Eagles Add Safety

Posted: April 26th, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | No Comments »

The Eagles went into Day 2 of the NFL draft with picks 64 and 96. They used pick 64 on a safety and then made a couple of trades in the third round, adding a future pick and more picks tomorrow.

SAF Andrew Mukuba – Texas – 5-11, 186

Mukuba transferred from Clemson prior to 2024. While at CU, he was primarily a slot corner. Texas had him play safety and moved him around. That brought out the best in him and Mukuba had a breakout season for one of the best defenses in college football.

Trf from Clemson. While at CU, had 149 tackles (4.5 for loss), one sack, 20 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one interception in 35 games (31 starts) from 2021-23. Had 5 INTs and 11 PDs for Texas in 2024. Has good ball skills. Shows good awareness. Inconsistent tackler. There are times when he attacks targets and puts them down cleanly. Other times he will be sloppy and miss. He is aggressive and physical. Plays bigger than he is. Had a huge hit on the Georgia QB in the SEC title game. Good athlete. Played the wide side of the field a lot.

Fun player to watch.

Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni had a lot of good things to say about him. Howie talked about how hard it is to find safeties with good cover skills. Mukuba can play deep, in the slot or in the box. He’s comfortable in man coverage or playing centerfield.

Nick liked his play style, mentioning his relentless effort. Mukuba finished third in tackles for Texas. He’s not just a ballhawk. He gets to the football and makes tackles in the run/short pass game.

With CJGJ gone, the Eagles needed someone to challenge Sydney Brown for the starting job. Mukuba has the talent, experience and athleticism to push Brown and win the job.

Good pick.

*****

The Eagles got to 96 and then traded back to 101. They added a 5th round pick next year. You can wonder why they did that considering they already have a lot of picks next year. You can always add more and then use them in trades.

At 101, the Eagles moved back again.

The Eagles now have 6 picks for Saturday.

4th
4th
5th
5th
5th
6th

How should we read the trades? Howie said the Eagles considered trading up in both rounds, but the price was too high from where they were. That’s the downside of having the last pick.

He wouldn’t say it, but his actions tell you the Eagles didn’t love their options. They may have felt moving down and getting the same level of players plus having additional resources was worth it.

There are still good players left on the board. Howie and the scouts will talk in the morning to come up with a good plan.

There is also the possibility of trading for veterans. The Eagles have a surplus of picks next year. They could use some of those to acquire a player that is being shopped. Howie is always working the phones and ready to make a move.

_

2025 Draft Preview – Day 2

Posted: April 25th, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | No Comments »

The Eagles added a versatile defender on Thursday, taking Jihaad Campbell from Alabama. Nick and Howie refused to be definitive about his role, not wanting to put Campbell “in a box”. I get their point. And maybe part of this is to keep the other 31 teams confused. Are the Eagles still looking to add an edge rusher? Are they still looking to add a LB? We’ll all find out over the next two days.

I’ve come up with an alternative theory.

Pure genius.

Now let’s move onto Day 2.

NEEDS

Safety is a need. The Eagles have Sydney Brown ready to step in for CJGJ. Brown has played in 25 games, with 7 starts. While he has some experience, he is far from a sure thing. The Eagles need someone to challenge Brown and at least offer depth. McCollum was disappointing last season.

***

Edge rusher is an odd spot. The Eagles have real potential already in place. Smith is coming off a good season. Hunt was playing good football by the end of the season. Still, neither of those guys has been a starter for a full season. Ojulari has a lot of talent, but he’s struggled to stay healthy. Uche is good. He’s just a role player. I have no idea what to say about Huff. He could turn out to be a key player or could be a June cut. The Eagles have shown interest in edge rushers so this is an area they want to address, whether early or late.

***

The Eagles have a pair of great corners in Mitchell and DeJean. The other spot will be a battle between Ringo and Jackson. Ringo is unproven and Jackson is an older player. The team could look to add someone who could be a long term answer. Adding a third high level CB would make the secondary imposing for several years. At the least, the team needs someone to build up depth at CB. 

***

With Milton Williams gone, the Eagles need to add to the DL. They don’t have to get a player exactly like him. They need to find someone who can be disruptive. That could be someone who is 310 pounds or someone who is 280. They need a player who can make plays and affect the QB. This could be a first round pick or a mid-rounder. This is a deep class so there are plenty of options.

***

TE is another weird position. Will DG stick around? Even without him, the Eagles have 3 guys in Calcaterra, Bryant and Granson. That isn’t ideal, but the team could get by with that group. I’m sure the team would love to find a stud TE to add to the offense and this is a deep class so they should have good options. Could the Eagles use pick 32 on a TE?

***

The Eagles need to add an OL. This could be a young OT to serve as the swing tackle. Or they could go for a guard to come in and challenge for the RG role this season.  Read the rest of this entry »

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