Eagles' Worst-Case 2023 NFL Draft Scenarios

The Philadelphia Eagles are in the rare position of being a team coming off a Super Bowl loss that is also picking in the top 10 of the draft.

At least, that's where they are scheduled to start on draft night. General manager Howie Roseman isn't one to shy away from wheeling and dealing. He will go into draft night with the 10th and 30th picks in the first round.

There are all kinds of possibilities for how those picks could turn out and how the event could play out for the Eagles.

Some are great. If Philadelphia can walk away from the draft with two potential blue-chip prospects to continue building a Super Bowl contender then it will set their ceiling even higher over the next five years.

But with Jalen Hurts' five-year, $255 million contract extension, it becomes incredibly important to nail the draft from here on out. There are some less-than-ideal scenarios that could play out and keep the Eagles from getting the most out of the draft.

Let's take a look at what the Eagles should hope doesn't happen.

Early Run on Edge-Rushers

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Iowa edge Lukas Van Ness

The Eagles boasted a historically good pass rush last season. So while pass-rusher isn't a pressing need in the traditional sense, the ideal scenario for Philly is to be able to leverage the rare opportunity to pick at No. 10 to take a potentially elite pass-rusher.

The problem is there are only so many of those, and there are nine picks ahead of them.

There are only three edge prospects in the top 15 players on Bleacher Report's big board. Only one of them is available when the Eagles get on the clock in B/R's mock draft. That doesn't include Tyree Wilson, who is classified as a defensive lineman even though he would likely play defensive end in Philly.

Ideally, the Eagles will be on the clock at No. 10 with at least Nolan Smith, Wilson, Lukas Van Ness and Myles Murphy still on the board. That would allow them to have their pick of pass-rushers or the possibility of trading back a few picks and still grabbing one of the elite prospects at the position.

But the Top 10 of this draft is still unpredictable. If teams don't like the quarterbacks as much as people think or the cornerback class doesn't yield a top-10 pick then it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Will Anderson Jr., Wilson, Jalen Carter, Van Ness, Murphy and Smith could be off the board.

The Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears could all arguably target a defensive lineman who can rush the passer.

That would deprive the Eagles a chance of adding a premium prospect at the position.

Taking Bijan Robinson at No. 10

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Texas running back Bijan Robinson (5) runs against UTSA during an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Taking Bijan Robinson would not be a bad move by the Eagles. With Miles Sanders gone they do have a hole at running back and Rashaad Penny has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career.

Taking Bijan Robinson with the 10th overall pick would be a mistake.

There's a reason that running backs have gradually lost draft stock. Even the best running back prospects have been sliding to the back half of the first round. The last one to go in the Top 10 was Saquon Barkley at No. 2 in 2018.

As good as Barkley is, the Giants would likely take someone else in a redraft. Twelve players have higher career approximate values (a Pro Football Reference metric that measures value to a team) and several play more valued positions.

This running back class is deep, and the Eagles are set up for running backs to succeed. It doesn't take a potential superstar like Robinson to succeed behind their offensive line while playing beside Jalen Hurts.

If the Eagles can trade down, gain valuable picks and still land Robinson in the middle of the first, then that's fine. But simply taking him with the 10th pick would be something they will regret.

No Takers to Trade Back

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Eagles general manager Howie Roseman

Both the 10th and 30th picks should be prime spots for Howie Roseman to trade back if that's what he wants to do. If there's a quarterback who slides all the way to No. 10, the Tennessee Titans are there at No. 11 and could be interested in drafting one.

Anyone who might want to leapfrog them would need to work with the Eagles.

The same principle holds true for wide receivers if all four likely first-round quarterbacks get taken.

The 30th pick is a potential trade-down spot because first-round rookie contracts come with an extra year of team control. The fifth-year option for first-round picks is no longer a cheap option, but it buys extra time before negotiating a long-term extension.

It might mean that teams are willing to part with a little extra draft capital to move back into the first round. This could become important if a team is interested in Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker as a potential fifth first-round quarterback prospect.

Finding a trade back at one of the spots would be a good idea. They have four picks in the top 100 but just two more picks after that.

Stocking up on picks by trading back at least once could give them more bites at the apple, but it takes two to get a deal done.