Eagles bolster defensive line in post-Combine 2025 mock draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl victory, which means they’re going to have to wait a while to make their first pick.
The last time the Birds won the Super Bowl they ended up trading out of pick 32 when the Ravens came calling about Lamar Jackson. So we know they’ll listen to offers if there’s a similar situation.
But there’s also an opportunity to land a good player if they stay at 32. Here’s a first-round mock draft:
1. Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The Titans might be willing to trade out of this spot if they don’t completely fall in love with Ward but if they think he’s the best QB in this draft, they have to be willing to take him here. That doesn’t mean the Titans won’t think about a trade or thinking about picking Abdul Carter, but the most likely scenario is them sticking and picking Ward at this spot.
2. Browns: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
The Browns have tried to make it very clear that they aren’t interested in trading Myles Garrett but we’ll see what happens there. Either way, Carter is a generational talent at edge rusher. He will either be the replacement for Garrett or could be a dynamic rusher on the other side of the line.
3. Giants: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Giants have to get a quarterback, right? Perhaps it’ll happen through a trade up to No. 1 to land Ward. But if not, can’t you just see Sanders ending up with the Giants? He’s the type of pick the Giants would hope to turn around a franchise that has been aimless in recent seasons. And he has the type of confidence to thrive with a ton of attention on him.
4. Patriots: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
The Patriots get one of the most talented players in this draft. Is he a receiver? Is he a cornerback? Figure it out later. Mike Vrabel can give Hunter a chance to major in one position and minor in the other. The Patriots seem to like Hunter quite a bit. They have less of a pressing need at cornerback because they already have Christian Gonzalez. But if there’s any coach willing to have Hunter play on both sides a bit, maybe it’s Vrabel. The former NFL linebacker played a bit on offense during his playing days.
5. Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
The Jaguars could go offensive line here even without a super pressing need. But Graham’s value and a Jags’ need line up here. Graham was a stud at Michigan and is one of the most talented players overall in this class.
6. Raiders: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
The Raiders are a team that might be willing to trade up to find a quarterback. But with both of the top ones gone in this mock draft, they find a guy they hope will be their WR1 for years to come. McMillan (6-4, 219) is a big and rangey receiver who has drawn comparisons to Drake London. The Raiders need a WR1 ahead of Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker.
7. Jets: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
The Jets will ned to replace D.J. Reed if the veteran leaves in free agency and they can do that with the top cornerback in this year’s class. Pairing Johnson with Sauce Gardner can set up the Jets’ secondary for a long time. And new head coach Aaron Glenn is a former cornerback and DBs coach who might be able to get the most out of Johnson.
8. Panthers: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
The Panthers are a team with plenty of needs but generating more pass rush should be at the top of the list. Williams played most of the 2024 season with an ankle injury, which clearly affected him. If you look past that, Williams is a versatile rusher with a ton of physical traits that should be exciting for a team building again.
9. Saints: Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
The Saints desperately need to find more pass rush in 2025 and they’ll have an opportunity to do it here with a player who wowed at the Combine. Sure, the sack production in college wasn’t great but sometimes edge is a position where you draft traits. And Stewart’s athleticism popped in Indy.
10. Bears: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
This would be a dream scenario for the Bears. They got their QB last year when they drafted Caleb Williams but they desperately need to find a way to protect him better. Some think Campbell is a guard in the NFL and some think he’s a tackle. The good news is that the Bears need help pretty much everywhere. Find his best spot, plug and play.
11. 49ers: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
The Niners need some help on their offensive line. Banks could fill in at right tackle but could also be the future replacement for Trent Williams, who will be 37 when the 2025 season begins.
12. Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
This one feels almost too obvious. You can certainly argue about the value of taking a running back at 12, especially given the expected depth at the position in this year’s class. But it’s hard to question Jeanty’s ability. He was the best running back in the country in 2024 and has an extremely high ceiling in the NFL. He’s already a great runner and has the ability to be a good pass catcher. The Cowboys have drafted a running back in the first round before and they could do it again after watching how much Saquon Barkley transformed the Eagles in 2024.
13. Dolphins: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
The Dolphins need to protect Tua Tagovailoa. Not only do the Dolphins need guards, but Terron Armstead doesn’t know if he wants to keep playing and the Dolphins are operating as if he won’t be back. So getting a guy like Membou would help. Some see him as a tackle and some see him as a guard. Membou doesn’t have great length, which has led to guard projections but some teams will still like him on the edge.
14. Colts: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
The Colts get to sit there at 14 and take one of the best overall players in this draft and the type of player who could be a big difference maker in the career of QB Anthony Richardson. Shane Steichen would love to get a dual-threat playmaker like Warren on his team.
15. Falcons: Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia
The Falcons need some help on defense and Walker is an explosive and versatile player. He has played off-ball linebacker as well as edge rusher and his versatility is impressive. Walker has drawn Nolan Smith comps during this pre-draft process.
16. Cardinals: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
If you had concerns about Green’s level of competition, he was able to go to Senior Bowl and prove that he wasn’t lucky to lead the nation in sacks in 2024. The Cardinals could definitely use some firepower off the edge.
