2022 NFL DRAFT DEEP DIVE: philadelphia eagles
By Paul Mainwaring
The NFL Draft is over, and we cannot head into the three-month abyss that is the offseason without looking at what all 262 selections mean for each franchise. Whilst too early to judge just how successful a draft class each team’s was, we can look at how rookies fit within schemes, where they stand on depth charts, and who we can expect to make an impact in 2022. We continue our team by team series with the Philadelphia Eagles:
Draft Haul
| RND | PICK | PROSPECT | POS | SCHOOL |
| 1 | 13 | Jordan Davis | IDL | Georgia |
| 2 | 51 | Cam Jurgens | IOL | Nebraska |
| 3 | 83 | Nakobe Dean | LB | Georgia |
| 6 | 181 | Kyron Johnson | LB | Kansas |
| 6 | 198 | Grant Calcaterra | TE | SMU |
Day One
With all the wheeling and dealing over the past few years, the Eagles went into the draft with two first-round draft picks, numbers 13 and 18. By the end of the first round they had only drafted 1 player but had brought an elite WR onto the roster.
With the 13th pick, the Eagles selected Georgia defensive tackle – and one of the big winners of draft season – Jordan Davis. Davis is a massive human being with unreal athleticism that wowed everyone with his performance at the combine and his highlights packages from Georgia. The question over Davis is what will he be at the next level, with some thinking he will only be a run-stuffer while others believe he can be an elite pass rusher as well. Concerns about Davis’ conditioning given his size were raised primarily as he wasn’t on the field full-time for Georgia, but when he was on the field he is a destructive force. As a rookie, Jonathan Gannon will use him for limited snaps but expect them to be highly impactful.
I loved Davis as a prospect and though I understand the concerns I think his size and athletic traits mean if coached correctly the Eagles could have an All-Pro DT – and a player who offenses have to scheme against, which is all you want from a first round pick.
With the 18th Pick (and pick 101) the Eagles traded with the Titans to receive AJ Brown, and immediately signed him to a 4 year $100m contract with $57 million guaranteed. Now although the money is obviously more than a rookie, the Eagles picked up a Top 10 WR in the league who is only 24, and to put that into context the Bears drafted a 25-year-old in the 2nd round. Although Brown is not a draft pick it is tough not to discuss him here and the expected impact he will make. This was a great move by the Eagles and cemented an excellent Day 1 for the team.
Day Two
Day 2 started with the Eagles looking to solidify their O Line with the pick of Cam Jurgens from Nebraska. Unfortunately for Eagles fans, Jason Kelce won’t be able to play forever and the Eagles decided to draft Jurgens as his long term replacement. No doubt Jurgens is athletic and also talented, and was good value at 51 – but given how excellent the Eagles OL already was whether this is a good use of resources is open to debate. On draft day I think people believed CB was a more pressing need, but given the signing of James Bradbury since the draft, the Jurgens pick makes a little more sense.
In the 3rd round, the Eagles picked another defensive player from Georgia, this time Linebacker Nakobe Dean. Dean was seen by many to be a first round player (29 on Dane Brugler’s board) but due to a pectoral injury slipped to 83. It is still not known how bad the injury is; bad enough to see him slip but obviously not bad enough to stop the Eagles from picking him. Dean is a three-down backer who will be a major asset to the Eagles when fit and available, even if w do not know when that will be.
Day Three
On Day 3 the Eagles had 2 picks both in the 6th round. With pick 181 the Eagles selected Kyron Johnson Linebacker from Kansas. At Kansas, he was used as an Edge Rusher and given his 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash they may use him here too. Whether he gets much time on the field depends on training camp but I would expect him to be at worst a big special teams contributor.
With pick 198 the Eagles went offense selecting Grant Calcaterra Tight End from SMU. Calcaterra is a very good pass catcher and could be a very useful backup however he has had a history of concussions and at one point stopped playing given the severity. Hopefully, he is now fine and he gets the opportunity to excel at the NFL level.
One To Watch: Nakobe Dean
When I read comparisons to Jonathan Vilma I am always going to be intrigued. As mentioned above injury concerns are there but if you get the opportunity to draft a first-round talent at 83 you have to take it and the Eagles did just that. Dean can play the run and the pass, and although his size could be seen as an issue he can definitely impact the game on all downs. At Georgia he was a leader on a defense that won the National Title, recording 72 tackles, with 6 sacks and 2 INTs. I love Dean and this is a great pick by Roseman and the Eagles.
UDFA Tracker
| Josh Blackwell | CB | Duke |
| Mario Goodrich | CB | Clemson |
| Carson Strong | QB | Nevada |
| Kennedy Brooks | RB | Oklahoma |
| Josh Jobe | CB | Alabama |
| Noah Elliss | IDL | Idaho |
| Ali Floyd | LB | William Floyd |
| Josh Sills | IOL | Oklahoma State |
| Jarrid Williams | OT | Miami |
| William Dunkle | OT | San Diego State |
| Reed Blankenship | S | Middle Tennessee State |
| Britain Covey | WR | Utah |
Conclusion
If you include the AJ Brown trade, which I think you have to, I believe the Eagles had an excellent draft. If they get the upside they expect from Dean and Davis there is a chance theatthe Eagles added three All-Pro players to their ranks over draft weekend. And if you add this to an already playoff roster, big things could be coming to Philly.
Paul Mainwaring
NFL Analyst
A former UKEndzone writer, Paul has been dragged out of an enforced retirement to give his thoughts on the NFL and anything else he can slide past the editorial team.
Paul is most famous (infamous?) as Mainz one half of Waxing Lyrical. alongside his Partner in Crime Neil ‘Dutts’ Dutton.
Find him @Mainzey7 where all manner of sports are on the menu.