It seems like every year the Philadelphia Eagles are among the most busy teams on day 3 of the draft. Throughout rounds 4 through 7 they are constantly trading up and down, as well as making unorthodox moves. This years’ draft was no different. If anything, Howie Roseman and the Eagles’ front office was even more active than usual. So let’s get into every move and why I think the Eagles became a better team today.
Kelee Ringo
The Eagles gave up a third round pick in next years’ draft to acquire Kelee Ringo with the 105th pick. That’s rich. But I do think the move makes sense from multiple fronts. If the Eagles are expecting to be a super bowl contender next year, then the difference in picks 105 this year and their 3rd rounder next year is minimal. Ringo is also a solid player. He’s really good at pressing receivers and playing physical in coverage along the boundary. This should translate really well into the Eagles’ defense, because Desai loves to play cover 2 press. Ringo is also 20 years old. Generally speaking, the younger a prospect is, the higher the ceiling that prospect has. Of course Ringo has valid concerns. His poor agility not only showed at the combine with a 7.21 3-cone, but also on film as his ability to flip his hips in coverage is lack-luster. Ringo also tended to have his worst games against the best competition in college. Still, I think it’s a good pick as the Eagles cornerback depth now looks really good. Zech Mcphearson, Greedy Williams, and Kelee Ringo might be the best backup outside corner trio in the league. If Howie Roseman is looking to find in-house replacements for Darius Slay and James Braberry multiple years’ in advance, then he is succeeding.
D’andre Swift
The Eagles traded a 2025 4th round pick and moved back 29 spots in the 7th round of this years’ draft to acquire D’andre Swift. Giving up a 4th round pick for what is most likely one year of running back play is rich. However, there are other factors at play here. For one, the Eagles are super bowl contenders. Overpaying for one year of running back play is a lot better if you’re a team going all-in compared to a team rebuilding. Additionally, if Swift goes to another team after 2023, the Eagles are due for a compensatory pick. Then you add in the fact that the Eagles have been fond of Swift since his St. Joe’s Prep days and it begins to make a ton of sense why the Eagles made this move. As a player, Swift is really good in space. He can run from gap & zone schemes and is dangerous once he gets to the perimeter or second level of defenses. His only lackluster trait as a ball-carrier is vision. Honestly, he runs a lot like a young Miles Sanders, which makes me think he could likely be the Eagles lead back in 2023. This move may seem like an overpay in terms of draft capital, but after further examination, it makes a lot of sense on multiple fronts. I’m a fan.
Tanner Mckee
This is a fantastic pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. The consensus big board was much higher on Tanner Mckee than NFL GMs, who opted to pick Aidan O’connell, Sean Clifford, and Stetson Bennett before Mckee. On the big board, Mckee was ranked as the 121st best player. The Eagles selected him with the 188th pick. While I generally steer-clear of labeling picks as steals, because it takes wisdom of the crowd to collectively pass on a player, Mckee was a steal. He’s younger than Aidan O’connell, Sean Clifford, and Stetson Bennett, and is objectively better than at least two of those quarterbacks. What I also love about the pick is that it re-affirms that the Eagles are going to continue to be a “quarterback factory” even with the recent extension of Jalen Hurts. Overdrafting quarterbacks is what got the Eagles to the Super Bowl twice in the last five years, and it should continue to be a trend even with the emergence of Jalen Hurts. At Stanford, Mckee routinely displayed NFL ready accuracy, footwork, and timing. These traits, along with his 6’6” frame, give him potential to be a high-tier NFL backup. My biggest concern with this pick is Mckee’s lackluster mobility. As a pocket passer, Mckee will be unable to add the running-threat that is crucial to the Eagles offense. His lack of escapability from within the pocket also led to a 27% sack conversion rate in 2022, which is remarkably bad. Still, I believe that Mckee is likely to be the Eagles’ backup quarterback in future years due to the fact Marcus Marota is on a one year deal and Ian Book is not a good enough option as a second-string quarterback.
Moro Ojomo
Moro Ojomo has fantastic physical tools for a seventh round pick. He has 34.5 inch arms and scored a 9.16 out of 10.00 on the Relative Athletic Score. Ojomo wasn’t just a combine outlier either, he showed promise on the field with an 18.0% pass-rush win rate in his last season at Texas. According to Eagles’ analyst Fran Duffy, Moro Ojomo is the only defensive tackle drafted in the last decade with 34 inch arms, a 9.10 RAS, and an 18.0% pass-rush win rate. He’s also only 21 years old. As I mentioned earlier with Kelee Ringo, the younger a player is, the higher their ceiling is. Ojomo—having both the physical tools and youth—certainly has a high ceiling if he can find his footing in the NFL. The Eagles’ roster is currently full of a ton of talent at the 3-technique defensive tackle spot. Fletcher Cox, Milton Williams, Jalen Carter, and Moro Ojomo is a really solid list of defensive linemen. Cox had 7 sacks just a season ago, Williams flashed a ton on film throughout 2022, Jalen Carter is the best defensive tackle prospect since Quinnen Williams, and Moro Ojomo has an incredibly high ceiling.