Eagles 2025-2026 Season

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

Lemon seems too small and slow, which is likely why he dropped to 20. I'm not thrilled with this pick.

[dicemen99]

Too small and slow for what, Madden? He ran a 4.46 and was the best WR in college football this year. Including Jeremiah Smith.

Tell me what a top 10 WR makes in the NFL as compared to a S or a TE. Now tell me what the Eagles will be paying this guy for the next 5 years.

This is how you draft. Ultimately, nobody hits 100%, although we’ve been doing well the last 5 years, but this is the philosophy that makes the Eagles one of the top franchises in the NFL.

[dcsman]

I tend to agree at this point. Going to be hard to catch a football with a heavily banged up o-line. Giving up two 4s for it too seemed a little steep. I’m just not sure I trust Howie making WR picks after his picking of Reagor and feel like he might have reached for the very salary reasons Diceman states below.

[phillychuck]

Lemon is constantly compared to Puka. If that is correct (roughly) it’s a great pick. If not, I would have preferred Ihaenachor, Mesidor, Theineman, Rutledge, and Faulk who went later in round 1.

Lemon isn’t really small, he’s over 5’11” and 195 lbs, which is solid. Breaks tackles in his highlights. Returned kicks in college and broke tackles in that role, too. If he’s 4.47 he’s not slow, either. Some sites have him at 4.5, which is probably not fast enough to go over the top much.

[Pat_Burrell]

It’s crazy that Ian Rapp is reporting the Steelers were on the phone with Lemon preparing to select him at 21 when the Eagles made the trade with Dallas so he didn’t answer immediately when Howie tried calling.

[dicemen99]

You point to Reagor (despite the fact that multiple outlets have confirmed that Jefferson was higher on the board, but Reagor was selected because they wanted a Z, which is a clear case of drafting for need rather than value, something that he seems to have learned from), but ignore the more recent Smith.

And then you dismiss salary, which the cap has necessitated understanding its impact to build a roster that can perform at a high level.

It’s almost like we haven’t been to 2 SBs in the past two years, 3 in 8, playoffs almost every year, and a top 3-5 franchise over the past decade. Instead fans want our GM to act like the teams that consistently draft in the top 10, draft RBs in the top 3 when you can buy the best one in football for $36M over 3 years, double up on draft capital in a year with like 10 guys with 1st round grades while the next year is lining up to be the best in a decade, etc, etc.

I guess a lot of our fans are nostalgic for the 20th century Eagles. I don’t get it. But I guess I do, because half the bloggers in the metaverse don’t scratch below the surface of the game.

This is a great baseball board because there are some guys on here that really pay attention to how the game is played now, how rosters are assembled, etc. I have stayed around because it is interesting to me to read - I am a Phillies fan, but admittedly have not a long background following the game closely and I am learning a lot. Football is not really treated the same way here.

[phillychuck]

Depends whose posts you read on football.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOeUWuuwJlk

[dicemen99]

Lemon is constantly compared to Puka. If that is correct (roughly) it’s a great pick. If not, I would have preferred Ihaenachor, Mesidor, Theineman, Rutledge, and Faulk who went later in round 1.

Lemon isn’t really small, he’s over 5’11” and 195 lbs, which is solid. Breaks tackles in his highlights. Returned kicks in college and broke tackles in that role, too. If he’s 4.47 he’s not slow, either. Some sites have him at 4.5, which is probably not fast enough to go over the top much.

I can buy Max I and Faulk. But Max I is more risk than Lemon, and Faulk, like all the other edges not in the top 5, has some issues that bear risk. But you gamble on guys like that all day long. Mesidor’s age probably was a nonstarter for the Eagles and the safety is a hard no for using your 5th year control chip on - draft a guy like that in the second if he slips. Same with the mauler guard who is not polished in pass pro.

[phillychuck]

I see all your points...I think like Fran does that Faulk is the best edge player in the entire draft, even better than Bailey, so I think that risk is low. Max I would be a starter by year 2 and a pro-bowler by year 3 if Stout were coaching him, you might be right that the risk is higher with the current staff. Mesidor is certainly an old, but he’s plug and play. I don’t know what to think about safety. Theineman is really darn good, not Downs-level but close. I think I would have taken a shot with him or the Toledo guy. But if Lemon is anything close to Puka, I’m in. Watch his highlights, it will brighten your take on this.

Another factor is that you save two fourth round draft picks on most of those guys.

