As crazy as it may seem, the NFL Draft is almost here, where the Philadelphia Eagles will look to add the missing pieces they need to not only compete in 2026 but remain one of the deepest teams in the league for years to come.
Flying over the Allegheny Mountains for a three-day NFL experience unlike any other, the Eagles will first find themselves on the clock on Thursday, April 23, at pick No. 23, with three more selections coming on April 24 and their final five selections coming in rounds 4-6 on Saturday, April 25.
Eagles’ 2026 NFL Draft picks
In typical Howie Roseman fashion, the Eagles not only have more than the seven allotted draft picks each team is afforded from the NFL, but only two of their nine selections originally belonged to the team, with a series of deals and savvy operations helping to produce additional firepower.
While their first two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft are their own, neither of the Eagles’ third-round picks initially were, with No. 68 coming to the team from the 2024 Haason Reddick trade that rapidly turned tragic for the New York Jets, and pick No. 98 land in the team’s warchest via the compensatory formula, a consolation prize for Milton Williams leaving for the New England Patriots.
On Day 3, both of the Eagles’ fourth-round picks weren’t in their initial allotment, with No. 114 coming to town via a swap in the Sydney Brown trade, and No. 137 a compensatory selection for Josh Sweat signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Pick No. 153 also came from the Falcons, this time all the way back in 2025, when the Eagles gave the Falcons No. 96 for pick 101 and a 2026 fifth-round pick, as did No. 197 from the Sydney Brown trade. And from there, the team’s ninth selection, 178, is a compensatory pick thanks to Roseman’s decision to allow Mekhi Becton to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, even if he’s already been waived after an underwhelming 2025 season.
Round 1, Pick 23
Round 2, Pick 54
Round 3, Pick 68
Round 3, Pick 98
Round 4, Pick 114
Round 4, Pick 137
Round 5, Pick 153
Round 5, Pick 178
Round 6, Pick 197
Eagles’ 2026 NFL Draft needs and targets
EDGE: Heading into free agency, the Eagles really hoped they could agree to a long-term deal with Jaelan Phillips, the Vic Fangio-approved edge rusher who they acquired at the trade deadline for a third-round pick. Instead, Phillips signed a $120 million contract with the Carolina Panthers, with the Eagles instead turning to Arnold Ebiketie, an intriguing buy-low option from the Atlanta Falcons, to back up returning contributors Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, and Brandon Graham.
While most expect the Eagles to go offense in the first round, depending on how the draft shakes out, they could very well opt to instead take a talented edge rusher to provide long-term production for a fraction of what Phillips costs Carolina each year, with players like Akheem Mesidor, Keldric Faulk, Cashius Howell, and T.J. Parker all in play at pick No. 23. On Day 2, the optons aren’t as great, but R Mason Thomas, Joshua Josephs, and Romello Height could be options, depends on how the board shakes out.
WR: After signing a pair of intriguing wide receiver options in free agency, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore, the Eagles can officially go best player available in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, passing on players like KC Concepcion or Omar Cooper Jr. if the Big-3, Carnell Tate, Mekhi Lemon, and Jordyn Tyson, are already off the board.
Fortunately, this is a good draft to be looking for a wide receiver outside of Round 1, as there could be 40 wide outs taken in this year’s class before the NFL Network crew starts trying to stump the truck with obscure prospects. Chris Brazzell II is a big, fast weapon whose only major concern is the scheme he’s coming from, Chris Bell might have been WR1 in this year’s class if he didn’t suffer an ACL injury late last year, and if pure speed is the need, Brenen Thompson might still be on the board in the fourth round and he came a few tenth of a second away from breaking Xavier Worthy’s combine record. Factor in players like North Dakota’s Bryce Lance, UConn’s Skyler Bell, and Georgia State’s Ted Hurts from “smaller” schools, and the Eagle should be able to add multiple quality options if they so choose.
TE: Much like wide receiver, the Eagles did a good job of adding bodies to the tight end positions so they don’t need to trade up to select Kenyon Sadiq after his incredible combine performance.
The problem? Unlike at wide receiver, the Eagles don’t have any young, uber-talented players who can become long-term starters, with all of their options falling firmly into stopgap territory.
Fortunately, the 2026 NFL Draft has plenty of great tight end options on Day 2, with Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers arguably a better receiving threat than Siddiq without the ready-made blocking, Stanford Sam Roush a true throwback, in-line tight end, and Ohio State’s Max Klein splitting the difference between the two as a modern-day three-down option. With tight end the new in vogue position among the NFL’s forward-thinking offenses, the Eagles need to leave this year’s draft with one – or maybe even two – young building blocks to make fixtures of their offense for years to come.
SAF: If the 2026 regular season began today, the Eagles would likely start Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps as their top two safeties, with JT Gray coming off the bench as their WR3. In the short-term, that trio is fine. But even Howie Roseman said at the NFL’s annual team meetings that safety is a position the team needs to address further, leading some to assume that the Eagles will once again use a quality pick on the position.
Outside of Caleb Downs, who will be off the board in the top-10, the Eagles could hope that either Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren fall to pick No. 23, or could focus more on LSU’s AJ Haulcy, USC’s Kamari Ramsey, or Arizona’s Genesis Smith on Day 2.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Recent draft history — top picks for the last five years
2025: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama (1/31)
2024: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo (1/22)
2023: DT Jalen Carter, Georgia (1/9)
2022: DT Jordan Davis, Georgia (1/13)
2021: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama (1/10)
In 2025, the Eagles made a very big change from their historic norm by drafting linebacker Jihaad Campbell in the first round, forgoing their long-standing tradition of using their premium selections on high contract value positions like offensive tackle, defensive tackle, edge rusher, and wide receiver.
Over the four previous drafts, that strategy has worked out incredibly well. Both Smith and Davis have earned contract extensions already, and Carter and Mitchell are both in line for big deals after earning Pro Bowl honors early in their careers playing under Vic Fangio. While Campbell found himself the Eagles’ third linebacker once Nakobe Dean returned from injury and never quite became a consistent third-down edge rushing option on obvious passing downs like some had hoped, he is set to start in Year 2, which, frankly, was likely Roseman’s plan when he made the selection in the first place.
Will Roseman return to his old strategy, going edge, wide receiver, or a lineman in the first round if one of the top tight ends, safeties, or cornerbacks is clearly the best player on the board at pick No. 23? Or will he instead look to trade down and add even more capital so a team like, say, the Arizona Cardinals can leapfrog the Cleveland Browns to draft Ty Simpson? Fans will find out soon enough.
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