2026 Draft – Day 2 Preview

The Eagles head into Day 2 with three picks and some key long term needs. It will be interesting to see how Howie Roseman plays this. He could move up if a highly rated player drops to a spot where the price is reasonable. He could stay put and let the draft come to him. Or he could move back to try and get back a fourth round pick and/or something else. I don’t think Howie can afford to be too aggressive, but we’ll see how things go.

PICKS

Round 1: No. 23 – WR Makai Lemon
Round 2: No. 54
Round 3: No. 68
Round 3: No. 98
Round 5: No. 178
Round 6: No. 197

POSITIONS

I’m going to focus on the key positions here.

TE – The Eagles need to draft a TE. The key guys on the roster are on one-year deals. There is a need for a young player for the future, and hopefully the present. The Eagles are open about what they are looking for. They’ve checked out athletic pass-catchers and guys who can block. The key is to find someone who can be part of the TE group of the future. The player will certainly have a chance to contribute right away. They could go as early as the first round or as late as Day 3. This is a good TE class so there will be good options.

OT – I’ve written about this a lot. The team is looking for Lane Johnson’s long term replacement. If I had to bet a bag of Funyuns on the first round pick, I’m going with OT. The don’t have to go tackle at 23. The need and the fit is just good because there should be a quality tackle available. The team has checked out some Day 2 prospects as well so there is flexiblity.

OG – Another spot where there is a need for the future, possibly the present. Dickerson hopes to be healthy this season. If he is, he’s one of the best OGs in the league. He struggled mightily last season and the Eagles can’t go through that again. Steen was solid in 2025, but a very talented rookie could push him.

ED – When the Panthers overpaid for Jaelan Phillips it left the Eagles with a big hole in their defense. Maybe Jalyx Hunt is ready to step up and fill that spot. Nolan Smith should be healthy this year and his play should improve. Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka could be good role players. Still, you can never have enough pass rushers. The Eagles will take on in the draft. We just don’t know who and how early.

SAF – Drew Mukuba is set as one starter. I have Marcus Epps as the other starter, but he could be beaten out by a rookie. Epps is a good tackler and run defender. He’s not as much of a playmaker as the Eagles prefer. This is a spot where the Eagles could take someone as early as the second round. This is a good safety class so the Eagles don’t need to force things. If they can add an extra pick or two, I’d love to see them double-dip at safety.

CB – The starters are set for 2026. There is a need for a young player to play opposite of Mitchell for the long term. That guy could be picked this year, but doesn’t have to be. The Eagles would probably like to address this position on Day 3.

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Any surprises? The Eagles taking a QB on Day 2 would be a bit surprising. They already have three on the roster.

They have checked out some LBs. Why? Fangio loves LBs. Also, Zack Baun will turn 30 in December. Remember that Howie likes to think of the draft and the future. This isn’t all about right now.

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I think the key is to address edge rusher. That player could have the most impact in 2026 and the last couple of Super Bowls have shown us how critical a good pass rush is. Obviously the Eagles can’t force things. They have to trust their board and all the work that has gone into it for the past year.

Next up would be OL, whether OG or OT. In a worst case scenario, both Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson retire after this season. You need to have a someone in place already for one of them. Don’t force things, but take an OL if the right guy is available. The Eagles could even double-dip and spent both third round picks on OL.

The Eagles need to add someone at safety and TE. I’d put safety over TE because this is such a deep class. You might still get a reasonable TE in the sixth round, as crazy as that sounds.

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Veteran trades could be an X-factor. There are persistent rumors about the Eagles trading for ED Jonathan Greenard. We’ll see. Would need to happen soon so the team knows what it needs.

There is also the possibility of trading QB Tanner McKee. He will be a free agent at the end of the year. If Howie gets a good offer, he could deal McKee and the Eagles could draft another QB. That would give them a cheap backup for the next four years.

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Best available that I had first round grades on.

CB Colton Hood
ED TJ Parker
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
CB Jermod McCoy
WR Denzel Boston
DT Kayden McDonald

2nd Round Board

Hopefully there will be a run on CBs, WRs, LBs and DTs. That could possibly push someone down closer to pick 54.

There are two players I would consider moving up for.

TJ Parker – Clemson – 6-4, 263 – Looked very good in Senior Bowl practices. Able to win with bull rush and inside move. Uses hands/arms well. Gets into blocker and gets him off balance. Had 11 sacks and 6 FF in 2024, but only 5 sacks and no FF in 2025. His good tape is really good. Can fly off the edge and pressure the QB. Also good when dropping back in coverage. Solid run defender who will take on blockers and work to find the ball. Plays under control, but aggressively. Good awareness. Hard to explain the drop off in production. Did have to learn a new scheme and it put him in some tough situations. You don’t see a lack of effort. Finished on a high note with a great game vs SC in the season finale and then had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl. Tough, physical player who can take on blockers and disengage. Good combination of size, length and athleticism.