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

Apparently he chose not to run the 40 at the combine, but his range is 4.48 to 4.53 from some scouts (with 4.46 at USCs Pro Day). I suppose this was a strategic decision, but the skeptical read was because he knew it isn't his strongest selling point.
Okay, he's not short, but he's shorter than I'd prefer (1 inch shorter than Devonte, who is 1 shorter than AJ.)

[Purduke]

It’s crazy that Ian Rapp is reporting the Steelers were on the phone with Lemon preparing to select him at 21 when the Eagles made the trade with Dallas so he didn’t answer immediately when Howie tried calling.

When you saw this, in these days of trained LLMs, anyone else wonder to themselves whether Howie had a boiler room at NovaCare (sorry Jefferson) where guys were monitoring the "official" phone numbers for the teams and draftees to see who was calling who during the draft? Probably not something Big Dom could pull off but maybe a couple grad students from Penn. In fact, if Luigi wasn't locked up in downtown Manhattan. sounds like something he could have signed up for.

[phillychuck]

Remaining day-2 top players by position in roughly the order I’d like to see the Eagles pick them (if they last or trade up again) both by category and within category:

EDGE
TJ Parker
Dani Dennis Sutton
R Mason Thomas
Gabe Jacas
Derrick Moore
LT Overton

OT
Caleb Tiernan
Markel Bell
Isaiah World

Safety
Emmanuel Mcneil-Warren
AJ Hailey
Zak Wheatley
Jakobe Thomas
Bud Clark
Kamari Ramsey
Treydan Stukes
Daulton johnson
Michael Taaffe
DeShon Singleton

IOL (G)
Chase Bisontis
Jalen Farmer
Emmanuel Pregnon
Febechi Nwaiwu
Billy Schrauth

TE
Justin Joly
Oscar Delp
Sam Roush
Max Klare (blocking?)
Eli Stowers (blocking?)
Tanner Koziol (blocking?)
Joe Royer
Eli Raridon
Will Kacmarek
Nate Boerkircher
Cole Hardy (receiving?)

CB (lots of value left on the board)
Avieon Terrell
D’Angelo Ponds
Jermond McCoy
Malik Muhammad (one of my favorites at 54)
Brandon Cisse
Devin Moore
Colton Hood
Julian Neal
Davison Igbinosun
Ephesians Prysock
Chandler Rivers
Hezekiah Masses

QB
Garrett Nussmeier
Carson Beck (probably not day 2)

RB
Kaytron Allen (power back)
Demond Claiborne (also returns kicks)
Jonah Coleman
Emmett Johnson (has returned kickoffs)
Nicholas Singleton (has returned kickoffs)

DT
Kayden McDonald
Gracen Halton
Zane Durant
Kaleb Proctor
Caameron Ball

YMMV

[LegoDoom]

The only reason I didn't want a trade up is because this doesn't seem like a very top heavy draft (or good draft at all, really), but Lemon was rated higher by most sites and in some cases much higher. His size and speed won't really matter much for where I am assuming he will be playing. His quickness and route running will likely be more important. And it's not like he was super slow. He's also been compared to Puka, who ran even slower at his pro day.

Also, because this seems like a weaker draft, the picks they gave up aren't as valuable as they normally would be. Of course, you could say that trading back for a pick in next years draft might be a good idea, but were the Eagles the only team that got a 2027 pick from the trades yesterday? So it's not like teams were throwing around future 1sts/2nds last night.

[allentown]

Of the remaining needs, IOL probably most likely to be fillable with a decent pick who can contribute this year. Other than development players to contribute in 2027 and beyond, it looks like the OT and Edge trains have left the station, except for teams at the top of round 2. We hit 1-20 with only one guy left on our day-1 board? Our pick was a good pick, although I would have preferred Max I, but I guess the team viewed replacing Brown as the biggest problem. I predict serious O-line problems this season. I exclude pass rush woes, because we apparently have a trade lined up.

[Purduke]

We hit 1-20 with only one guy left on our day-1 board?

I was watching a pre-draft show with Kiper and (I think) Jeremiah were Kiper said he had 20 first round grades in the draft; Jeremiah said he had 17. Next tranche of similar ratings was about 50 deep after that point.

[zambonir]

Howie said they had 23 guys ranked (for obvious reasons) and Lemon was the only one left in their Top 15

[allentown]

Only one left in their top 15 makes sense. I had read previously that they had a list of 23 then saw last night that (I think, don't know where) that Lemon was the only one left when it came to pick 20. That didn't seem reasonable at the time, so glad it was wrong.

