Philadelphia Eagles 7-round 2021 NFL mock draft

Round 3

Despite Alabama’s dominance at the college football level under Nick Saban, Howie Roseman and the Eagles have neglected to draft players from Tuscaloosa since 2002. That trend ended in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft when the Eagles selected DeVonta Smith at 12, and Philadelphia goes back to the Crimson Tide program selecting linebacker Dylan Moses with their first of two third-round picks.

The Eagles have failed to address a declining and aging linebacker unit since their Super Bowl win and made no efforts to seriously improve the position via free agency. After passing Parsons in the first round, the Eagles grab an incredibly talented linebacker who will be expected to make an immediate impact as a rookie.

As a unanimous five-star recruit, Moses made an immediate impact with the Crimson Tide, making the SEC All-Freshman team and seeing game time each week at Alabama. Moses continued to improve with the Crimson Tide and has seen time at both inside and outside linebacker. After missing the entire 2019 season due to an ACL tear, Moses returned to Alabama for his senior season as the captain and leader of a national champion defense.

While Moses is somewhat undersized as an NFL linebacker, he has the frame to put on weight and has the intangibles to develop into a long-term starter for the Eagles. Moses is an incredible athlete, possesses sideline to sideline speed, and is excellent at reading blocking schemes and dropping into coverage. Moses can break into the backfield and can be used as a pass rusher when needed.

The Philadelphia Eagles marquee free agency move was the signing of former Vikings safety Anthony Harris. While Harris will slot in as an immediate starter at safety, the Eagles signed the 29-year-old to a one-year deal. While Philadelphia ranked near the middle of the league in both passing defense and takeaways, the Eagles are vulnerable through the air.

With Harris signed to just a one-year deal and a secondary in the process of undergoing a rebuild, the Eagles select Indiana’s Jamar Johnson with their second pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Johnson was a four-year starter with the Hoosiers and became the first Indiana safety since 1996 to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Johnson was just about everywhere in the Indiana backfield, registering seven interceptions in 24 games. Johnson can make an immediate impact at either safety spot and is an ideal NFL defensive back who is always closing in towards the ball. Johnson can play at corner or safety in any coverage scheme and makes excellent coverage reads.

While Johnson will be expected to improve his tackling against NFL-sized receivers and tight ends, he should be an immediate impact player for the Eagles and a starting safety within his first two seasons. Johnson is one of the most talented defensive backs in the 2021 NFL Draft and has limited flaws in his game.

Round 4

The Eagles posted the third-most turnovers in the league with both Wentz or Jalen Hurts struggling to find consistency behind collapsed pockets. The core of the Eagles’ offensive line woes resulted in the lack of consistency across the unit. While only veteran center Jason Kelce appeared in all 16 regular-season games, he will turn 34 by the end of the upcoming season and is unlikely to remain in Philadelphia much longer.

Philadelphia has limited depth across the interior offensive line and will likely look towards rebuilding their offensive line through the 2021 and 2022 NFL Drafts. Stanford’s Drew Dalman played at both the guard and center position and started at center for the Cardinal in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons, earning All-Pac-12 honors each year.

Dalman is the son of former 49ers offensive lineman Chris Dalman and comes from Stanford’s pro-style offense. Dalman would be undersized as a rookie but plays with excellent footwork and technique. The Philadelphia Eagles would not see an immediate return on the rookie center but could look towards their fourth-round pick as a future starting center in the 2022 season.