Getty Malik Willis celebrates a touchdown in 2021.
Most mock drafters think they have a good idea of what the Philadelphia Eagles are going to do in the first round. They are predicting them to take some kind of combination of an edge rusher, cornerback, safety, or wide receiver depending on how the chips start falling. Jameson Williams (Alabama) and Jordan Davis (Georgia) are two hot names to monitor.
But not everyone is in agreement. There is one lone wolf still howling about the Eagles drafting a quarterback on Thursday night. They might even package up Jalen Hurts in a trade if the right offer blows Howie Roseman away.
JAKIB Media’s Ric Serritella sent the internet into confusion when he proposed the idea of Philadelphia taking Malik Willis. Remember, the Eagles were tracking him at the Senior Bowl and there are reports of their personnel department (via The Rich Eisen Show) calling Liberty University to research the dual-threat quarterback.
The Eagles would be making a massive mistake investing a top pick in Malik Willis to replace Jalen Hurts.
Willis to the Eagles seems like the longest shot on the board, especially when looking at the franchise’s continued public support for Hurts. Anyway, here is what Serritella said:
And what my understanding is, the Eagles brass has done a deep dive on Malik Willis and have come across convinced he’s a much better — not just a little better — a much better thrower than Jalen Hurts. And so when you have more than one quality quarterback you have draft equity, and you’ve seen Howie Roseman flip Carson Wentz. He’s flipped Sam Bradford, and he likes having that [draft equity].
I think he might be a slightly better upgrade than Jalen Hurts and they don’t have to trade Jalen Hurts this year. But, man, what would Jalen Hurts command in a trade return? And they still have Gardner Minshew who could backup Willis so I still think it’s in play.
.@malikwillis‘s college highlight tape is electric 🔥
📺: 2022 #NFLDraft — Starts Thursday 8pm ET on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
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Roseman Doubles Down on Jalen Hurts
The Eagles have gone out of their way this entire offseason to back Jalen Hurts. He’s the starter for the 2022 campaign and hopefully turns into their franchise quarterback after they surround him with more weapons.
I was pleased to hear both Howie Roseman and Nick Siranni state without reservation that Jalen Hurts is their quarterback moving forward. Certainly there are parts of his game that need improvement but I believe his ceiling is high. Teams that go on QB carousels never succeed.
Roseman doubled down on Hurts once again during his pre-draft media availability on April 20. Take him at his word. He downplayed Philly’s blockbuster trade with New Orleans was foreshadowing Hurts’ exit. Next year’s draft class is expected to be loaded at the quarterback position.
“We’re excited about Jalen Hurts and we’re going to support Jalen and want him to have a great career in Philly,” Roseman said. “This was about flexibility for our team and about making sure that we had resources to improve our team for not only this year’s draft, but next year’s draft going forward. We thought it made a lot of sense.”
Eagles Attempting to Move into Top-10?
There are multiple reports stating that Roseman is attempting to trade up into the top-10. Not a surprise by any stretch. However, the question is: what positions is he looking to target with that kind of gutsy move? NFL Media’s James Palmer speculated on an edge rusher, cornerback, or wide receiver while highlighting Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux as one name to watch.
The latest from Philly and the #eagles. A move into the top 10? It’s a very real possibility. What positions would Howie Roseman be looking at? My #NFLDraft report on @nflnetwork
That report was quickly followed by another one from Ian Rapoport and Tom Peliserro who are both hearing “noise” about the Eagles moving up. Rapoport also mentioned Thibodeaux as Roseman’s intended target and guessed they might have to get up to No. 8 or No. 9 to draft him. The Eagles hold picks No. 15 and No. 18.
From NFL Draft Kickoff with @TomPelissero: A look at the teams making the most noise about trading up (#Eagles, #Ravens, among others), what they might move up for… and then, will a RB go in the first round?