[dicemen99]

Remaining day-2 top players by position in roughly the order I’d like to see the Eagles pick them (if they last or trade up again) both by category and within category:

EDGE
TJ Parker
Dani Dennis Sutton
R Mason Thomas
Gabe Jacas
Derrick Moore
LT Overton

OT
Caleb Tiernan
Markel Bell
Isaiah World

Safety
Emmanuel Mcneil-Warren
AJ Hailey
Zak Wheatley
Jakobe Thomas
Bud Clark
Kamari Ramsey
Treydan Stukes
Daulton johnson
Michael Taaffe
DeShon Singleton

IOL (G)
Chase Bisontis
Jalen Farmer
Emmanuel Pregnon
Febechi Nwaiwu
Billy Schrauth

TE
Justin Joly
Oscar Delp
Sam Roush
Max Klare (blocking?)
Eli Stowers (blocking?)
Tanner Koziol (blocking?)
Joe Royer
Eli Raridon
Will Kacmarek
Nate Boerkircher
Cole Hardy (receiving?)

CB (lots of value left on the board)
Avieon Terrell
D’Angelo Ponds
Jermond McCoy
Malik Muhammad (one of my favorites at 54)
Brandon Cisse
Devin Moore
Colton Hood
Julian Neal
Davison Igbinosun
Ephesians Prysock
Chandler Rivers
Hezekiah Masses

QB
Garrett Nussmeier
Carson Beck (probably not day 2)

RB
Kaytron Allen (power back)
Demond Claiborne (also returns kicks)
Jonah Coleman
Emmett Johnson (has returned kickoffs)
Nicholas Singleton (has returned kickoffs)

DT
Kayden McDonald
Gracen Halton
Zane Durant
Kaleb Proctor
Caameron Ball

YMMV

Edge
R Mason Thomas - Rd 2
Jashawn Barhaim - Rd 3
Romello Height - Rd 3
Would be okay with Parker if he’s there at 54, but not ecstatic. Jacas as well. Z. Young, Howell as well - maybe I would take them over Barham, but they are going to be gone much earlier. Plus, guys like Parker and Young are different toes of players than the others. Not explosive pass rushers, but early down guys. The others are maybe sub package guys. But we need both.

DB - not going to label CB or Safety as I think Fangio’s preference is for nickel/safety versatility
K Scott / T. Stokes - Rd 2 - love these for Fangio.
K Abney - don’t love them at 54 but maybe at 68
If McCoy was there at 54 it would seem that there are huge red flags with his medical, so pass
Muhammad- I like him too, but more like after pick 80.
J. Neal - Rd 3/Early 4
EMW - pure safety but talented enough that I’m considering him at 54

TE
Stowers - see my comment about EMW, otherwise the earliest I would address this is 98 and then
Roush - 98
Joly - Rd 4
Raridon- Rd 4/5

IOL
If Bisontis or Pregnon are there in Rd 2, I may consider them as this is a strength in the draft, but no slam dunk
Hecht - 98 or after
Slaughter - 98 or after
Farmer - 98 or after

OT - at this point I think our current projects may be just as talented. Maybe Bell because of the tantalizing size, but no earlier than 80.

DT

If McDonald is there you probably have to take him at 54, or better yet, trade the pick to someone who wants him and pick up capital. Otherwise, the guys you listed I would not draft tonight. All after 120 or so.

RB, QB - no way in hell until 5th or 6th for any of them.

There are some guys left that present some value at 54, so if they are there you have to draft them, but on the whole there is not a lot of separation between the big bunch of guys who will be there at 54 through 100 or so. 54 may be an opportunity to trade back and get some capital that gets you another pick in the top 80 to 120, otherwise if one guy slips to 54 that you really want you may be able to trade back from 68 and pick up a little less capital.

Apologies in advance for any autocorrects Iowa missed - it was working overtime with all the last names.

Chuck - there are some guys on your list that I like as players, but just not with the Eagles. Not great scheme fits, which is really critical at this stage of the draft. They may blossom elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean they would be good picks with the current schemes here. Some of the CBs especially, would be square pegs with Fangio.

[dicemen99]

One of my “may be there at 54 and I would love him” guys just came off the board- T. Stokes. Mason Thomas is another one but I think there will be a run on edges in the 40s.

[dicemen99]

Of course, I open my big friggin mouth and KC takes RMT with the very next pick. I will keep my mouth shut and fingers crossed until 54.