Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Draft Thoughts

Posted April 20th, 2025 | Comments Off on Draft Thoughts

The draft is only a few days away. A lot of teams are trying to figure out which QB to take and when to take them. The Eagles have that under control. They just have to sit back and wait to see who is going to be available toward the end of the first round. I don’t have a good feel for what the Eagles are going to do. This is going to be an odd first round because of the way some positions are so stacked and others are so lean. The Eagles just have to be patient and see what their options are. Thursday will be a long night with the Eagles at 32, but it will be interestinig to see how things play out in front of them.

Here are some random draft thoughts.

I’m not in love with any player at 32. The guy I would probably want more than any other is OL Gray Zabel from North Dakota State. He was the LT for the Bison, but played G and C at the Senior Bowl. He is a terrific blocker and could challenge for the RG spot immediately. He also would be a great cultural fit. Zabel had NIL offers to leave NDSU, but chose to stay out of loyalty. I can see Nick Sirianni loving this guy.

Most people think he’ll be gone by 32. If he is available, I could see Howie Roseman taking him. Heck, I could see Howie considering a trade-up to get him if the price is reasonable.

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One of the key things in regard to the first round is focusing on players over positions. Which players do you covet? You are looking for someone who can be a difference-maker on the field and a strong fit off the field. The first round pick will hopefully be with the team for 5 to 10 years. Don’t obsess on what the 2025 Eagles need. Think about how the player can help the Eagles from 2025-2034. Is that the kind of player you’re getting?

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One player I’m hoping the Eagles don’t draft is edge rusher James Pearce from Tennessee. He is 6-5, 245 and a talented pass rusher. He had 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Pearce ran 4.47 at the Combine. There is a lot to like. I just didn’t love Pearce on tape. He isn’t as physical as I think edge rushers need to be, especially in Vic Fangio’s scheme. He wasn’t as consistently disruptive as it felt like he should have been based on his talent. There are also some reports of character concerns. Pearce might turn out to be a great pro, but he doesn’t feel like an Eagles player to me.

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The Eagles need to add a safety in the draft. Most of the focus is them going for Malaki Starks in the first round. If they take him, I’m fine with that. He is a good player. The Eagles don’t need to force things. There are other options.

Billy Bowman from Oklahoma will go on Day 2. He’s not the biggest guy, but is a good playmaker and solid tackler. I love the way he flies around the field. He might remind you of a more polished Sydney Brown.

Penn State has a pair of prospects. Kevin Winston is the better player, but he’s coming off a knee injury. I really enjoyed watching him in 2023. He only had 1 career INT so that’s not ideal. Jaylen Reed was an excellent playmaker for the Nittany Lions in 2024. He is a high energy, athletic player. Reed is fiery and might remind you at times of CJGJ. Reed’s biggest issue is that he can be a sloppy tackler. He grabs too often instead of wrapping up his targets.

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I don’t think the Eagles should take a WR early, but would be fine with them taking one on Day 3. Isaac TeSlaa from Arkansas is an interesting guy. He is 6-4, 214 and ran 4.43. TeSlaa was good at the Senior Bowl and the Combine. He only played at Arkansas for two years after transferring from Hillsdale. TeSlaa only caught 62 passes for Arkansas, but that is a selling point for me. The Eagles need receivers that can handle minimal targets. Most guys come in after being a workhorse receiver in college. TeSlaa has NFL ability. He could develop into a part of a good WR corps.

TeSlaa is a great athlete. He feels like the kind of WR you take a chance on when Day 3 rolls around.

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Harold Fannin is a TE prospect from Bowling Green. He caught 117 passes last season and played like a star TE. Fannin is only 6-3, 241 so he’s a guy that you flex out and play in space. He did some good things at the Senior Bowl and Combine. Most people think Fannin could go in the second round.

I’m not a fan of him as an Eagles target. I love the player, just not the fit. The Eagles have a couple of smaller TEs in Grant Calcaterra and Kylen Granson. They don’t need to add a similar player. And Fannin is a volume receiver. He is used to getting 8 to 10 targets a game. That just wouldn’t happen in Philly.

The Eagles might feel different and draft him. I would prefer a TE who is bigger and can contribute more as a blocker. The Eagles did hire Scott Loeffler as QBs coach. He was the head coach at Bowling Green the past few years so there is a strong connection to Fannin.

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Interesting Choices

Posted April 17th, 2025 | 3 Comments »

Howie Roseman has talked about how the team will have to rely on some young players. When you have highly paid stars like Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson and Zack Baun, you are going to need some young players to be key contributors. They’re cheap…I mean cost effective.

The Eagles have young players ready to step up at several positions. The draft will help give us an idea which players they really trust, especially the first round.

  • Do the Eagles draft Donovan Jackson/some other OL or do they go with Tyler Steen to be the RG?
  • Do the Eagles draft Malaki Starks or do they go with Sydney Brown at safety?
  • Do the Eagles draft Mason Taylor or do they go with Grant Calcaterra/Harrison Bryant to be the TE? Is there any way they stick with Dallas Goedert?
  • Do the Eagles draft Walter Nolen/Derrick Harmon or do they think Jordan Davis/Moro Ojomo can get the job done at DT?
  • Do the Eagles draft Donovan Ezeiruaku or do they think Jalyx Hunt is ready for a major role at edge rusher?
  • Do the Eagles draft Trey Amos or do they think Kelee Ringo is ready to be a starting CB?

There isn’t any one position the Eagles must address in the first or second round. They can do just about anything. The past few years were a bit different. They needed a WR in 2021 and took DeVonta. They needed a DT in 2023 and took Jalen Carter. They needed CB help last year. They took Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

There are holes on the roster, but there are also potential answers for each situation. That means Howie and his staff are free to focus on players more than positions. Who do they really want? Who do they really trust?

Zach Berman and Bo Wulf made a good point on their podcast about the DT position. Milton Williams is gone. The knee-jerk reaction is to say DT is a big need for the Eagles. What if the Eagles think Jordan Davis is ready to play a bigger role? He was a good run defender last year. Maybe he is ready to play more on passing downs. Moro Ojomo is going to be a key player in passing situations, but Davis could play more as well.

It can take DTs a few years to put things together. Some guys are good right away, but others take time. Davis has flashed and been good in some areas. He just hasn’t been the impact player the Eagles hoped for when they took him 13th overall. Maybe giving him more snaps will help to bring out the best in him.

As for Ojomo, he definitely seems like a player ready for a breakout season.

The Eagles do need DT depth, but they don’t have to feel pressured to draft one at 32.

I really struggle with who the Eagles should take at 32. I lean toward an OL. Gray Zabel would make a lot of sense, but I just don’t see him falling all the way to 32. That would leave Josh Conerly or Donovan Jackson. Conerly is the better OT prospect. Jackson has started at LT and LG. He can play inside or outside in the NFL.

Don’t get me wrong. There is a part of me that would love to add to the DL. I just think you can do that outside of the first round and find what you’re looking for.

I’m really curious to see how all of this plays out. One more week to go.

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