Philadelphia Eagles Draft: Picks, Lines, and The Last Bulldog

It’s officially that time of the year again. We are less than 24 hours away from the 2023 NFL draft. For some fans, the draft is the beginning of a promising season. For others, it can be the start of a disastrous one. Game-Time Sharks Philadelphia will help break down the current picks and considerations that are possible for the Philadelphia Eagles and how that will affect their odds come next season.

Start Date and Pick Selections 

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held in Kansas City, Missouri from April 27th – April 29th. Round one is set to kick off at 8:00 PM (EDT), with the Philadelphia Eagles holding two first-round picks, one being the 10th overall pick. 

Round 1: 10th overall pick (via New Orleans Saints), 30th overall pick

Round 2: 62nd overall pick  

Round 3: 94th overall pick

Round 7: 219th pick (via Minnesota Vikings), 248th pick 
Embed from Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles Needs

The City of Brotherly Love is in win now mode. The Eagles coasted to a 14-3 regular season record and topped off the 2022-23 season with a trip to Super Bowl LVII. Not to mention, Jalen Hurts, just signed a record-breaking deal with the team, penciling him in as the franchise quarterback for years to come. 

One of the significant concerns with this Philadelphia Eagles team is how long the big dogs up front can remain dominant before their age starts to catch up with them. 2022 captains – Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox have an average age of 33.5 years old. As much as we love this core, it is not fair to expect the same production from them for much longer. The Eagles’ offensive line produced 32 rushing touchdowns last season, eight more than the next closest team. On the other side of the ball, the Eagle’s defense nearly broke the sack record with a prolific 70.0 team sacks. 

What I am trying to say is that a crucial part of the Eagle’s success is due to the work that is done in the trenches. And the only way to keep that up is to bring in talent that can learn from our seasoned veterans, and eventually take over their spot when the time comes. Do not forget, key contributors Javon Hargrave (DT) and Isaac Seumalo (G) have moved on to different teams in free agency. 

All odds presented courtesy of BetMGM

Current odds for the Eagles to win the Superbowl: +900

Current odds for the Eagles to win the NFC East: +110

Key players to target in Round 1:

Peter Skoronski (OT), Paris Johnson Jr. (OT), Bijan Robinson (RB), Jalen Carter (DT), Christian Gonzalez (CB), Devon Witherspoon (CB), Lukas Van Ness (DL), Brian Branch (S)

Picks that make sense…

Peter Skoronski, Northwestern OT – Selecting an offensive lineman with a top 10 pick is never the most exciting, nor will it have a drastic effect on Philadelphia’s odds to win the Super Bowl. However, Skoronski was a three-year starter for the Wildcats at the left tackle position, and he played a career total of 2,381 snaps. In all of those snaps, he surrendered just 12 QB hits and 5 sacks. Skoronski is regarded as the most polished and NFL-ready lineman entering the draft. After an impressive combine from an athletic standpoint, experts think Skoronski has the versatility to play the guard position and make an immediate impact early on in his career. The Eagles would be getting the top-ranked offensive lineman in the draft who can add much-needed depth, youth, and ability to play multiple positions. 

Devon Witherspoon / Christian Gonzalez, CB – With Darius Slay and James Bradberry starting to reach an age where we see cornerbacks’ production decline, it is unclear how much longer this duo can produce all-pro seasons. Both Witherspoon and Gonzalez are worthy of a top 10 selection. Witherspoon out of Illinois possesses a physical game style and high motor that could translate nicely to the NFL. In his senior season at Illinois, Witherspoon allowed a QB rating of 24.6 when thrown at. Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon is another cornerback that has the potential to be a lockdown corner in the NFL. Gonzalez has all of the physical characteristics to take the next step in the NFL with good size and elite athleticism. However, Gonzalez only produced one elite season in college and may need some time to adjust in the NFL. 

Most popular pick…

Bijan Robinson, Texas RB – Without a doubt, picking Bijan Robinson would have the greatest influence on the Eagles’ odds to win the division and Super Bowl. The 2022 Doak Walker Award winner has all of the traits to be a game-changing running back in the NFL, with a great combination of size and speed. However, the speculation over the last couple of years is that running backs should not be an early first-round pick because of durability concerns. On top of that, the Eagles haven’t used a first-round pick on a running back since drafting Keith Byars in 1986. With the Eagles losing Miles Sanders in free agency, Robinson would be behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and be able to take some of the rushing burdens off of Jalen Hurts. The final question is if Howie Roseman thinks Robinson’s game-changing ability is enough to make him the highest selected running back since Saquon Barkley was drafted no. 2 overall in 2018.

What I hope the Eagles do… 

Jalen Carter, Georgia DL, or trade back! 

*I am aware of the legal complications surrounding Carter*

What if I told you the Eagles have the chance to get what some believe to be the most talented prospect in this year’s draft, after making it to the Super Bowl the year before? The Eagles have an unbelievable opportunity to do that. Carter’s draft stock has been slipping due to the legal obligations he is facing due to fleeing a scene he was involved in. Of course, the Eagles need to do their homework before taking a chance on Carter, but reuniting Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter would be something else. This would add an unbelievable talent to a defensive line that nearly broke the sack record last season. Not to mention, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham only signed one-year deals to stay with the Eagles. Therefore, adding a prospect such as Jalen Carter would revamp the defensive line for years to come.

Predicted Super Bowl and Division odds after selecting Bijan Robinson or Jalen Carter:

+900 → +800

+110 → -110

Predicted Super Bowl and Division odds after selecting any other prospect:

+900 → +900

+110 → +110