One of the things that’s been a pain in the ass this offseason is that the Eagles have so many free agents and so many needs that it’s impossible to put together any kind of step-by-step plan. They could have gone in a million different directions based on who decided to walk and who decided to re-sign in free agency.

With the first wave of those moves more or less finished, the picture is much more clear, and the mock drafts make a little more sense. I don’t know if Mel Kiper Jr. has nailed a mock since the George W. Bush administration, but he’s got the Birds going for the best offensive lineman in the draft:

10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO)

Peter Skoronski, OT/G, NorthwesternCenter Jason Kelce will be back, but the Eagles just lost right guard Isaac Seumalo in free agency. Could they take the prospect some teams consider the best guard in the class? Skoronski excelled at left tackle for the Wildcats, but his arms are slightly shorter than average for tackles (32 1/4 inches), so he could instead move inside. Philadelphia drafted interior lineman Cam Jurgens in Round 2 last year; he’s the favorite to replace Seumalo, but taking Skoronski would ensure versatility and competition. The Eagles haven’t shied away in previous years from trying to stack strength on strength in the draft.

I also thought about defensive line here, as Adetomiwa Adebawore (Northwestern) or Lukas Van Ness (Iowa) could fit next to 2022 first-rounder Jordan Davis. Fletcher Cox is back for one year, but Javon Hargrave left for a huge deal in San Francisco, so Philadelphia could address the position with its choice at No. 30 overall.

I don’t hate it. I’ll never hate the Eagles for stocking up in the trenches. You just can’t do it.

Optics-wise, it is a little funky to go for Skoronski when you have Jordan Mailata at left tackle, Landon Dickerson at left guard, Kelce returning, and then Jurgens projected to play at right guard. Lane Johnson is coming off the injury, yes, so there’s a bit of a question mark over there depending on how rehab goes, but if you draft Skoronski you’re likely going to be in a situation where Jurgens sits for a 2nd year, or a top-ten draft pick doesn’t even crack the first team. Throw in the way the Andre Dillard situation played out and it all feels somewhat goofy on the surface.

My thought was that the Eagles might be in play for O’Cyrus Torrence at 30 overall. He’s the guard coming out of Florida. Mock drafts have him going anywhere from 20 to the first few picks of the second round.


Either way, it’s feeling like another one of those trenches drafts for the Birds. No issue with that at all. If they walked out of there with an offensive lineman and defensive lineman on day one, there would be nothing to be upset with.