Why – Parker has good size and is the kind of physical run defender that Vic Fangio might want setting the edge. Jaelan Phillips had that role last year. Parker has a lot of upside as a pass rusher as well.

Chase Bisontis – Texas A&M – 6-5, 315 – 3-year starter at LG. Good pass blocker. Plays with a wide base and stays square. Good with his hands. Shows excellent awareness vs blitzes and stunts. Has great feet. Smooth mover. Keeps his feet active and that helps him sustain blocks. Quick off the ball. Plays with good pad level. Anchors well. Solid run blocker. Not physically dominant, but does a good job of winning with positioning and angles. Really athletic blocker. Looks like a starting guard in the NFL.

Why – Bisontis is the top rated OL available. He will likely go early, but if there are runs on other positions, Howie could go get him. Bisontis could challenge for the RG role right away or spend a year learning and getting ready for 2027.

LIKELY TARGETS AT 54

ED R Mason Thomas  – He may not last to 54, but he’s the guy I would target. He is small, but is absolutley tenacious and knows how to get to the QB.

ED R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma (#32) pic.twitter.com/SwHfcclwPS

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) March 31, 2026

TE Oscar Delp – Will be much better pro than college player. Terrific athlete and good blocker. Has a ton of potential.

TE Max Klare – Similar to Delp. Not as dynamic of an athlete, but more experienced and productive. Will be a starting TE.

OT Travis Burke – Most people have him rated lower than this. I love his size and bully mentality. He is the best finisher of any OL in the class.

OT Caleb Tiernan – I have a third round grade on him. Fran Duffy has him in the Top 40. Could play G or T. Doesn’t have good length, but checks all the other boxes.

ED R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma (#32) pic.twitter.com/SwHfcclwPS

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) March 31, 2026

If DB Treydan Stukes falls, he would absolutely be on this list. I just think he’ll go quickly. And I don’t think the Eagles would want to move up for a safety when they are already low on draft resources.

I don’t have a lot of guys with second round grades. The board could be picked clean by 54 and Howie’s best move might be to move back a few spots. Cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Ryan Fowler says to watch for ED Romello Height in the second round. I hope not. Good player, but I think that is a bit early for him. The Eagles did bring him for a visit so he could be a target.

Another possible name to consider is Dani Dennis-Sutton. I have a third round grade on him. The Eagles might love DDS and scoop him up at 54. I wouldn’t hate that. He does have tremendous potential.

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3rd Round Board 

There is too much unknown to talk about trade-up targets here.

POSSIBLE TARGETS AT 68

S Jalen Kilgore – 6-1, 210 – South Carolina – Has corner speed and safety size. The Eagles brought him to Philly for a visit.

ED Dani Dennis-Sutton – 6-6, 256 – Penn State – Big edge rusher with dynamic athleticism. Good on STs. Didn’t always play to his potential in college, but has tremendous talent.

S Bud Clark – 6-1, 188 – TCU – A ball-hawking safety. Finished college with 15 INTs. Would be a nice addition to the back end.

ED Romello Height – 6-3, 239 – Texas Tech – Undersized edge rusher. Had 10 sacks and 2 FF last year.

TE Eli Stowers – 6-4, 239 – Vanderbilt – Former QB converted to TE and became a playmaking receiver. Dynamic athlete. Blocking needs a lot of work.

OT Markell Bell – 6-9, 346 – Miami – Massive LT with great length. Would move to the right side in Philly. Powerful run blocker, good pass protector.

OG Gennings Dunker – 6-5, 319 – Iowa – Played RT in college, but most feel he would be better at OG in the NFL. Tenacious blocker. Fun to watch.

TE Justin Joly – 6-4, 241 – NC State – Solid athlete with okay size. But he is a gifted receiver and more than willing blocker. Fluid mover who could excel in the new offense.

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POSSIBLE TARGETS AT 98

CB Ephesians Prysock – 6-3, 196 – Washington – CB with good size and long arms. Runs 4.45. That’s the Eagles kind of profile in recent years.

OG Brian Parker – 6-5 – 309 – Duke – Played RT in college, but will move to G or C at the next level. Outstanding run blocker. Would be a good fit in the new offense.

OT Austin Barber – 6-7, 318 – Florida – Started 30 games at LT for the Gators. Can play T or  G. Has good feet and is tough run blocker. Has injury concerns, but nothing serious.

