. Latham can play right away, and eventually replace Lane. Dicecco joined the Fanatic and told us he would go OL in the 1st round, because there is more depth at corner, and he likes their chances to get a good corner later in the draft more than he likes their chances to get a O-Linemen. For what it's worth, he has the Eagles taking Rutgers corner Max Melton in the 2nd round.
PFF: 1- Amarius Mims
"Lane Johnson, 34, isn't getting any younger and has dealt with injuries in three of the past five seasons. At 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, Mims is raw but an impressive pass blocker, allowing just one pressure on 168 such snaps last year. A season of him developing behind Johnson should set up the Eagles' offensive line nicely for the next several years."
Again, nothing against Mims the player. He could be a very good RT. But I hate redshirting a 1st round pick, for possibly 2 years. Especially when you have so many needs on defense. They don't have the luxury of this type of pick.
