The 2024 NFL Combine is officially in the books. The Senior Bowl has come and gone. The general consensus of which prospects could be headed where and which round is starting to take shape.
With that, what better time to unveil our first official mock draft of the off-season.
The Eagles are currently projected to have 8 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Let’s get to drafting.
TRADE
Eagles send: 2024 1st Round Pick (22), 2024 2nd Round Pick (54), and 2025 3rd Rounder to BENGALS in exchange for 2024 1st Round Pick (18) and 2024 3rd Round Pick (80)
With an early run on offensive lineman and four quarterbacks going in the top 10, the Eagles elect to trade up with the Bengals. Cincinnati trades back four spots and picks up draft capital both in the present and future.
The Eagles have traded up in the first round in four of the last five drafts.
Round 1 – Pick 18: Terrion Arnold (CB), Alabama
The Eagles trade up to select one of the highest ceiling defensive players in the 2024 draft.
The Alabama product is an explosive athlete who was initially recruited as a safety. After redshirting as a freshman, Arnold made the switch to corner where he has excelled over the past two seasons.
Over two seasons in Tuscaloosa, the six-foot, 196 pound Arnold has amassed 108 total tackles, 20 pass break-ups, and 6 interceptions.
While still relatively new to the position, Terrion Arnold is an extremely talented cornerback. In man, he has the ability to turn and run. In zone, while he still has a bit of room for improvement, his short area quickness and eye discipline are traits that he can build upon.
In 2023, 12 cornerbacks were targeted at least 75 times in coverage per PFF. Arnold finished with the 2nd highest grade among the 12 players. Arnold also finished with the highest run defense grade among all Power Five cornerbacks in 2023 (per PFF).
At just 21 years old and having only played the position for two years, Arnold certainly isn’t a finished product by any means, but he possesses uncanny physical traits and intangibles that make him an extremely enticing prospect.
With the Eagles (in all likelihood) moving on from James Bradberry this offseason, Arnold would more than likely step into a starting role alongside Darius Slay.
Round 2 – Pick 50: Ricky Pearsall (WR), Florida
The 2024 receiver class has the potential to be one of the best in recent years and with the selection of Ricky Pearsall, the Eagles get one of the best all-around options in the class.
Pearsall started his career at Arizona State, where he would spend his first three seasons before transferring to Florida for his final two college football seasons.
The six-foot-one Pearsall is a ready-made NFL slot receiver who wins with nuanced route running, near elite body control, and some of the surest hands in the class. Per Pro Football Focus, Pearsall dropped just two passes in 2023.
He’s adept at understanding holes in zone, using leverage within his release, sneaky seperation ability.
Pearsall is everything the Eagles could want in a third receiver. He offers inside-outside versatility and would be able to kick outside when DeVonta Smith slides into the slot and still be effective.
The selection of Pearsall would give the Eagles a day one contributer out of the slot.
Round 3 – Pick 80: Javon Bullard (S), Georgia
The Eagles continue to improve their secondary with the selection of Javon Bullard in the 3rd round. The also continue the “Philly Dawgs” tradition with this selection.
The versatile Bullard is a former nickel corner who moved to safety full time this past season. Bullard is a really fluid mover, who’s instincts and play recognition are among his top qualities. The 5-foot-11, 195 pound Bullard is a bit on the smaller side, but for what he lacks in size he more than makes up for with immense effort on the field. He’s a bit reminiscent of Jalen Pitre from the 2022 draft.
With the Eagles, Bullard would step into one of the most important roles in the Vic Fangio system: the safety position. Fangio’s defenses rely heavily on 2 high coverage shells and place a ton of responsibility on the deep safeties to roll into different coverages and disguise from pre-snap to post-snap. The highly instinctual Bullard is more than equipped to handle the role.
Trade
Eagles send: 2024 3rd Round Pick (97), 2024 5th Round Pick (171), to Commanders in exchange for 2024 3rd Round Pick (101) and 2024 5th Round Pick (138)
The Eagles trade back to acquire optionality later in the draft. Washington moves up four picks and adds a second fifth round pick.
Round 3 – Pick 101: Trevin Wallace (LB), Kentucky
The Eagles address the linebacker position in the third round with the selection of the explosive Trevin Wallace.
