Eagles' Players Who Will Be Most Impacted by 2023 NFL Draft Picks

Despite a few important free-agent departures, the Philadelphia Eagles have one of the most talented rosters in the league. It will be even more impressive at the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Eagles will at least start the draft with the 10th and 30th picks in the first round. Whether general manager Howie Roseman actually picks at those slots is up for debate. He has shown a penchant for moving up and down the board via trades.

What isn't up for debate is that even more talent is on the way.

That's good news for some players on the Eagles roster, but it could cause trepidation for others.

For a player like Jalen Hurts, the draft is going to impact him because it determines the talent around him. For others, it's a chance for the team to draft someone who will compete with them directly for playing time.

Here's a look at the players who will be most impacted.

QB Jalen Hurts

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GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 12: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles against the Kansas City Chiefs after Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Let's start with the obvious. With a Jalen Hurts extension in the offing, the draft is going to be incredibly important for the Eagles' offense moving forward.

Right now, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert are the most expensive skill players on the offense. They will combine to cost just around $14.9 million in 2023. However, their combined annual average value is $39.2 million.

In other words, it's going to be hard to bring in more expensive pass-catching options for Hurts and the offense moving forward.

So the draft will be crucial to supplement the weaponry. Quez Watkins is fine as a No. 3 wide receiver, but it is one of the few areas the Eagles could stand to upgrade. With Brown, DeVonta Smith and Goedert drawing all the attention from defenses, Hurts could exploit defenses with another dynamic receiver in the lineup.

That's going to have to happen through the draft, though.

With four picks in the top 100, the Eagles will have plenty of opportunities to give Hurts even more talent to work with. After his breakout 2022 campaign, that could mean even bigger things in 2023.

OL Cam Jurgens

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 04: Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens (51) looks on during the game between the Tennessee Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles on December 4, 2022 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Cam Jurgens was clearly drafted to be the long-term succession plan for Jason Kelce. The 35-year-old's decision to return for at least one more season means that plan is on hold.

Jurgens was drafted in the second round in the 2022 draft, but he didn't even register a snap.

With Isaac Seumalo leaving in free agency, it would make sense for the 6'3", 303-pound Jurgens to slide over to right guard while he waits for Kelce to retire.

That is, if the Eagles don't draft another lineman who could play the role.

With the 10th pick, the Eagles are in a position to draft Peter Skoronski. The Northwestern tackle could be an All-Pro guard if he were to move inside. His 6'4", 313-pound frame makes it questionable whether he'll be able to stay at tackle, but his skills are elite.

Skoronski makes some sense for the Eagles. They need an heir apparent to Lane Johnson, who is 32. Skoronski could slot in at right guard immediately, and the Eagles could get a good read on whether they think he can play tackle.

Jurgens would not be a winner in that scenario, though. He would be forced to essentially sit for another year as long as Kelce stays healthy. It's not an ideal scenario for a second-round pick who just happens to be stuck behind one of the best players in the league at his position.

WR Quez Watkins

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 08: Quez Watkins #16 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on January 8, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

As previously mentioned, being the third receiver in this offense is a golden opportunity. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith require plenty of attention from opposing defenses. Dallas Goedert isn't easy to cover.

So Quez Watkins' 33 receptions on 51 targets for 354 yards is not a good enough return to secure his job. Watkins graded out as the 108th receiver out of 113 graded by PFF. The former sixth-round pick even said he took a step back last season.

That leaves him on shaky ground going into the draft.

The Eagles will undoubtedly come away from the event with some competition for him. Making matters worse for him is that this class has a lot of slot receiver types.

Receivers like Josh Downs, Jayden Reed and Tank Dell are all promising inside receivers who could be taken on Day 2 or 3 and who would give Watkins a run for his money.