Howie Roseman Unveils New Details on Eagles’ 2025 NFL Draft Strategy

For the third time in the last 10 years, the Philadelphia Eagles have a first round pick at the end of the first round of the NFL Draft.

General Manager Howie Roseman has demonstrated the ability to get maximum value out of a late first-round draft pick. Just to review, here are the players the Eagles have landed from the bottom ten picks of the first round of the NFL Draft:

-Quinyon Mitchell (22nd overall in 2024)
-Nolan Smith (30th overall in 2023)
-Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox, Miles Sanders (Eagles traded 32nd overall pick in 2018 for three draft picks that the team used to acquire those three players in the draft)

A week ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, where the Eagles currently hold the 32nd overall pick, Howie Roseman met with the media this weekend and gave some clues about what Philadelphia's game plan is for this year's draft.

Will The Eagles Trade Up To A Higher Pick In The First Round?

The final first-round pick does not have as much value as a trade chip that some people may think. According to the draft pick value chart that NFL Teams use for trades, the 32nd overall pick is almost 300 points less value than the 19th overall pick, currently held by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This is why Roseman told the media not to expect a big trade-up in the 2025 NFL Draft:

"I think that you have to be patient, one. You have to allow things to come to you. The chances that you're trading up into the top 10, top 15, top 20 are slim. That's hard to do. So you have to really kind of understand the strengths of the draft."

If the Eagles traded the 32nd overall pick, their third-round pick (116), and fourth-round pick (134 overall), the value adds up to 745 points. That would only get the Eagles as high as 23rd overall (Green Bay Packers) or 24th overall (Minnesota Vikings).

That is why Howie Roseman told the media that the Eagles should exercise patience and see how the 2025 NFL Draft plays out then see what players fall to them in the draft:

"You have to spend a lot of time being realistic about who you think you have an opportunity to get so you can spend a lot of time with (those prospects)....So it's not my best quality, patience, but I think in this situation, understanding the reality of where we are in the draft, what's going to be available to us potentially, and making sure we know those guys backwards and forwards."

Remember that in the 2024 NFL Draft, Quinyon Mitchell fell to them at 22nd overall.

Also, second-round draft picks such as Cooper DeJean, Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, Jalen Hurts, and Dallas Goedert all fell far enough for the Eagles to take advantage and go get those players.

What Positions Are The Eagles Targeting In The 2025 NFL Draft?

While neither GM Howie Roseman or Head Coach Nick Sirianni would overtly say what players the Eagles are targeting in the 2025 NFL Draft, Philadelphia has a long history of prioritizing building depth in the trenches.

Since resuming his General Manager duties in 2016, Howie Roseman's Eagles Front Office has selected 26 Offensive and Defensive Linemen.

This offseason, the Eagles lost Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in Free Agency while Brandon Graham retired, leaving numerous voids in the Eagles' Defensive Line depth Chart. Plus, starting Right Guard Mekhi Becton departed in Free Agency and the Eagles traded Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson to acquire Offensive Lineman Kenyon Green.

Roseman explained to the media why the Eagles will continue prioritizing those positions in the NFL Draft:

"Obviously, interior pass rush is a huge deal in the National Football League. Getting quick pressure on quarterbacks is a huge deal, and I think you've seen our resources shift that way a little bit here in the last few years because that's the quickest way to really get pressure and you want both.
We've been fortunate to have both for a long period of time, but you got to continue to refresh those positions and continue to build depths along both your lines....Those are huge spots for us to continue to grow and the best place to find them is in the draft. Those markets are expensive when you get into free agency."

The Eagles currently hold three picks in the top 100 of the 2025 NFL Draft, along with four picks in the Fifth Round. Many draft experts say this is a deep draft class for Defensive linemen, so you can expect the Eagles to focus on multiple linemen in this year's draft.

Here Are The Top Defensive Linemen who May Be Available For The Eagles When They Pick At 32nd overall and 64th overall:

-Derrick Harmon (Oregon)
-Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)
-Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
-TJ Sanders (South Carolina)
-Darius Alexander (Toledo)
-Omarr Norman-Lott (Tennessee)
-Alfred Collins (Texas)
-Tyleik Williams (Ohio State)
-Ty Robinson (Nebraska)