Wallace is an athletic and high-energy linebacker who plays with true sideline-to-sideline range. He struggles at times in terms of diagnosis and trusting his eyes, as well as playing with patience, but he has every tool you could want in a linebacker in today’s NFL.
Pursuit, range, physicality, and energy are all plus qualities Wallace possesses. Wallace was also voted a team captain in 2023.
Wallace seems like a hand in glove fit for a Vic Fangio defense that puts a ton of stress from a coverage standpoint on its linebackers.
Round 5 – Pick 138: Tyrice Knight (LB), UTEP
The Eagles double back at linebacker, this time selecting UTEP’s Tyrice Knight.
Knight is a long and explosive athlete. His short area quickness and pursuit ability in run support are two traits that show where Knight shines. He isn’t as fluid of a mover as Trevin Wallace, but he more than holds his own.
A bit of an old school style linebacker, Knight is adept at keying and diagnosing in the run game. He’s effective when he’s coming downhill through gaps. He should have some impact early on in his career on special teams.
Round 5 – Pick 160: Khristian Boyd (DT), Northern Iowa
The Eagles add depth at defensive tackle with the selection of Northern Iowa’s Khristian Boyd.
Boyd dominated at the Shrine Bowl, showcasing power, hand usage, and the ability to consistently live in the backfield in one-on-one drills.
Boyd plays with supreme explosiveness, routinely firing off the ball with violent hands and incredible length. He struggles at times with developing a true pass rush plan when his initial rush is stopped, but the traits he possesses are extremely enticing. He’s explosive, he’s strong, and he’s disruptive.
Fletcher Cox is an unknown at the moment and Milton Williams is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Make no mistake about it, the Eagles need to add depth at defensive tackle behind Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Giving Boyd a year to develop in an NFL system behind Carter, Davis, and Williams would do wonders for him.
Round 5 – Pick 170: Dylan Laube (RB), New Hampshire
It’s been a while since the Eagles had a do-it-all, swiss army knife type of running back. Dylan Laube is a picture perfect representation of a do-it-all running back.
Laube amassed 4,421 scrimmage yards and 42 touchdowns during his career at New Hampshire. The five-foot-ten, 206 pound Laube is versatility in human form.
The combination of vision as a runner and receiving ability he possesses will be intriguing to NFL teams. Laube also lined up in the slot during his time at New Hampshire.
The level of competition he faced in the FCS at New Hampshire will definitely raise some questions, but his production speaks for itself.
TRADE
Eagles send: 2024 5th Round Pick (178) to BILLS in exchange for 2024 6th Round Pick (197) and 2024 6th Round Pick (206)
Philadelphia trades back 19 spots to add a pair of late round picks.
Round 6 – Pick 197: Brennan Jackson (EDGE), Washington State
The Eagles add much needed EDGE depth with the selection of Washington State’s Brennan Jackson.
Jackson is a physically and athletically sound edge rusher who plays with a motor that runs all game. He routinely fires off the ball both against the run and pass, but fails to establish a plan as a pass rusher.
At times, his aggressiveness plays him out of snaps. He has the tools, but hasn’t quite put all the pieces together just yet.
Round 6 – Pick 206: Erick All (TE), Iowa
Erick All would give the Eagles a solid number two tight end behind Dallas Goedert.
If I had to summarize All: He does everything needed to be NFL level tight end very well. He can block, he’s versatile (has lined up as a Y/F/H tight end), he’s a solid route runner evidenced by his 2.62YPRR and his yardage market share was the highest by any Power 5 TE since 2008).
Round 7 – Pick 240: Qwan’tez Stiggers (CB), Toronto Argonauts
Stiggers might be the story of the draft. Stiggers never played a single snap of college football. He’s played in Canada. He’s played in the Fan Controlled Football league. He also almost played in the XFL (they sent his contract to the wrong email address).
The 22-year-old, Stiggers is eligible to enter the NFL draft because his graduating class is up. The 6-foot, 196 pound cornerback was the first CFL player to participate in the Shrine Bowl, where he shined. In one on ones he flashed, consistently breaking up passes and showcasing his physicality as a defensive back.
Stiggers would give the Eagles a young developmental corner who has shown he can overcome adversity and fight for opportunity.
Cover Image Credit: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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