Ranking Howie Roseman's 5 Best Eagles Draft Classes

Say what you want about Howie Roseman — and Philly fans have said plenty — but the man can draft. Since taking over as the Eagles' primary decision-maker, Roseman has assembled some of the most impactful draft classes in franchise history. Not every year has been a home run (we see you, 2019), but when Howie gets it right, he gets it RIGHT.

With the 2026 draft approaching, let's rank the five best draft classes of the Roseman era — the ones that built Super Bowl rosters, transformed position groups, and gave Eagles fans real hope.

5. 2022 — The Super Bowl Run Foundation

Picks: Jordan Davis (1st, No. 13), Cam Jurgens (2nd, No. 51), Nakobe Dean (3rd, No. 83)

This class only had three picks because Roseman had already traded future capital to stack the roster — and then he pulled off the A.J. Brown trade on draft weekend. But those three picks? All starters. Jordan Davis anchors the interior. Cam Jurgens stepped into Jason Kelce's spot and hasn't missed a beat. Nakobe Dean went from third-round "steal" hype to a legitimate starting linebacker.

Three picks, three starters, one Super Bowl appearance. That's efficiency. The only reason this class isn't higher is the small sample size — when you only have three picks, there's less room to hit on depth guys who become difference-makers.

4. 2013 — The Cornerstones

Picks: Lane Johnson (1st, No. 4), Zach Ertz (2nd, No. 35), Bennie Logan (3rd), Matt Barkley (4th), Earl Wolff (5th)

Lane Johnson at four overall is one of the best picks in Eagles history, full stop. He's been a perennial All-Pro, a Super Bowl champion, and the best right tackle of his generation. Zach Ertz became one of the most productive tight ends in NFL history and caught the go-ahead touchdown in Super Bowl LII. Bennie Logan was a solid starter for years on the interior.

The bottom of the class didn't pan out — Barkley never developed and Wolff was gone quickly — but when your top two picks are franchise pillars for a decade, that's a massive win. Johnson and Ertz were foundational to everything the Eagles built in the mid-to-late 2010s.

3. 2024 — The Secondary Overhaul

Picks: Quinyon Mitchell (1st, No. 22), Cooper DeJean (2nd, No. 40), Jalyx Hunt (3rd, No. 94), Will Shipley (4th), Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (5th), Trevor Keegan (5th), Johnny Wilson (6th), Dylan McMahon (6th), Ainias Smith (4th)

This might be the class that ages the best. Quinyon Mitchell walked in as a rookie and played like a five-year vet at cornerback — lockdown coverage, physical at the line, zero fear. Cooper DeJean gave them the versatile defensive back they'd been missing for years, sliding between slot corner and safety like he'd been doing it his whole career.

Jalyx Hunt flashed as a pass rusher. Will Shipley gave them a legitimate third-down back. The depth of this class is what separates it — nine picks, and at least four or five are going to be long-term contributors. Roseman identified the secondary as the team's weakness and attacked it with surgical precision. That's elite drafting.

2. 2012 — The Super Bowl Backbone

Picks: Fletcher Cox (1st, No. 12), Mychal Kendricks (2nd, No. 46), Vinny Curry (2nd, No. 59), Nick Foles (3rd, No. 88), Brandon Boykin (4th), Bryce Brown (7th)

This is the class that made the Lombardi Trophy possible. Fletcher Cox became one of the most dominant interior defensive linemen of his era — a six-time Pro Bowler who terrorized offensive lines for over a decade. Nick Foles? The man caught a touchdown in the Super Bowl, threw for 373 yards, and earned Super Bowl MVP. You can't script that from a third-round pick.

Vinny Curry was a productive rotational pass rusher for years. Mychal Kendricks was a starter on that Super Bowl defense. Even Brandon Boykin, a fourth-round pick, was a ballhawk in the slot. This class had depth, star power, and a championship pedigree that can't be argued with.

1. 2023 — The Dynasty Blueprint

Picks: Jalen Carter (1st, No. 9), Nolan Smith Jr. (1st, No. 30), Sydney Brown (3rd), Kelee Ringo (4th), Moro Ojomo (7th)

Yeah, this is the one. Jalen Carter is already one of the best defensive tackles in football — at 24 years old. The man is a wrecking ball who collapses pockets, stuffs the run, and plays with an intensity that makes the entire defense better. He's on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and that's not hyperbole.

Nolan Smith Jr. has developed into a legitimate edge threat after a quiet rookie year. Sydney Brown is a playmaker at safety when healthy. Kelee Ringo gives them depth at corner. Even Moro Ojomo, a seventh-round pick, has carved out a role on the defensive line.

What makes this class No. 1 is the ceiling. The 2012 class had the Super Bowl, and that matters. But the 2023 class has the potential to anchor a defense that competes for multiple championships. Jalen Carter alone might end up being the best defensive player Roseman has ever drafted — and that's saying something when Fletcher Cox is on the list.

The Bottom Line

Roseman's draft record isn't perfect — the 2019 class (Andre Dillard, JJ Arcega-Whiteside) was a disaster, and Marcus Smith at 26th overall in 2014 still stings. But the hits far outweigh the misses. Five of his draft classes have produced multiple Pro Bowlers, and three of them directly contributed to Super Bowl rosters.

The 2026 draft is next up, and if Roseman can find even one impact player in the first two rounds, this window stays wide open. That's the beauty of what he's built — a roster so deep that one good draft class can keep the machine running. Love him or hate him, Howie Roseman has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to draft weekend.