So the Birds traded down.

Fair enough, yea? They had the fewest picks in the draft this year, just six, and really didn’t have many holes to fill because, well, they are <Bruce Buffer voice> the REIGNING, DEFENDING, undisputed Super Bowl champions.

Here’s the trade with Baltimore:

  • Eagles gave up picks #32 (1st round) and 132 (4th round)
  • Eagles received picks #52 (2nd round) and 125 (4th round), plus a 2019 second round pick

They flipped a 1st and a 4th for a 2nd, a 2nd, and a 4th. And if you think about pick #32, that’s really just a glorified second rounder anyway, so I think they positioned themselves nicely for the future.

That said, 52 is fairly deep into the second round. You’re going to have 19 teams picking before the Birds finally hit the board, unless Howie Roseman wants to repackage and move back up. They can still pursue a trade with the Colts, who have three second round picks tonight. Cleveland is sitting there at 33 and 35, but God knows they need all the help they can get.

We did see a bit of reaching in the first round, which caused some talented guys to fall into the second, so that’s a boon for Friday night. On the flip side, that means the Eagles had a shot at multiple guys that looked like a good fit for this team, but obviously didn’t feel like there were any pressing roster needs to fill at 32. The theme seems to be that they’re already set for this title defense and won’t approach a more meaningful roster adjustment until 2019.

Today, however, the consensus is that a lot of defensive backfield talent remains on the board. You’ve also got a couple of good tight ends out there. There are a chunk of solid running backs available and some offensive linemen, too, if you want to stash and build behind Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and company.

Here are some of the names still on the board:

Harold Landry, LB/DE, Boston College

A high-ceiling edge rusher who should probably be off the board at this point. I’m really surprised he’s still available.

Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

The Eagles could have snagged him at 32, but didn’t. I don’t think he makes it to 52. I could see the Browns going Landry/Guice at 33 and 35 to salvage their draft and make up for the horrendous selection of Baker Mayfield at #1 overall. Never trust a Big 12 quarterback in the NFL, especially one that’s six-feet tall.

Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

I think he goes to Tampa at 38 if Guice is off the board. Tough north/south type of runner.

Ronald Jones, RB, Southern Cal

A really quick guy with breakaway speed, probably the biggest “home run threat” out there.

Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

Dude is a playmaker, had eight interceptions last year. I have no clue why he fell out of the first round, probably something stupid like 40-yard dash time. He’s rangy and lean and sniffs out the ball like nobody else in this draft:

Connor Williams, OT, Texas

Williams was mocked to the Eagles at 32 in a number of write ups. He probably comes off the board within the first ten picks of the second round.

Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

See above. Brown was a borderline first round talent. He’s a beefy boy.

Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State

Huge numbers coming from a smaller school, but the Eagles did just fine with Carson Wentz, yea?

Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State

If Goedert is off the board by pick #42, Miami will probably grab Gesicki. The Dolphins have a gaping hole at the tight end position.

Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas

Probably the best linebacker left on the board. Fred Warner out of BYU might be the second best LB remaining.

Mason Rudolph, QB, Okie Lite

Someone will probably snag him before the Birds pick, which would help bump another player down the board. Like I said, never trust a Big 12 quarterback.

Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado

Some mocks had this guy going in the first round. He’s a former decathlete.

Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU

A first round talent who fell to the second. Dallas needs a receiver. D.J. Chark is also a second round WR option, along with Christian Kirk.

Will Hernandez, G, UTEP

Most mocks have this guy going to the Giants as a combo run blocker for Saquon Barkley and pass protector to keep Eli upright this season.

Maurice Hurst, DT, Meeeechigan

A top-20 guy who fell to day two. He’s a nasty interior defensive lineman:

Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State

One of the better defensive ends remaining.

Austin Corbett, OL, Nevada

A hybrid lineman who will probably be available at 52. He’s projected as a guard but played tackle at Nevada and made the Wolfpack squad as a walk-on.

Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn

A solid press corner with strength and length who played against NFL-level talent in the SEC.

Donte Jackson, CB, LSU

A track star with, obviously, elite speed. He’s a little small for a cover corner but could easily slide into the NFL as a rookie 3rd option.

The approach

What’s the strategy here? There are a bunch of different ways to go.

I think they can hold firm and grab the best available corner, throw that rookie into the mix and see how the slot position shakes down with Sidney Jones coming back this season. You can never have enough defensive backs to choose from, and they carried five on the roster last year (Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, Rasul Douglas, Patrick Robinson, Jones). You could also see if Guice or Chubb or one of the other running backs slides a bit, and maybe a Mason Rudolph or Luke Falk QB trade-up helps move the board down, similar to round one.

Either way, I think they’ve already won by picking up a future second and kicking the can down the road until next year. This team has very few holes to fill and is already well-positioned for a title defense.