Philadelphia Eagles: Trade targets in the 2021 NFL Draft
By David Glancy
After finishing the 2020 season with the sixth-worst record, the Philadelphia Eagles are essentially restarting with both a rookie head coach and quarterback. While the Eagles traded the sixth overall pick, they could still look towards the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft as the cornerstone of their rebuild and trade back up depending on how draft night shakes out.
Each draft night seems to carry a level of trade intrigue in the latter stages of the first round. The Los Angeles Chargers traded back into the first round of the 2020 Draft acquiring the 23rd pick from the Patriots in exchange for a second and third-round pick last spring. With the 37th overall pick and two third-round selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles could consider trading back into the first depending on how round one shakes out.
Assuming the Eagles and pat and use the 12th overall pick on their own behalf, Philadelphia will likely have selected a top lineman, receiver, cornerback, or Parsons. We will go off the assumption the Eagles continue their offensive rebuild with Jaylen Waddle, a former favorite of their new franchise quarterback.
Jalen Hurts was asked to name an Alabama player who he thinks will have the best career from this upcoming draft...
— Ty (@HandsTeamTy) March 8, 2021
His answer: Jaylen Waddle
That leaves Philadelphia in a position where they could look to improve their line or secondary prior to the second round. The Eagles could be in a scenario where they select both Waddle and move their second and a third to move up ahead of the Titans and draft Farley. Farley isn’t the only intriguing potential late-first-round prospect the Eagles could consider moving for. Northwestern’s Greg Newsome II or Georgia’s Eric Stokes could be on Rosemans’s board as the future number one cornerback.
The Eagles could look to add the most impressive linebacker in the 2021 NFL Draft and move up to select Penn State’s Micah Parsons in a scenario where the defender falls on draft day. Parsons put together an incredibly impressive Pro Day but could fall in the draft given the teams with early-to-mid-first-round picks and would instantly improve a poor linebacking group in Philadelphia.