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The grades are rolling in for all 32 NFL teams after the first two days of the 2022 NFL draft. Guess what? No one has done a better job in the early rounds than the Philadelphia Eagles. Howie Roseman has navigated this one better than Magellan.
The Eagles came out swinging in the first round by trading up and getting Jordan Davis, the enormous defensive tackle from Georgia with the athleticism of a linebacker. (They had to jump the Baltimore Ravens who were eyeing Davis at No. 14.) Then, they pulled off a shocking blockbuster trade with the Tennesse Titans for A.J. Brown. Those two moves alone garnered them A+ grades from most experts.
NFL Media’s Chad Reuter wrote: “It feels like GM Howie Roseman won the first round before it even started, after making a number of big-time trades dating back to last offseason’s Carson Wentz deal with Indianapolis.”
Meanwhile, The Ringer’s Kaelan Jones wrote: “The Philadelphia Eagles’ Day 1 draft haul might be the best of any NFL team. Philadelphia drafted a foundational defender in Georgia lineman Jordan Davis and traded for one of the NFL’s best young wideouts in A.J. Brown to emerge as one of Thursday night’s biggest winners.”
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Jordan Davis Described as ‘Absolute Freak Show’
The decision to move up and take Davis at No. 13 in Round 1 had draft experts drooling. Yes, it’s true that the 6-foot-6, 345-pounder – Davis told reporters he wants to get down to 330 pounds – has limited experience as an every-down player but no one seems to care. His athleticism is off the charts.
Ben Fennell called him an “absolute freak show” and couldn’t hide his excitement when evaluating Davis’ NFL potential. Here is some of what he said during a 21-minute deep dive:
Jordan Davis, absolute freak show human being … this is a disruptive presence, this is a playmaker and one step further, I don’t even love that he plays with such bad pad level but he’s such a behemoth that he doesn’t have to play with perfect technique because he’s 6-6 360, 6-6 360 doesn’t need perfect technique on Saturdays. He is such a monster you can’t move him.
Josh Norris added: “This is the type of player you can’t just go and sign. There has never been a player like this in the last 5 or 10 years so if you like him go get him on your team. He is legitimately the most athletic defensive player or player in general we have ever seen enter the league.”
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Day 2 Garners Howie Roseman More Praise
The Eagles stayed put at No. 51 in Round 2 and No. 83 in Round 3 and grabbed two more impact players: C Cameron Jurgens and LB Nakobe Dean. Roseman revealed he had opportunities to trade back but decided he liked the guys on the board. The experts agreed on all accounts.
CBS Sports handed them an A grade for Dean: “Finally! Dean is a rockstar on the field. Does everything you want out of a modern-day LB. Instincts. Speed. Twitch. Coverage brilliance. Injuries caused him to fall. Awesome value if he can stay healthy.”
Meanwhile, The Sporting News gave them a C grade on Jurgens and wondered if he was a reach pick: “The Eagles do address a need with retiring Brandon Brooks and aging Jason Kelce with a potential future interior starter, but Jurgens is backup material first. He is a compact well-rounded blocker, but with his athleticism needing to be developed more, he just was a more comfortable Day 3 pick.”
Roseman Explains Decision to Pick Nebraska Center
There were quite a few people miffed by the Jurgens’ pick. Why allot second-round resources to a guy who probably won’t see the field – barring an injury to Jason Kelce – during the 2022 season? Well, Roseman had a great answer ready to fire out of his holster. The organization had Jurgens ranked very high on their board and didn’t want to miss out. Plus, the Nebraska standout can mentor under Kelce before he retires.
“For the Philadelphia Eagles, for us, having elite play at the center position, it’s important,” Roseman said. “We felt like this guy, he was different than the centers who have come out the last couple of years. We think he has a chance to be really, really good. Getting to learn from the best ever, we thought was a way for him to be even better.”
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