In Philadelphia, drafts don’t happen; their strategies reveal themselves one move at a time, like a game of chess.
When the Eagles are on the clock, the clues have sometimes unlocked their intent. The traits they prioritize, the positional value, and last season notwithstanding, the players they meet with.
If you follow along year after year, a pattern emerges. Calculated aggression with a side of a defined identity. The tells are there long before the picks are announced.
An Eagles draft is not defined by who they select, but rather by why they select them.
The why, behind the who, starts with decoding the front office tendencies by identifying thresholds, athletic benchmarks, versatility, positional investments, and philosophical beliefs that frequently show up in their evaluations, and why I have called the players they target “Philly Fits.”
Emphasizing the premium positions early
Last season, Howie went off script by selecting a linebacker and a safety with his first two picks in rounds one and two. I would expect to see a return to the franchise’s focus during this peak: trench players, CB, and WR. (QB when relevant) The Eagles’ front office understands positional value and the importance of its success, using top assets in spots that make the greatest impact on the game and maintaining financial flexibility.
Traits and Athletic thresholds
Howie and his team lean towards players they have evaluated and tracked during the college season who have elite measurables. These include, but are not limited to, speed, explosive burst, versatility, and length. While other evaluators and teams shy away from players who are still developing, the Eagles believe in their traits and bet on their upside. This is the number one philosophy I agree with the team on, and I believe it is the primary reason they have dominated day one and day two picks in the NFL. Trusting their evaluations and their ability to develop.
Long-term view over immediate needs
You will rarely see the Eagles enter an NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster, especially at a premium position. Roseman almost always drafts players a year or two ahead of need. This leads some fans to be frustrated that their rookies do not contribute as heavily as other teams first year playwers often do, but it allows the speed of their development to dictate when they see the field as they grow into starters or key rotational pieces.
Howie SZN, moving around the board
The Eagles GM moving all around the board has become his trademark during draft weekend. He rarely stands pat and is known for targeting specific players he is willing to move up for or trading down to add extra picks when the team feels comparable talent can be had for fewer assets. You might see the team miss on a player, but it is rarely due to a reach. It is usually due to the high-end traits not developing as they believed. My Philadelphia draft boards usually list 5–8 players per round that the team targets, because the team enters the draft with the same philosophy. If one of their multiple targets is gone, and they can’t move up to acquire them, they move on and trade down.
Trade value of moving up and down
Moving up usually requires a cluster of mid-round selections with a much lower success rate, or occasionally a first pick. But they are almost always for a premium position like pass rusher, corner, or tackle. If the board doesnt align with their value, they move down to gain picks in the middle rounds, giving them flexibility to move up later. The “double-move” trade is another Howie special. The goal is simple: have more late-round dart throws that could hit or trade the assets again to move up on day two or early day three. Building depth across the roster with players who have starter potential is the goal. They have little desire to add prospects whose ceiling is to be a career backup. Quality over quantity is one of their calling cards.
Future picks
Philadelphia is one of the few teams unafraid of gaining future draft capital. They view it as valuable currency, especially when the opportunity arises to capitalize on perceived surplus.
Mock 4.0
Now that we have covered a quintessential Howie and the Philadelphia Eagles draft day strategy, the ‘What Would Howie Do’ mock draft will be coming soon!
As always, thank you for reading!
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