Insider notes on Eagles rookies: Trading with Chiefs to draft Jihaad Campbell, finishing 3-man line with Ty Robinson and more

After completely dominating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles entered the draft with few holes yet a boatload of picks. The few needs the team had could be found on the offensive line as well as the defense. In the end, Howie Roseman did his usual masterful job.

NFL: NFL Draft - Source: Imagn

I was the first to report Jihaad Campbell’s medical red flags that caused him to drop down draft boards. Many thought the shoulder issues he was diagnosed with, which could interfere with and disrupt his rookie season, would push him out of the first round. Enter Roseman. The Eagles' decision maker tried several times to trade up for the playmaking linebacker and eventually flipped places with the Kansas City Chiefs to guarantee his selection. Campbell was the best off-ball linebacker in the draft and is a brilliant defender in pursuit or reverse. He also displays blitz potential, something he rarely did on the college level. In securing Campbell with the 31st pick, the Eagles are assured to control his career for at least the next five seasons, meaning they can afford their first-round pick to deal with a medical disruption in 2025 if one is required.

Round 2 saw the team draft safety Andrew Mukuba, potentially filling a need in center field. Mukuba offers a better range and ball skills than Reed Blankenship, the team’s present starter, and he’s less of a liability in man coverage.

Anyone who has read my work or watched me during podcasts over the past two years knows of my affection for defensive lineman Ty Robinson, who was an absolute steal in the fourth round. Robinson is a great fit for the Eagles’ three-man line, as he’s an athletic big man with terrific upside. Two years down the road, there will be plenty of teams wondering how they let Robinson slip past on Day 2.

The Eagles had three selections in the fifth round and took cornerback Mac McWilliams with the initial pick. McWilliams is a well-built, physical cornerback who showed a lot of progress on the field last season and whose game is on the rise. Smael Mondon Jr. was their next choice in the round, and he’s another solid off-ball linebacker from this draft class. Mondon lacks great size, yet he’s tough and very instinctive; he’s a poor man’s Campbell. Drew Kendall, a prospect I believe could develop into the best center to come out of this draft, was the final choice in Round 5. Kendall has great bloodlines, as his dad is former All-Pro Pete Kendall, and he plays smart football and displays a lot of athleticism on the field. This was very much a Howie Roseman pick; despite not needing an interior offensive lineman, take one anyway if a good prospect is available.

The Eagles finished the draft with four picks in the sixth round, three of them coming from the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Kyle McCord, the strong-armed passer from Syracuse who is coming off a terrific season, will now battle for the third spot on the depth chart. McCord was the best deep passer at the combine and has a vertical arm. He’s slow-moving his head from the primary target, though he improved last season. McCord has upside, and if the Eagles can develop him as they’ve done with so many other signal callers, he could fetch a lot in a trade.

Left tackle Myles Hinton was the next selection, and he’s a prospect with a large upside. Unlike many of the Eagles’ choices, Hinton comes off a somewhat down season with Michigan after breaking in with the first team on a full-time basis, but he has flashed skill the past two seasons.

Cameron Williams, the third pick in the round, could end up one of the best bargains in the draft. Last season was the tale of two Williams, as during the first half, the underclassman from Texas was dominant at right tackle, displaying both power and athleticism. Yet a midseason knee injury changed his fortunes for the worse, and Williams struggled down the stretch, ultimately giving up the horrendous sack during the college football semifinal playoff game against the Buckeyes that resulted in the Jack Sawyer scoop and score that sealed victory for Ohio State. There was a belief that Williams should’ve stayed in school another season and is not ready for the NFL, yet the Eagles have a lot of options and hope to get him back to where he was in the first half of 2024 and then build upon that.

Edge rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. was the final choice, and he’s the perfect fit for the Eagles defense: slightly undersized but fierce, explosive, and a great pass rusher.

The Eagles did not sign many free agents, but they did bring in a pair of receivers to keep an eye on- Taylor Morin and Giles Jackson. Both are sure-handed wideouts with potential as return specialists.

Grade - A: The only problem with this draft is that there is not enough room on the Eagles roster to fit all these great picks. I could see four or five making the active roster, and the rest will either be on the Eagles’ practice squad or scooped up by another team that puts them on the field in 2025.