Getty Eagles starters Jalen Hurts and Jason Kelce look on after a penalty call in Super Bowl LVII.
If the Philadelphia Eagles want to strike fear into the hearts of their NFC rivals, then there is only one name they need to call out on draft night. Bijan Robinson should be the pick at No. 10. He is the player best equipped to make their offense even more electric.
According to NFL Network’s James Palmer, Robinson would be an “outside the box” move for Howie Roseman and the Eagles. They haven’t drafted a running back in the first round since 1986. However, Robinson fits the rare breed mold. He could be the missing ingredient to a Super Bowl championship, one that would keep opposing defensive coordinators up late at night.
“This is outside of the box for the Eagles but when I talked to several teams over the weekend in the NFC, I’ll tell you this: they do not want the Eagles to draft Bijan Robinson,” Palmer said. “They believe that would make this offense beyond scary.
“Running back is a need for the Philadelphia Eagles in this draft. They did get Rashaad Penny who has had issues staying healthy. They do really like Kenneth Gainwell but there are a lot of people around the league who believe that this pick would change their offense.”
I’ll just say this. A couple NFC teams I talked to this weekend DO NOT want the #eagles to draft RB Bijan Robinson. The thought of that offense with his addition is scary in their eyes. My report on NFL NOW on @nflnetwork.
Draft Rumors: Eagles Trade Up for Jalen Carter
The Eagles’ normal strategy would be to draft an impact edge rusher or nose tackle. Which is something they can certainly do in a class loaded with elite quarterback hunters. Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell noted that the Eagles have been calling around about trading up from No. 10 to ensure they don’t miss out on Georgia stud Jalen Carter.
Per team sources:
– Eagles are calling about trading up from 10 in the 6-8 range for Jalen Carter
– Eagles like Van Ness
– Texans love Bijan
– Sam LaPorta hurt by medical
– Multiple teams medically flunked Darnell Washington & dropped him off their board
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Detroit (No. 6), Las Vegas (No. 7), or Atlanta (No. 8) would be possible trade partners since leap-frogging Chicago (No. 9) is a must. They would just have to watch out for Seattle (No. 5) at beating them to Carter. Here’s how Campbell broke it down:
Detroit, Las Vegas and Atlanta are not going to take Carter because of his poor character and work-ethic issues not meshing well with their team cultures. The Bears could easily take Carter if he got to the No. 9 pick, so the Eagles would want to jump them.
Among that trio at No. 6-8, the Raiders and Falcons are probably the most likely trade-down partners. Both Las Vegas and Atlanta could use more draft picks, so a trade is possible. The Seahawks are the key to the situation, and if they pass on Carter, then he has a real shot to join [Jordan] Davis in Philadelphia.
REPORT: The belief around the league is the Seattle #Seahawks will use the fifth overall pick of the draft to select Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, per @TonyPauline of @PFN365.
Georgia’s Nolan Smith Looks Like ‘Versatile Weapon’
The other guy being linked heavily to Philadephia is Carter’s teammate at Georgia, Nolan Smith. The speedy edge rusher destroyed the NFL Scouting Combine after registering three sacks and 19 total pressures in 2022. His athleticism is what has him rising high up draft boards.
The amount of talent and discipline in this clip just blows my mind from the #UGA defense…Nolan Smith defeating the reach block and making the tackle in space…Jordan Davis fighting the reach, Jalen Carter beating the cut block with low hands.
Love watching this defense.
The Athletic’s Zach Berman pegged Smith to the Eagles at No. 10 in his latest mock draft. He called Smith a “versatile weapon” and cited his blistering Combine numbers: 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds), 10-yard split (1.52 seconds), and vertical jump (41.5). He’s slightly undersized, but so was Haason Reddick coming out of college.