17. Bengals: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
The Bengals could use a boost on the interior of their defensive line and a player like Nolen has the ability to be a disruptive interior pass rusher at the NFL level. Nolen (6-4, 296) should be a three-down player in the league.
18. Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama
It might not always seem like the best idea to spend a big pick like this on a guy who is considered to be a guard-only prospect but if the Seahawks can plug-and-play Booker to protect Geno Smith, it makes a lot of sense. Booker feels like a pretty safe, high-floor pick.
19. Buccaneers: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Mike Evans is winding down his Hall of Fame career and the Bucs will want to keep their offense rolling. It might not seem like their biggest need but landing a player like Egbuka (6-1, 202) would mean replenishing while also getting another weapon for Baker Mayfield. Egbuka can play inside or out and that versatility should help him fit in.
20. Broncos: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
The Broncos’ top need happens to line up with good value to get Loveland at No. 20. He’d be an immediate difference maker for the Broncos offense.
21. Steelers: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Golden (5-11, 191) ran a blazing 4.29 at the Combine and has the versatility to play inside and outside at the next level. He can also stretch the field for a Steelers’ team that needs a reboot at the receiver position.
22. Chargers: Kenneth Grant, DT Michigan
Grant is an enormous interior defensive lineman at 6-foot-3, 342 pounds. He didn’t work out at the Combine because of a hamstring injury but is expected to show off what he can do at the Michigan pro day. Grant could be a difference-maker on the interior of that line.
23. Packers: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
The future of Jaire Alexander in Green Bay is very much in question. While Barron might not be your prototypical outside CB1, he’s a versatile player for a defense that already has Xavier McKinney. It would be fun to watch a secondary with those two ballhawks.
24. Vikings: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
It’s hard to believe that Harrison Smith is 36 but he is and it’s time to replace him. Starks is a versatile defensive back who can play a few different positions on defense. He has been considered a first round pick for a long time.
25. Texans: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Burden didn’t have a super productive year in 2024 but he was over 1,200 yards in 2023. And he went to the Combine this year and ran a 4.41. He’s an athletic and speedy inside-outside receiver for a team that could use some help, especially after Tank Dell’s season-ending injury in 2024.
26. Rams: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
We’ll see if the Rams are able to re-sign Alaric Jackson. But even if they do, Rob Havenstein is 32 now and it’s not a bad idea to think about the future. Simmons suffered a knee injury in October so his health is a question. But if the Rams are in a position to be patient with him, it could pay off in the long term.
27. Ravens: Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State
The Ravens left side of the offensive line is heading toward free agency. So whether they see Jackson as a tackle or guard, he has a good chance of cracking the lineup in Year 1. Most seems to view Jackson as in interior lineman but he has played some tackle.
28. Lions: James Pearce, Edge, Tennessee
At 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Pearce had an eye-popping 40-yard dash of 4.47 seconds at the Combine. The Lions need to find an edge rusher to put opposite Aidan Hutchinson. At times, the pass rush was too much all about him in 2024. Pearce has some juice.
29. Commanders: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
The Commanders have a fine running back in Brian Robinson Jr., but he’s not a game-changer. For an offense that was pretty dynamic with rookie Jayden Daniels in 2024, the thought of adding a weapon like Hampton to the mix is intriguing. He’s a big, bruising back who would basically be an easy upgrade over Robinson. After watching how Saquon Barkley changed everything for the Eagles, the Commanders try to get their own feature back.
30. Bills: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
This isn’t an obvious need for the Bills but Matt Milano is 30 now and he has struggled to stay on the field the last two years. The Buffalo defense really misses him when he’s not out there. And Terrel Bernard is also entering the final year of his deal. Campbell has the ability to play off-ball but also rush the passer. He’s a unique player and if he somehow lasts this long into the first round, it would be an intriguing pairing with him and the Bills.
31. Chiefs: Josh Conerly, OT, Oregon
We all watched Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs need to figure out their left tackle spot. Joe Thuney held it together for a while but he got exposed in New Orleans. Conerly (6-5, 311) has the right frame and put together a strong Combine.
32. Eagles: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College
This pick makes a lot of sense and it goes beyond Ezieruaku’s ties to the area. (Ezierauku is from South Jersey and played at Williamstown High School.) The Eagles’ edge rusher position is in a state of flux this offseason. Josh Sweat is a free agent, Brandon Graham might retire and who knows what the Eagles will get out of Bryce Huff in 2025. That leaves the Eagles with just Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. Edge rusher is too important of a position to not reload.
And Ezeiruaku is worthy of a first-round pick. He had 16 1/2 sacks in 2024 but before you worry about the level of competition, Ezeiruaku went to the Senior Bowl and dominated and then followed it up with a strong performance in Indianapolis. At 6-2, 248 pounds, Ezeiruaku isn’t the biggest guy but his arms are 34 inches so he has sneaky length (69th percentile among edges). He also dominated the 3-cone (6.94) and short-shuttle (4.19) at the Combine.
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