Eagles Draft Intel: Howie Roseman's Board Is Taking Shape at Pick 23

The Eagles Have 9 Picks and a Plan

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off in Pittsburgh on April 23 — less than four weeks away — and the Philadelphia Eagles are sitting on nine picks with the No. 23 overall selection as their headliner. After a free agency period that saw Jaelan Phillips bolt to the Carolina Panthers on a four-year, $120 million deal, Howie Roseman's draft board has shifted dramatically. Edge rusher has surged to the top of the needs list, but the Eagles aren't limiting themselves. Their pre-draft visit tracker tells a story of a front office casting a wide net across the offensive and defensive trenches.

The Eagles earned compensatory picks for losing Josh Sweat (4th round, No. 137) and Mekhi Becton (5th round, No. 178), and they picked up additional Day 3 capital from the Sydney Brown trade with Atlanta. That gives Roseman plenty of ammunition to move around the board if the right player falls — or doesn't.

Mock Draft Consensus: Edge and O-Line Dominate

The draft community has coalesced around a handful of names for the Eagles at 23. The most frequently mocked prospect is Kadyn Proctor, the 6-foot-7, 352-pound offensive tackle from Alabama. Daniel Jeremiah recently broke down why Proctor makes sense for Philadelphia — his massive frame and experience in the SEC make him a plug-and-play competitor at guard while he waits for Lane Johnson's eventual retirement. Proctor has been the single most popular Eagles mock across every major outlet.

Right behind him is Keldric Faulk, the Auburn edge rusher who fell to the Eagles in The Athletic's recent beat writer mock. Dane Brugler ranks Faulk as his No. 15 overall prospect. Here's what makes Faulk interesting: he skipped full testing at the Combine — no 40-yard dash, no 3-cone, no bench press. That likely suppressed his stock just enough to push him within Philadelphia's range. If Faulk had posted elite numbers in Indianapolis, he probably wouldn't be available at 23. Roseman has made a career out of exploiting exactly this kind of value gap.

Kenyon Sadiq, the tight end prospect, was the consensus Eagles pick for weeks before free agency reshuffled priorities. He remains a possibility if the board breaks right, though the Phillips departure has made edge rusher a more pressing need. Bleeding Green Nation's latest mock still has Sadiq landing in Philly, citing his 8 touchdown catches in 2025 and elite receiving upside.

The Visit Tracker Tells the Real Story

Forget mock drafts — the pre-draft visit tracker is where you find Roseman's actual fingerprints. The Eagles are allowed 30 prospect visits at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, and the names they've brought in reveal clear positional priorities.

On the offensive line, Max Iheanachor from Arizona State had a formal meeting with the Eagles at his pro day and confirmed his 30 visit to Philadelphia. Iheanachor is a fascinating prospect — he grew up in Nigeria, didn't move to the United States until age 13, and never played high school football. Despite that raw background, he's a potential first-round pick after a dominant Senior Bowl performance. The Eagles also hosted Markel Bell (6-9, 346) from Miami and Travis Burke (6-9, 325) from Memphis. Philadelphia is clearly looking at massive offensive tackles with developmental upside.

On the edge, the Eagles sent a top coach to Miami's pro day to scout Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor — both projected first-round talents. Closer to home, they've brought in Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State (6-6, 256, with 17 sacks over the last two seasons) and Romello Height from Texas Tech (10 sacks in 2025). These visits confirm that replacing Phillips' production is a top priority.

The wide receiver visits are particularly telling given the A.J. Brown situation. Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana ran a 4.42 at the Combine, drew a Deebo Samuel comparison from NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, and is scheduled for a Philadelphia visit. Chris Bell from Louisville — 72 catches, 917 yards, and 6 touchdowns in 11 games before a late-season ACL tear — also confirmed his visit. If Brown gets moved, the Eagles clearly have receiver contingency plans built into their draft board.

Vega Ioane, widely considered the best interior offensive lineman in the class, is also on the visit list — though there's a strong chance he won't make it to pick 23. The Eagles scouted Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and hosted South Carolina's Jalon Kilgore, a hybrid defensive back with 8 interceptions in three seasons, signaling safety remains on their radar despite addressing it in free agency.

The A.J. Brown Wildcard Could Reshape Everything

The biggest variable in the Eagles' draft equation isn't who's available at 23 — it's whether A.J. Brown is still on the roster when the pick comes in. Trade talks are reportedly "tabled for now," but multiple outlets report the situation remains "fluid." The Eagles' asking price — at minimum a first and second-round pick — was validated when the Bears moved D.J. Moore for a second-round pick and a fifth. Brown is a better player than Moore. The math checks out.

The Rams briefly entered the picture but were reportedly "scared off by preliminary medical research." The Patriots remain interested. NFL insider Dianna Russini reported that if a trade happens, it would "likely heat up closer to June 1" for cap reasons. But draft night has historically been when deals materialize, and a team picking in the teens that falls in love with a quarterback could offer Philadelphia exactly the package Roseman wants.

If Brown gets traded for a first-rounder, the Eagles could be picking twice in Round 1 — suddenly making targets like Ioane, Cooper, or a premium edge rusher much more realistic.

The Tanner McKee Subplot

Don't sleep on the Tanner McKee situation as a draft-capital play. The Eagles are reportedly asking for a second-round pick for their backup quarterback, with the Jets as the most frequently linked destination. ESPN's Rich Cimini confirmed the Jets previously looked into McKee but balked at the Day 2 price tag. Roseman signing Andy Dalton as insurance hasn't changed his stance — he told reporters at the owners meetings that the Dalton deal changes nothing regarding McKee's availability.

If the Jets or another quarterback-needy team blinks before April 23, the Eagles could enter the draft with even more ammunition. A second-round pick for McKee would give Roseman 10 picks and multiple paths to trade up or stockpile talent.

Bottom Line

The Eagles' draft strategy is crystallizing around three tiers: edge rusher and offensive line in Round 1, receiver and safety depth on Day 2, and developmental talent on Day 3. The A.J. Brown and Tanner McKee situations could add draft picks that completely change the calculus. One thing is clear — Roseman isn't sitting still. The visit tracker shows a front office that's done its homework and has contingency plans for every scenario. April 23 can't come soon enough.