Philadelphia Eagles seven-round 2020 NFL Mock Draft

Since the beginning of the Howie Roseman era as General Manager for the Philadelphia Eagles, only one player has been drafted in the first round that wasn’t part of the Offensive or Defensive line: Carson Wentz.

2019 first-round pick Andre Dillard has already played in place of an injured Jason Peters and looks ready to replace the 38-year-old staple of the offensive line full-time next year. Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks just signed contract extensions in the last month, so the offensive line looks steady heading into 2020.

On the defensive line, elite defensive tackle Fletcher Cox will be entering his ninth season in 2020. While still a disruptive force on the defensive line, Cox has had multiple injuries in recent years, including an offseason foot surgery this spring. On top of that, most opposing offensive lines tend to double team Cox on big passing plays and the Philadelphia Eagles have had a hard time finding steady help to line up next to Cox.

This past off-season the team picked up Malik Jackson in free agency, only to have to talented tackle injured early in the season. In the 2019 NFL draft, it was reported that the Philadelphia Eagles had almost traded up to draft defensive tackle Christian Wilkins from Clemson. The Dolphins were going to trade their pick to the Philadelphia Eagles before Miami ultimately backed out at the last-minute and drafted Wilkins instead.

Howie Roseman doesn’t play around with his defensive line. Having a player like Derrick Brown next to Cox might seem like overkill, but Cox has always been most productive with another high-end tackle next to him to ward off double teams.

With Brown, the Philadelphia Eagles get a talented contributor to the defensive line, who can spend his first few seasons learning from one of the best tackles in the game. And with Malik Jackson and Timmy Jernigan expected to play in 2020, the rookie will have plenty of time to rest and won’t need to be on the field for a majority of downs. Howie Roseman likes to have multiple defensive linemen available as rotational pieces to keep the line fresh throughout the game.

Brown has been a regular fixture of the Auburn defensive line since 2017. The senior has been a starter for Auburn for three years now and after seeing his stats it is easy to see why. In 2019, Brown has 49 total tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles through 11 games. These numbers are consistent across three seasons, with Brown racking up 45 tackles in 2018 and 56 in 2017. On top of that, his height at 6-foot-5 makes him an ideal tackle candidate at the next level.

Brown has already had eight passes deflected since his first season, gaining four of them this year. Brown has the strength, size and speed to be a disruptive force attacking the line of scrimmage. Paired up with Fletcher Cox and supported by plenty of depth, the addition of a talent like Brown’s would elevate the Eagles defensive line to an elite level.

It might be tempting for the Philadelphia Eagles to select an elite cornerback in the first round, as many mock drafts have suggested. History suggests however that Roseman likes to pick high-quality line players, who aren’t necessary components on either side of the ball for a year or two in the first round. Expect Howie Roseman to get a defensive tackle in the first round for the Philadelphia Eagles.