Ranking Every Eagles Draft Pick Since 2020: The 2023 Class

The 2023 NFL Draft might go down as the single most impactful draft class in modern Eagles history. Howie Roseman and the front office came in with two first-round picks and turned them into cornerstones of a Super Bowl-winning roster. This is the class that changed everything.

1. Jalen Carter — DT — Round 1, Pick 9 (Grade: A+)

There is no debate here. Jalen Carter is the best pick in this entire series, and it is not particularly close. The Georgia product slid to the Eagles at No. 9 overall due to off-field concerns, and Philadelphia pounced — trading up one spot from No. 10 to ensure they got their guy.

Carter posted six sacks as a rookie and earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors. In 2024, he took another massive leap — leading the defense with 45 pressures, 16 quarterback hits, and 12 tackles for loss. He became the youngest defensive tackle in franchise history to make the Pro Bowl at just 23 years old. Through three NFL seasons, Carter has accumulated 13.5 sacks and has established himself as one of the premier interior defenders in football.

Carter is the kind of player you build a defense around. He disrupts everything — the run game, the pass rush, the opposing offensive line’s confidence. He has a Super Bowl ring and is entering his prime. This pick alone makes the 2023 draft a resounding success.

2. Nolan Smith Jr. — OLB — Round 1, Pick 30 (Grade: A-)

Nolan Smith was viewed as a reach by some draft analysts when the Eagles took him at No. 30. His rookie season — limited snaps, just one sack — did nothing to quiet those critics. But Smith silenced every doubter in Year 2.

In 2024, Smith exploded for 6.5 sacks in the regular season with 11 quarterback hits and 24 pressures. Then came the playoffs, where Smith turned into an absolute wrecking ball. His four postseason sacks set a new Eagles franchise record for a single postseason, surpassing Haason Reddick’s 3.5 sacks from the 2022 run. He added two quarterback hits in Super Bowl LIX.

Smith’s combination of athleticism, motor, and edge-setting ability makes him a perfect fit in Vic Fangio’s defense. He has 10.5 career sacks through three seasons and is trending as a long-term starter on this defensive front. The patient development approach paid off in a massive way.

3. Moro Ojomo — DT — Round 7, Pick 249 (Grade: A-)

Yes, a seventh-round pick is ranked third, and it is completely justified. Moro Ojomo is the definition of a draft-day steal.

As a rookie, Ojomo played just 68 defensive snaps across eight games. Nothing to write home about. But in 2024, his snap count exploded to 388 — matching Jordan Davis’s percentage at 37% of defensive snaps. He logged 22 pressures, 20 tackles, and earned the nickname “secret superstar” from local media. For a pick that was essentially an afterthought — No. 249 overall, 236 spots behind fellow Eagles DT Jalen Carter — Ojomo has emerged as a legitimate rotational piece on one of the NFL’s best defensive lines.

The Eagles’ defensive tackle development pipeline continues to churn out quality players, and Ojomo is the latest example. Finding a contributor who averages 20 snaps per game from pick 249 is elite scouting.

4. Sydney Brown — S — Round 3, Pick 66 (Grade: B)

Sydney Brown’s career has been defined by one devastating moment: the torn ACL he suffered just minutes into the 2023 regular-season finale against the Giants. It came shortly after he recorded a pick-six, making the timing even more cruel.

The injury wiped out Brown’s entire 2024 offseason. He returned in Week 7 of the 2024 season and played in a limited role down the stretch. In 2025, Brown showed flashes of the playmaking ability that made the Eagles draft him — including a 35-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown against the Buccaneers in Week 4. The talent is there. The question is whether he can stay healthy and earn consistent snaps in a deep secondary.

Brown’s ranking reflects the ceiling he has shown but also the time lost. He has the tools to be a starter in this league. The 2026 season is a critical prove-it year.

5. Tanner McKee — QB — Round 6, Pick 188 (Grade: B-)

Tanner McKee did not see the field at all as a rookie in 2023. In 2024, he appeared in two games with one start and showed enough that the Eagles felt comfortable trading Kenny Pickett to the Browns, handing McKee the backup quarterback role behind Jalen Hurts heading into 2025.

For a sixth-round quarterback, becoming the trusted backup on a Super Bowl-winning roster is a significant accomplishment. McKee has the size, arm talent, and composure to hold things down if Hurts misses time. The Stanford product may never be a starter, but finding a reliable backup in Round 6 is real value — something most teams spend far more draft capital or free agency money trying to secure.

6. Tyler Steen — OL — Round 3, Pick 65 (Grade: C+)

Tyler Steen’s Eagles career has been a roller coaster. As a rookie, he barely played — logging just 71 offensive snaps while Sua Opeta was preferred at guard. He won the starting right guard job heading into 2024 but lost it after just three days due to an ankle injury. When he returned, Steen showed enough upside to remain in the mix, but consistency has been an issue.

Credit to Steen — he has spoken openly about learning from the adversity and coming back stronger. The Eagles’ offensive line development system is elite, and there is reason to believe Steen can still develop into a reliable starter. But three years in, the production has not matched the draft capital. He remains a work in progress on an offensive line that demands excellence.

7. Kelee Ringo — CB — Round 4, Pick 105 (Grade: C)

Kelee Ringo came to Philadelphia as the third Georgia Bulldog selected in the 2023 draft, and the Eagles traded a 2024 third-round pick to move into Round 4 to get him. Through three seasons, Ringo has been primarily a special teams contributor — logging 340 special teams snaps in 2024 alone, ranking second on the team in special teams tackles with eight.

On defense, Ringo has not broken through. He played all 17 games in 2024 but started just once, registering seven tackles, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. With Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean locking down the cornerback spots, Ringo is fighting for a diminishing role. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, the physical tools are elite. But the production has not followed. The cost of that extra third-round pick to move up makes this selection harder to justify three years in.

Overall Class Grade: A

This class is carried by its headliners, and that is perfectly fine. Jalen Carter is a franchise-altering player. Nolan Smith became a postseason hero. Moro Ojomo is one of the best seventh-round values in recent Eagles history. When your first-round picks both become legitimate starters on a Super Bowl champion and your last pick becomes a meaningful contributor, that is an elite draft.

The 2023 class gave the Eagles the defensive foundation that carried them to a championship. Carter, Smith, and Ojomo form the core of one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive fronts. Add in McKee’s value as a backup quarterback and Brown’s upside at safety, and this seven-player class has delivered far more than most. The 2023 draft was Howie Roseman at his best.

Next up: Part 5 wraps the series with the 2024-2025 classes and the overall rankings across all six draft classes.