Eagles Trade Rumors: PHI Looking to Move Up in Draft; Targeting Kayvon Thibodeaux

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly targeting Oregon edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux if they trade into the top 10 of the 2022 NFL draft.

James Palmer of NFL Network reported a move up is a "very real possibility."

While Palmer noted the interest in Thibodeaux, Albert Breer of the MMQB reported the Eagles may be eyeing a different position:

Philadelphia has picks Nos. 15 and 18 in Round 1.

Thibodeaux, once considered a contender for the No. 1 overall pick, has seen his stock dip during the predraft process—seemingly through little fault of his own. Several evaluators have questioned his motor and commitment to football despite his wildly productive college career at Oregon.

"He’s a big personality. If you’re a team that isn’t comfortable with one player pushing himself into the spotlight, he’s probably not for you," one defensive coach told Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. "The issues to me are gonna come up with the competing focus. Is he too worried about his brand? When we brought him in, I was like, whoa, s--t, this guy is a handful."

From both a production and athletic standpoint, Thibodeaux projects as a potential perennial Pro Bowler. He was a unanimous All-American in 2021 after racking up 49 tackles and seven sacks last season. A 2020 Morris Trophy winner, given to the Pac-12's best offensive and defensive linemen, he has also bristled at the notion that football isn't his biggest passion. 

“I don’t think I need to convince teams [that I love football],” Thibodeaux told Kaelen Jones of The Ringer. “But that’s the media narrative. There always has to be some narrative that’s drawn. For me, I’m an L.A. kid and if you know the adversity I went through to get here, and the things that I had to sacrifice, and the things my mother had to sacrifice for me to be here, you’d really understand how I feel in my heart. When you talk about fire, when you talk about passion, I think you can’t really explain it.”

The Eagles could see him as a value pick if he's still available after the first half-dozen selections. After picking up several additional assets in a trade with the New Orleans Saints earlier this month, the Eagles have more than enough picks to move up without worrying too much about hurting their future.