Free agency hasn’t been kind to the Philadelphia Eagles, which they expected in the aftermath of their Super Bowl championship. The franchise expected to part ways with key players from that title team in order to maintain a championship window while trusting their young talent to fill the void.
The Eagles spent their money to retain one of their own free agents in linebacker Zack Baun, yet knew several good players were on their way out the door. Philadelphia allowed defensive tackle Milton Williams, pass rusher Josh Sweat, guard Mekhi Becton, cornerback Darius Slay, cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, and linebacker Oren Burks to depart in free agency and traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in order to create extra cash to sign key young players in future seasons.
Since the Eagles lost many free agents, they’re expected to get compensatory picks for the 2026 draft. This will significantly increase an already growing pick total over the next two drafts. The Eagles’ projected draft pick count has reached 20, including the compensatory picks the Eagles will receive in 2026.
So what’s the Eagles’ draft pick situation look like after the key free agents have departed? They’ll have enough picks to make a major move this offseason if they so choose.
Eagles draft picks — 2025
| Round | Pick |
|---|---|
1 | 32 |
2 | 64 |
3 | 96 |
4 | 134 |
5 | 161 (from Houston) |
5 | 164 (from Cleveland) |
5 | 165 (from Washington) |
5 | 168 |
Eagles draft picks — 2026
| Round | Acquired |
|---|---|
1 | Own |
2 | Own |
3 | Own |
3 | Projected compensatory pick (Milton Williams) |
| 3 | From Jets |
4 | Own |
4 | Projected compensatory pick (Josh Sweat) |
5 | Own |
5 | From Houston |
5 | Projected compensatory pick (Mekhi Becton) |
6 | Projected compensatory pick (Isaiah Rodgers) |
7 | Own |
What’s the next move?
The Eagles certainly aren’t going to use all 20 of these draft picks, as they will use the future draft capital to acquire players and move up and down the draft board over the next two years. Having all these picks is a luxury for general manager Howie Roseman, who is in position to strike for a major acquisition this offseason.
Judging the Eagles’ offseason moves, acquiring an edge rusher is something to be on the lookout for over the next several weeks. The Eagles did sign Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari to one-year contracts, but those moves don’t guarantee any of those players making the roster — even with their current situation at the position.
Philadelphia isn’t going into the year with Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt as their starters on the edge, and Bryce Huff made an average annual salary of $17 million to be a healthy scratch in Super Bowl LIX. These are the Eagles’ top three options ahead of Uche and Ojulari.
What the Eagles have at edge rusher simply isn’t good enough, and the franchise has enough draft capital to make a move to improve at the position. The Eagles believe in having a premium pass rusher in Vic Fangio’s defense who can consistently get to the quarterback. They currently don’t have one at this moment.
They could make a move to improve the pass rush in the coming weeks. Having a projected eight picks in the first three rounds over the next two years will certainly help.
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Author: Jeff Kerr
March 19, 2025 | 12:05 pm
