PHILADELPHIA — Trading former franchise quarterback Carson Wentz was only supposed to give the Philadelphia Eagles one year of extra draft capital. One year with more flexibility due to a disastrous situation having to move on from a player that was supposed to lead the franchise for over a decade.
Instead, general manager Howie Roseman stretched that unique circumstance into two years of owning multiple first round picks. Could he make it a third year by moving down in the 2023 NFL Draft to get an extra selection in 2024?
In 2021 and 2022, the Eagles moved down by making deals with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints, who both wanted to add top wide receiver prospects in Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave. So much so that they flipped first round picks and gave Philadelphia their Day 1 selections the following year.
This year, a deeper quarterback class might be the way Roseman pulls this off again, if he doesn’t want to stay at the 10th overall pick and take a prospect himself.
Alabama QB Bryce Young, Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud, Florida QB Anthony Richardson, and Kentucky QB Will Levis are all expected to go inside the top 10.
If a team caught in QB purgatory that is stuck in the middle of the round wants to move up for one of these prospects, the Eagles could be a prime candidate. There are a lot of teams that fit this criteria. A team that was too good to be picking in the top 10, but not good enough at the most important position to compete for a championship: The Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, the list goes on.
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The roadblock the Eagles may face if they want to pursue this strategy is that these four prospects may not be available, even at the 10th pick. Teams picking later in the round will likely have to move much higher up the board with teams like the Texans, Colts, Seahawks, Raiders, Falcons, and Panthers all picking inside the top 10. All six of those organizations have consistently been heavily connected to these signal-callers.
But that could help the Eagles too if they want to sit tight at 10 and take the best prospect available. Having four quarterbacks go in front of Philadelphia will push a lot of players down the board that in past drafts would have gone much higher.
Roseman said it himself during his press conference Tuesday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
“We aren’t in that market so hopefully they all go,” Roseman said. “These are talented guys at the top of the draft and I think there will be a lot of competition for them.”
Time will tell what the Eagles decide to do with their two first round picks in the 2023 draft. Last year with three, they traded one for a first this year, traded up with the other one to select defensive tackle Jordan Davis, and then traded the third pick for star wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Having these picks gives Roseman the ability to be creative and have optionality. To be aggressive for the short-term and also maintain flexibility for the future.
All bets are off.