Eagles NFL Draft: GM Howie Roseman Is Cheat Code

Philly traded up to stop DeJean’s fall. Now, the Eagles added two players who can be immediate contributors to a defense that struggled down the stretch.

#Eagles GM Howie Roseman trading up with Washington to get Cooper DeJean in Round 2.

Philadelphia thought the Rams traded ahead of them to get DeJean, but they picked a different player — and Howie was PUMPED.

This access is so good.

(via @Eagles YT)pic.twitter.com/XnIEeVogy2

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 2, 2024

The Eagles addressed more than the secondary. Let’s look at how the Eagles helped boost their roster in the remaining rounds.

The Eagles Took Lottery Tickets on Playmakers

Later in the draft, Philadelphia took some lottery tickets on a few playmakers. The Eagles added Clemson running back Will Shipley in the fourth round while adding Texas A&M’s playmaker Ainias Smith in the fifth.

Philly also landed Florida State receiver Johnny Wilson in the sixth round. It does not sound like the league was thrilled with general manager Howie Roseman again landing a loaded draft class.

“Every bleeping year,” an NFL scout told Fox Sports after the Eagles picked Mitchell . “These guys just fall into Philly’s lap. Happens in free agency, too. And we all just sit back and watch them get richer.”

Howie Roseman & the Eagles front office are elite.

They just are.

NFL Draft weekend latest example:

Ross Report™️ presented by https://t.co/jksF2hwPUv pic.twitter.com/nxcfXWDqCB

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) April 29, 2024

Philly Had a Feelgood Story of Draft by Selecting Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

Philadelphia selected Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in the fifth round. The defender is the son of former Philly Pro Bowler Jeremiah Trotter.

“I kind of felt it was gonna work out last week. Sometimes you just kind of feel things. We were lucky with how the draft fell”

-Howie Roseman on being able to get Jeremiah Trotter Jr

1on1 with Howie and interview with the Trotters on Eagles draft special NBC10 11:35PM pic.twitter.com/EHaHFGw2X0

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 29, 2024

“It was emotional as well, because I know the memories he has with my mother [Tammi, who passed away in 2023] and my dad and the family in general with me coming around [Lincoln Financial Field] as a kid, so hearing him get emotional was definitely emotional for me, too, because we were both thinking about her and the memory of her during the moment,” Trotter Jr. noted, per the Eagles website.

“It really did show the type of connection he had with my family when she was here and the relationship that they had.”

What Can the Eagles Expect From Cooper DeJean?

The Eagles draft will be defined by whether Mitchell and DeJean live up to expectations. Philly needed to upgrade a secondary that allowed big plays down the stretch. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had a first-round grade on DeJean.

.@Eagles @HawkeyeFootball @CooperDejean_ he can do anything in the secondary and he is goung to add some THUMP to the defense. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/iLzlVnOsls

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 27, 2024

“Highly competitive defensive back with plus ball skills and noteworthy special teams value,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile of the corner. “DeJean is big and bundled for a cornerback, with muscular arms and tight hips.

“… He would seem to be a no-brainer as a punt returner and gunner in Year 1. DeJean should be a big athletic tester, which will help get the hype train going, but finding the proper schematic fit will be important in unlocking his best football as a zone corner or interchangeable safety.”

Overall, the Eagles hit the draft out of the park. Philly’s draft could be better if Shipley, Smith, or Wilson outperforms their late-round status. The Eagles are now slight favorites in the Las Vegas odds to win the NFC East at +120.

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