Is it NFL Draft season? Trick question. It’s always NFL Draft season. It’s never too early or too late to start talking about who the Eagles may or may not target next month in Cleveland.

At this point, the Super Bowl champions have pick #32 to end the first round, pick #64 to end the second round, and then pick #96, which ends the non-compensatory portion of the third round. They also have a fourth rounder and three fifths for the time being.

As the content starts to flow, here’s a look at three of the guys who have appeared multiple times in national mock drafts, linked to the Eagles:

Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College

Experts seem to think the Eagles take a pass rusher as Josh Sweat leaves in free agency. Brandon Graham, if he doesn’t retire, turns 37 in April and is coming off an injury. That leaves the Birds with Bryce Huff, rehabbed Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt to fill out the EDGE group.

Ezeiruaku is actually a local kid, from Williamstown High School in South Jersey. He was a four-year starter at BC and is coming off a senior season in which he logged 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. He opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl against Nebraska, playing just the 12-game regular season, in which he had six multi-sack games. So that’s 50% of his games he had more than one sack. The toughest opponents he faced this year were Mizzou and SMU, finishing with 11 tackles, one sack, and one TFL.


Lance Zierlein at NFL.com comped him to Yannick Ngakoue and wrote this profile:

Slightly undersized outside linebacker for a 3-4 front with long arms and plus athleticism. Ezeiruaku uses every bit of his length paired with aggression to mitigate size differences at the point of attack. He gets engulfed at times but typically separates from or slips blocks cleanly. He’s quick off the snap, using bend and agility to win at the top of the rush or make stops in the backfield. His hands exploit small advantages to turn them into big ones and he has a variety of ways to challenge protection, though he’s still learning to craft his plans. Ezeiruaku’s play demeanor, skill and athletic talent are the underpinnings of a productive starter with three-down value.

He’s a guy who had a good combine and is working his way up the board:

James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee

A three-year player at Tennessee, only got real action in 2023 and 2024, finishing with 17.5 sacks and 28 TFL in 26 games during those two seasons. If you watched the 2023 Citrus Bowl against Iowa, he had a pick-six in that game to go along with 1.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. He gets a lot of pressures and played against some of the country’s best college teams. He’s 6’5″, 245, taller than Ezeiruaku but about the same weight.

Zierlein wrote his profile as well:

Pearce is a tight-hipped, linear pass rusher with explosive take-offs and good speed-to-power but a lack of bend to flatten at the top. His high pressure rate is partially derived from an instinctive feel for positioning, allowing him to work around protection for quick wins into the pocket. He’s very long but narrow through his hips, so the build-out of his frame might be limited. Pearce knows how to play around blocks and has the speed to close and tackle, but his base is naturally narrow and lacks bend. He’ll need to improve his strength and technique as an NFL run defender. Despite those concerns, Pearce’s length, twitch and rush production create a higher ceiling.

That’s the difference between Pearce and Ezeiruaku – Pearce is a little more upright and less bendy, but only a junior, super fast, and believed to have more upside. There’s been some chatter about character issues coming out of the combine, but you feel comfortable with Howie Roseman and Big Dom sorting out what’s legitimate and what’s not.

Tyler Booker, interior OL, Alabama

As a general rule, you assume that an iOL coming out of Alabama is going to be a safe pick. Look no further than Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen.

Booker is 6’5″, about 320 pounds. The thought is that if the Eagles don’t re-sign Mekhi Becton in free agency, that they can replace him in the draft, and you know how much Roseman values building up the trenches with early-round picks. Booker did play most of his snaps at left guard, so he’d shift over to the right if he winds up in Philly.

The thing about Booker is that his projections are all over the place right now. Some mocks have him going in the early teens and others have him falling into the 20s, likely because he did not have an impressive combine. The guys who go super-granular didn’t like his performance, and don’t think he’s got the greatest RAS (relative athletic score) numbers.

Zierlein wrote his profile as well, which makes me wonder if he’s the only profile writer at NFL.com these days, but we trust his knowledge:

Two-year starter and team captain with elite physical traits. Booker is a downhill run blocker with average explosiveness into first contact, but he utilizes his size and power to overtake defenders in the second phase of the block. He can play too far out over his toes but that’s correctable. Booker is an average athlete in protection but makes up for it with technique and football intelligence to defend against twists. He’s tough, smart and a top leader. The traits, football character and play strength will make him a good starter for a downhill, power-based attack.

Best thing about him is that he seems like a gamer: