Next Wave

The Eagles, like most teams, have been hard at work this offseason.

As a result, there are several new faces entering the fold as presumed pieces to the puzzle in 2025, each signed to one-year, prove-it deals.

The team also executed a pair of trades, the most surprising of the two – acquiring right guard Kenyon Green from the Texans – potentially altering their draft plans.

While a handful of the signings are likely to stick and carve out roles, the reality is that not all will pan out.

Still, in what has been an offseason of maintenance, the Eagles have done well to draft-proof the roster ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft, eliminating the urge to reach for positions of need and instead prioritizing a best-player-available approach.

The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, and free agency has reached its second wave, setting the stage for the annual Pro Day phase of the pre-draft process. And with that, official visits and legitimate team interest begin to surface.

The Eagles currently hold eight picks in April’s draft. With that, here’s a look at my second of a series of Eagles seven-round mock drafts for this cycle.

GETTY IMAGES: Texas S product Andrew Mukuba could be a natural replacement for C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Round 1 (32nd overall): Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

Not much has changed since the first exercise, with Nolen – in this scenario – checking the box of best player available and aligning with organizational position value. The Eagles lost Milton Williams, who last season accounted for 48 percent of the defensive snaps, in free agency, creating a sizeable void.

Complicating matters is that Jordan Davis, second in the pecking order behind Jalen Carter, accounted for only 37 percent of the snaps despite starting 17 games. The Eagles also have an upcoming decision to make on Davis, a first-round pick in 2022.

Perhaps third-year pro Moro Ojomo, who matched Davis in snap percentage, is ready for an elevated role. But even so, to expect Ojomo to assume the second-most snaps at the position behind Carter would be presumptuous. The loss of Williams will be glaring if the team doesn’t address the room early.

Nolen (6-3, 305) in 13 games last season racked up 48 tackles (14 for loss) to go along with 6.5 sacks. With his power and persistence at the point of attack, the Ole Miss product embodies an unrelenting bully, showcasing the ability to maneuver laterally and fluidly change direction.

Nolen would be an immediate contributor, spectacularly complementing a returning quartet of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo and Thomas Booker.

Round 2 (64th overall): Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas

The Eagles’ safety depth chart looks drastically different this time around after shipping C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans, though there are no shortage of suitable replacements in the early rounds. Georgia’s Malaki Starks and South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori are this year’s oft-discussed belles of the ball at the position, but here I have the Eagles nabbing one of my favorite defensive prospects in this class. Mukuba would challenge third-year holdover Sydney Brown for a starting role.

Armed with advanced football smarts, swarming ball skills and enticing positional versatility, Mukuba has the makings of a quintessential Vic Fangio safety, versed in football intelligence, instincts and ability to read the entirety of the field. I also came away impressed with the range and discipline that he’s shown.

At 5-foot-11, 186 pounds, Mukuba could stand to add some size to his frame to withstand the toll that accompanies the position he plays, but his skill set and intangibles make for a high-end Day 1 starter. A Blankenship-Mukuba safety tandem would supply the deep middle with strong communicators, alignment versatility and playmaking ability.

Third round (96th overall): Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon

In a mild surprise, the Eagles bypassed selecting a tight end last spring, but with Dallas Goedert turning 30 along with durability concerns and financial investment, this feels like the right spot to identify his eventual successor. It’s also worth noting that Grant Calcaterra, Goedert’s top backup, enters the final year of his rookie deal.

Bowling Green’s Harold Green Jr. and Texas’ Gunnar Helm are probably off the board at this point, but here the Eagles land a better fit in Ferguson. The production might have been relatively moderate for the 6-foot-5, 255-pounder – Ferguson never managed more than 43 receptions or 591 yards in a season – but he always felt underutilized in the Ducks offense.

Alignment-versatile, athletic and willing to mix it up as a blocker, Ferguson possesses a well-rounded skill set that suggests he can be a three-down, multi-dimensional option for quarterback Jalen Hurts and new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.

Syracuse’s Oronde Gadsden II is another player at the position I’m bullish on who is likely to fall within this range, though presumably a tick later.

GETTY IMAGES: Former Uconn OT Chase Lundt could be welcome to Jeff Stoutland U in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Fourth round (134th overall): Chase Lundt, OT, UConn

All-World right tackle Lane Johnson just signed a one-year extension through 2027 and maintains he feels good physically at nearly 35 years old. But the Eagles, typically progressive-thinking, will likely want to get a jump on identifying a potential successor while also affording the youngster the luxury of learning under Johnson.