S Jakobe Thomas – 6-1, 211 – Miami – No idea if the Eagles like him, but he is an explosive hitter and good playmaker. Had 5 INTs, 2 FF, 3.5 sacks and 6 PDs as a senior.

S Kamari Ramsey – 6-0, 202 – USC – Has played nickel and safety. Has great range on the back end. Good ball skills. Would be a good fit in Fangio’s defense.

TE Nate Boerkircher – 6-5, 245 – Texas A&M – Older player, but has good combination of size, athleticism and blocking ability.

CB Charles Demmings – 6-1, 193 – Stephen F. Austin – Another big CB. Runs 4.41. Had 26 PBUs in college. Really good ball skills.

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PLAYERS OF KNOWN INTEREST

I have removed the players who were already drafted.

VISITS

OG Chase Bisontis – Texas A&M

OT Markell Bell – Miami
OT Isaiah World – Oregon
OT Jude Lowry – Boston College

TE Nate Boerkircher – Texas A&M
TE Bauer Sharp – LSU

WR Chris Bell – Louisville
WR Caleb Douglas – Texas Tech
WR De’Zhaun Stribling – Ole Miss (schedule conflict changed this to zoom meeting)

ED Dani Dennis-Sutton – Penn State
ED Romello Height – Texas A&M

S Jalen Kilgore – South Carolina
S Treydan Stukes – Arizona

INTEREST

QB Luke Altmeyer – Illinois – met with either OC or QB coach
QB Haynes King – Georgia Tech – says he talked to the Eagles at his Pro Day
QB Cole Payton – NDSU – showing extensive interest

RB Deamonte Trayanum – Toledo – met with him at Pro Day
RB Jamal Haynes – Georgia Tech – private workout

WR Brenen Thompson – Mississippi State – formal meeting at the Combine
WR Ted Hurst – Georgia State – Tony Pauline says Eagles interested
WR Deion Burks – Oklahoma – showing serious interest
WR Josh Cameron – Baylor – showing serious interest

TE Dae’Quan Wright – Ole Miss – virtual meeting
TE DeShawn Hanika – Kansas – met with him at his Pro Day
TE Eli Stowers – Vanderbilt – formal meeting at the Combine
TE Oscar Delp – Georgia – formal meeting at the Combine
TE Justin Joly – NC State – formal meeting at the Combine
TE Marlin Klein – Michigan – formal meeting at the Combine
TE Max Klare – Ohio State – formal meeting at the Combine
TE Dallen Bentley – Utah – zoom meeting
TE Jack Endrie – Texas – formal meeting at the Combine

OT Caleb Tiernan – NW – formal meeting at the Combine
OT Keegan Trost – Missouri – zoom meeting

OG Emmanuel Pregnon – Oregon – formal meeting at the Combine
OG Brian Parker – Duke – zoom meeting

DL Damonte Capeheart – Clemson – DL coach Clint Hurtt was at Pro Day
DT Jayden Loving – Wake Forest – met with him at his Pro Day
DT Josiah Green – Duke – met with him at his Pro Day
DL David Blay – Miami – DL coach Clint Hurtt was at Pro Day
DL Uar Bernard – IPP – Eagles expressed interest in meeting him
DL Jordan Van den Berg – Georgia Tech – Talked to the Eagles
DL Kaleb Proctor – SE Louisiana – showing serious interest

ED TJ Parker – Clemson – DL coach Clint Hurtt was at Pro Day
ED Cade Denhoff – Clemson – DL coach Clint Hurtt was at Pro Day
ED Derrick Moore – Michigan – formal meeting at the Combine
ED R Mason Thomas – Oklahoma – zoom meeting
ED Wesley Williams – Duke – Combine and zoom meetings

LB Scooby Williams – Texas A&M – met with him at his Pro Day
LB Ernest Hausmann – Michigan – had dinner with him
LB Harold Perkins – LSU – formal meeting at the Combine
LB CJ Allen – Georgia – zoom meeting

S Maximus Pulley – Wofford – met with him at his Pro Day
S Michael Taafe – Texas – formal meeting at the Combine
S Bud Clark – TCU – showing serious interest

CB Avieon Terrell – Clemson – formal meeting at the Combine
CB Karon Prunty – Wake Forest – multiple meetings
CB Andre Fuller – Toledo – multiple meetings
CB Brent Austin – Cal – the Eagles have been in contact with him
CB Ephesians Prysock – Washington – Eagles reportedly showing interest

PK Ethan Sanchez – Houston – Eagles have shown extensive interest in him
PK Trey Smack – Florida – showing serious interest

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