Three Holes Howie Roseman Still Needs to Fill Before the Draft

The first wave of free agency is in the rearview mirror, and Howie Roseman has been busy. The Eagles locked up Jordan Davis with a three-year, $78 million extension — $65 million guaranteed — signaling that the defensive interior is the foundation Philly is building around. They added cornerback Riq Woolen, brought back Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra, signed edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie, and welcomed Hollywood Brown back to the receiver room.

But with $38.7 million in cap space and the draft five weeks away, there are still real gaps on this roster. Three of them demand attention before April.

Safety: The Blankenship Void Is Real

Reed Blankenship left for Houston on a three-year, $24.75 million deal. That $8.25 million average? Reasonable money. The kind of money Philly could have matched. The fact that they let him walk tells you everything about how the front office views this position — they think they can solve it cheaper.

Maybe they can. Drew Mukuba, the second-round pick out of Texas, showed real flashes before a fractured ankle ended his rookie season. The talent is there. But banking your entire safety plan on a second-year player coming off a broken ankle is aggressive, even for Roseman.

The internal options next to Mukuba include Sydney Brown, Michael Carter II — who has been learning safety in Vic Fangio's defense — and Andre' Sam. Marcus Epps is still sitting in free agency and could return on a veteran-minimum deal. But none of these names scream starter. This feels like a position where the draft needs to deliver, and if the Eagles can pair Mukuba with a physical, instinctive rookie, Fangio's secondary could actually be better than last year. If they whiff? It's a problem.

Offensive Line Depth: The Stoutland-Sized Hole Nobody Is Talking About

Yes, all five starters are back. Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Lane Johnson, Tyler Steen — the band is technically together. But scratch the surface and this line has more question marks than it has had in years.

Dickerson and Jurgens both dealt with injuries last season and traveled to Colombia for stem-cell treatments this offseason. Lane Johnson turns 36 this year and is coming off a Lisfranc sprain that ended his 2025 season. That's three of your five starters with real durability concerns.

And the depth behind them just got thinner. Brett Toth left for San Francisco. Fred Johnson is still unsigned. The young guys — Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton, Cameron Williams, Willie Lampkin — are unknowns. And here's the part that makes it all more uncertain: Jeff Stoutland, the legendary offensive line coach who turned mid-round picks into Pro Bowlers for over a decade, is gone. His replacement, Chris Kuper, is inheriting a group that needs development at the exact moment development is most critical.

Roseman would be smart to bring Johnson back or sign a veteran swing tackle before the draft. Waiting until after April worked with Mekhi Becton a couple years ago, but this roster can't afford to gamble on a pipeline that hasn't been tested without Stoutland guiding it.

Edge Rusher: Ebiketie Is a Band-Aid, Not a Solution

Jaelan Phillips cashed in — four years, $120 million with the Panthers. Good for him. But the Eagles didn't just lose a pass rusher. They lost their biggest, most physically imposing edge defender, and what they brought in to replace him doesn't come close to filling that role.

Arnold Ebiketie is a fine player on a one-year deal. At 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, he brings energy and effort. But he's not the big-bodied edge presence that Phillips was. The Eagles' current edge room of Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Ebiketie is fast and athletic but undersized. Against power run teams in the NFC — and there are several — that's a concern.

Reports suggest the Eagles have kept tabs on Jonathan Greenard in Minnesota. The 28-year-old at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds would be exactly the body type this room is missing. A trade might not be cheap, but it would immediately change the complexion of this defensive front. And then there's Brandon Graham — 37 years old and still wanting to come back for a 17th season. Bringing BG back wouldn't solve the long-term problem, but the leadership and locker room presence would be invaluable for a young edge group finding its identity.

The Bottom Line

Roseman has done good work so far. The Davis extension was the right call. Woolen gives the secondary a needed injection of length and athleticism. Getting Goedert back was smart business. But this roster isn't finished, and the Eagles can't sleepwalk into the draft thinking the first wave solved everything.

Safety, offensive line depth, and a legitimate edge presence — those three things separate a roster that can compete for a championship from one that's just hoping to stay healthy. And in Philadelphia, hope isn't a strategy. It never has been.