Eagles replenish trenches in Todd McShay’s Mock Draft 2.0
As the Eagles prepared for Super Bowl LVII, it was hard to pay attention the fact that they sit 10th in the pecking order for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Now with the offseason here, it's time to look at how the Eagles can close the gap, get back and win a Super Bowl. ESPN’s Todd McShay's first mock draft for the 2023 draft had Philadelphia selecting Texas running back Bijan Robinson with the fifth overall selection.
Now in version 2.0 of his mock draft, the Eagles are picking 10th and McShay has the Eagles going after Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, which would make much more sense than going with a running back at No. 10.
The loaded Eagles went to the Super Bowl for good reason, and GM Howie Roseman's focus on building out from the trenches proved valuable. But now, they could lose three of their top four defensive linemen in terms of snap counts to free agency, including Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox up the middle. Roseman drafted Jordan Davis in Round 1 last April, and bringing in Bresee to pair with him could shore up an important unit for the team. Bresee has fantastic upper-body strength to slow down opponent run games and work through blockers as an interior pass-rusher.
Breese has been a popular Eagles pick by mock drafts of late and it makes sense with multiple free agents at the position and their propensity to draft on both sides on the line.
He’s a physically-imposing lineman and one who should be able to step in immediately even if the Eagles bring back Hargrave, they likely will need to replace Linval Joseph and Fletcher Cox.
McShay did mention he still like Robinson for the Eagles to replace Miles Sanders.
I also still like the idea of Texas' Bijan Robinson in Philadelphia, with Miles Sanders headed to free agency, but it's really, really early for a running back, and the defense is going to have all those holes to plug. Remember, the Eagles also have a second first-rounder.
The more likely scenario? The team could opt to go with Kenny Gainwell, who got more time in the playoffs, and draft a running back in the later rounds.
Keep in mind the team also has pick No. 30, which has them selecting Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison.
The Eagles have Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata under contract for three more years, but Harrison could provide depth and perhaps help out on the interior, where the team might lose a couple starters this offseason. He walls off defenders and has allowed just two sacks over three seasons. And perhaps more importantly for Philly's offense, he has blown just seven run blocks over that time.
If Harrison could slide inside and play some guard, he could replace Isaac Seumalo, who is likely to get a top offer in free agency.
The NFL Draft will be held in the plaza outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27–29, 2023