Further, the Eagles last week lost valuable swing tackle Fred Johnson in free agency. For reference, Johnson last season for the Super Bowl champs started six games. The team lacks an obvious in-house option to replace Johnson, heightening the importance of furnishing the room with a developmental and upside-laden depth piece.

Lundt (6-7, 304), a four-year starter for the Huskies, enters the NFL with plenty of experience and plays with good technique. The absence of preferred arm length and desired play strength could be a deterrent for some, but for the Eagles – under offensive line wiz Jeff Stoutland – it would be a swing worth taking.

Fifth round (161st overall): Jamon Dumas-Johnson, ILB, Kentucky

Linebacker depth is wafer-thin for the Eagles, lean enough to suggest them could could account for this shortcoming in free agency and in the draft. Still, with Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean (recovering from a torn patellar tendon) and promising second-year pro Jeremiah Trotter Jr. leading the way, the team likely can afford to wait until Day 3 to add to the room.

Dumas-Johnson, a Georgia transfer, started 23 games for the Bulldogs. Last  season for the Wildcats he totaled 67 tackles (seven for loss), 3.5 sacks, an interception and three fumble recoveries. The 6-foot-1, 238-pounder lacks the twitchiness or explosiveness typically desired for the position, but offers experience and a fast-flowing second level defender seemingly always on the attack.

The Hyattsville, Md., native also holds his own in man coverage and will likely thrive as a core special teamer to start.

Fifth round (164st overall): Jah Joyner, EDGE, Minnesota

The Eagles in free agency have done an admirable job of making the most of a relatively shallow edge rusher market, adequately atoning for the free-agent departure of Josh Sweat. Franchise icon Brandon Graham last week also announced his retirement, creating another vacancy.

And Bryce Huff, one of the team’s prized free-agent gets last offseason, remains an enigma, though the Eagles believe the story has yet to be written on the soon-to-be 27-year-old.

Added to the mix through free agency – joining prominent holdovers Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt – were Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche. But while a healthy Ojulari carries considerable intrigue, given his youth and track record, Uche, a non-entity last season and very much a wild card in the Eagles’ pass rush equation, can’t be considered a lock.

Perhaps the franchise’s philosophical beliefs of building in the trenches prompts an earlier draft pick, but I have the Eagles landing on solid value here in Joyner, rounding out a reconfigured depth chart. Joyner (6-4, 262), posted 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season for the Golden Gophers, garnering Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors.

Joyner possess the requisite length the Eagles typically covet for the position, but it’s his unrelenting mentality, urgency with his rushes and ability to finish plays that I found to be the most appealing elements of his game.

GETTY IMAGES: Former Oregon CB Jabbar Muhammad has an ideal nickelback skill-set.

Fifth round (165th overall): Jabbar Muhammad, CB, Oregon

The Eagles have a pair of natural outside corners vying for a starting role (Kelee Ringo, Adoree’ Jackson) and another (Eli Ricks) primed for a depth role. The team recently lost some nickel depth behind Cooper DeJean, with veteran Avonte Maddox signing last week with the Detroit Lions, and in a draft brimming with enticing nickel options, I have the Eagles landing one on Day 3.

Muhammad (5-9, 182) embodies the characteristics of most every nickel defender ensconced in coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense, showcasing toughness, intelligence and versatility. Leaning on a high-level understanding of route concepts and receiver tendencies, Muhammad overcomes his underwhelming frame by mastering the technical aspects of his position. A collegiate journeyman – Oregon was his third stop – Muhammad combined for 28 passes defended over his final two campaigns at Washington and Oregon, respectively.

Fifth round (168th overall): Jonah Monheim, C, USC

The Eagles lack a true backup center, last season kicking left guard Landon Dickerson over and bringing on second-year pro Tyler Steen to fill the void created at the left side of the interior. Veteran G/C Nick Gates, a center by trade with guard flexibility, rarely dressed and has since been released, and the Eagles don’t have an obvious in-house candidate primed to challenge for the backup gig behind starter Cam Jurgens.

Monheim (6-4, 302) fits the mold of a Jeff Stoutland lineman, boasting an exceptionally high football IQ to go along with valued positional versatility. Technical would be the best way to describe Monheim, who plays with savvy and the necessary lateral movement and athleticism to climb to the second level. His short arms and generally slight frame for the position may be problematic for some.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.