Philadelphia Eagles: Post-free agency mock draft (seven rounds)

The Philadelphia Eagles had a successful free agency.
General manager Howie Roseman kept veterans Jason Kelce, Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Boston Scott, and Brett Toth. The Eagles also added running back Rashaad Penny, linebacker Nicholas Morrow, safeties Terrell Edmunds and Justin Evans, cornerback Greedy Williams, quarterback Marcus Mariota, and defensive tackle Kentavius Street.
Philly did lose some of its best players, as Javon Hargrave, Isaac Seumalo, T.J. Edwards, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Miles Sanders, Kyzir White, and Marcus Epps all signed with new teams.
Now they head into the 2023 NFL Draft, which begins April 27, with two first-round picks and six picks in all. With that in mind, here is a post-free agency seven-round mock draft for the Eagles.
* TRADE: Eagles trade Pick 10 and Pick 248 to Jacksonville Jaguars for Pick 24, Pick 54, Pick 185, 2024 3rd round pick *
Offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence of Florida (Butch Dill/Associated Press)
Round 1, Pick 24 (From Jacksonville): O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
The Eagles can sit at No. 10 and likely get an impact player on defense, but trading back to add another second-round pick, a sixth-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick would be a wise choice for a team that lost a few starters in free agency.
After the trade, the Eagles take arguably the best interior lineman in the draft, Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence. Now, this may not be a sexy pick, and you may think the Eagles do not need a right guard since they have 2022 second-round pick Cam Jurgens they can plug in for Seumalo. However, Roseman and the Eagles are always building for the future, and this would be a great pick to do that.
Kelce is likely playing his last season in Philly, so in 2024, Jurgens will move to his natural position at center. That will once again leave a hole at right guard. This pick will allow the Eagles to ensure they still have an elite and complete offensive line after 2023.
Alabama defensive back Brian Branch. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)
Round 1, Pick 30: Brian Branch, S, Alabama
Alabama defensive back Brian Branch is a Day 1 starter at safety in the NFL. Branch has not been mocked as much as he should be in the first round, but that could be good for the Eagles. If he is on the board at Pick 30, the Eagles need to run to the podium and secure their safety of the future.
Losing Gardner-Johnson hurts a lot more than fans want to admit, so drafting his replacement makes a ton of sense. The Eagles may have signed some safeties in free agency, but that will not stop them from drafting one early if the right guy is there. And Branch is the right guy.
Iowa State defensive lineman Will McDonald IV (Michael Conroy/Associated Press)
Round 2, Pick 54 (From Jacksonville): Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State
Brandon Graham is back for another year, but the Eagles must plan for the future. That is why drafting an edge defender early could be a great idea. If Will McDonald IV starts to slide a bit into the second round, he would be a great addition to the defense.
McDonald has 34 career sacks and 40.5 tackles for a loss. He also forced 10 fumbles in college, so he can a create turnovers. He could play a bunch on passing downs in Year 1 and then take over full time once Graham retires.
Florida defensive lineman Gervon Dexter. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)
Round 2, Pick 62: Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida
Another Florida player, but this one will make someone a lot of money. Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter is an elite player at the position, and before the 2022 season, he was talked about as a top-10 talent. However, the Gators were terrible last year, which did Dexter no favors. He may be a lock to go in the second round, with some having him drop pretty far in the round.
If Dexter is on the board late in the second round, the Eagles would be wise to trade up for him. In this mock, they sit at 62 and get a player that should have a long career in the NFL. Dexter is an athletic specimen for his size, and with a little bit of polishing, he would be a great partner to Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet. (Erin Hooley/Associated Press)
Round 3, Pick 94: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Philly let Miles Sanders walk in free agency and decided to go with Rashad Penny, but he is on a one-year deal, so that should not stop them from drafting a running back.
UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet would be a solid complement to Kenneth Gainwell. Charbonnet could play on early downs and short yardage, while Gainwell plays on third downs and in passing situations. Gainwell and Charbonnet could be the 1-2 punch of the future for the Birds.
Linebacker Dorian Williams of Tulane. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Round 6, Pick 185 (From Jacksonville): Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane
In late rounds, you are looking for players who can contribute on special teams who can spot start if called upon. Tulane linebacker Dorian Williams has not been getting the love he deserves. Williams was third in the nation with 81 solo tackles and won the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP this season against USC with 17 tackles.
Williams is a Day 3 pick because of his weaknesses in the run game, but someone will be lucky to get him and add him to their roster, and that should be the Eagles.
Maryland wide receiver Jacob Copeland. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)
Round 7, Pick 219 (From Houston through Minnesota): Jacob Copeland, WR, Maryland
A few years ago, Jacob Copeland was a receiver at Florida and highly regarded. He was a highly rated recruit coming out of high school and many pundits were penciling him into the early rounds. But it never truly came together for him in college.
At times, Copeland looked like a high schooler and ultimately transferred to Maryland for his final season. Copeland only scored two touchdowns last year, which hurt his draft stock even more. Copeland will have an uphill battle in the NFL, as he will need to show coaches he was not a flash in the pan in high school, but he still has the athleticism and flashes ability that he is worth a flier in the seventh round.
The Morning Call’s Jeremy Klump can be reached at jklump@mcall.com. Follow him on Twitter @NUTTYxPROFESSOR
Source: Morningcall