NFL Draft: Eagles take five offensive players on Day 3, land three more 2025 picks; Birds to sign 7 undrafted free agents

The Eagles went into the offseason with the inharmonious task of keeping a young core of offensive players together while rebuilding the other side of the ball. They needed to find high-upside players worth building around and, in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, they finished the draft weekend with two players capable of filling that description in short order.

Mitchell has a chance to become an immediate starter at outside cornerback and has the physical traits and ball production to be a No. 1 cover man at some point in his career. Roseman’s decision to move up 10 spots to take DeJean, a player he said the front office had a first-round grade assigned to, gives new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio another versatile chess piece to pair with fellow “defensive back” C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

In the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft Saturday, the Birds traded up for Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., the son of Eagles Hall of Famer Jeremiah Trotter.

During a congratulatory phone call with Trotter, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie got emotional, recalling he first met Trotter Jr. when he was "three or four." Luri also relayed a fondness for Trotter Jr.'s mother, Tammi, who died from breast cancer in February 2023.

The Eagles plan to sign seven undrafted free agents following the NFL draft, general manager Howie Roseman told reporters Saturday.

Here are the free agents the Eagles have signed, according to multiple reports:

Two-time New Jersey state champion quarterback Devin Leary is heading to Baltimore.

Leary, a Timber Creek graduate, was selected by the Ravens late in the sixth round Saturday, 218th overall.

The Eagles closed out their 2024 draft class with Florida St. wide receiver Johnny Wilson and NC State's Dylan McMahon with the 185th and 190th overall picks, respectively.

Wilson, the second receiver the Eagles took on the day, is a big, physical wideout who surpassed the 40-catch mark in each of the last two seasons with the Seminoles. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound receiver ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine and averaged 17.2 yards per reception in his college career, indicative of his ability to use his size to make plays downfield. Although he may be big enough to switch to tight end, it’s worth noting the Eagles listed the 23-year-old as a wide receiver in their announcement.

For the Eagles, adding a dynamic wide receiver was needed to pair with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown — both of whom have received contract extensions. Parris Campbell and DeVante Parker are potential stopgaps for the third wide receiver role, but are short-term answers and more possession-type of receivers.

The lack of a run-after-catch wideout is a big reason the Eagles went after Texas A&M wide receiver Ainias Smith, who has played outside and slot receiver for the Aggies, running back, along with serving as their punt returner. That dynamic skill set, across several positions, makes him an intriguing fit for what he could bring to Kellen Moore’s offense, while serving as another weapon for Jalen Hurts.

After prioritizing defense early in the draft, the Eagles addressed their offensive line depth on Saturday by adding Michigan offensive lineman Trevor Keegan with the 172nd overall pick.

Keegan, 23, was the Wolverines starting left guard for the last three seasons and was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2023. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound interior line prospect is a former four-star recruit who turned in solid athletic testing at the NFL scouting combine. His 30.5-inch vertical jump was 80th percentile for his position and his 107-inch broad jump was 78th. While he’s tall for an interior lineman, his 32⅜-inch arms are modest even for a guard.

The Eagles added depth to their receiving corps Saturday, drafting Texas A&M slot receiver Ainias Smith with the 152nd pick in the NFL draft.

Smith, 22, started 36 games over a five-year career with the Aggies and finished last season with 53 catches for 795 yards and two touchdowns. He surpassed the 500-yard mark three times during his career, but missed eight games with a leg injury in 2022 before having a resurgent senior season.

Imhotep football star Kenneth Woseley Jr., a defensive back who is heading to Penn State in the fall, officially introduced Eagles fans to the first of the team’s three fifth-round picks Saturday afternoon … and he did it from Accra, Ghana.

“With the 152nd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select, Ainias Smith, wide receiver, Texas A&M University,” Woseley read from a card, and then the nearly 30 students on Imhotep’s second trip to Ghana in as many years clapped and yelled, “Go Eagles!”

Former St. Joseph’s Prep and Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is bound for the Eagles.

Trotter, 21, was selected in the fifth round, No. 155 overall. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Jeremiah Trotter Sr., an Eagles hall of fame linebacker. The 6-foot, 228-pound Trotter established himself through high school and college as a tough, instinctive linebacker.

The Eagles have a loaded running back room between Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell, but adding a running back on Day 3 of the NFL draft seemed like a priority. In taking Will Shipley, a running back from Clemson, they're getting a player who can be moved around the formation, as a potential slot receiver and utilizing his skill set out of the backfield.

A perfect example of his skill set was against North Carolina and Kentucky this past season. Against the Tar Heels, Shipley had 126 rushing yards, a chunk of those runs coming on multiple 30 yard gains, along with 53 receiving yards. He's a natural hands catcher who does a solid job tracking the football on the few vertical routes he was asked to run for the Tigers.

The Temple Owls had four players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, marking the fifth straight year the school had multiple players picked.

But the last three drafts went by without any Temple players being selected in the seven-round draft.

After trading back in the fourth round twice, the Eagles selected Clemson running back Will Shipley with the No. 127 overall pick on Saturday.

Shipley, who turns 22 in August, was a three-year starter for the Tigers and a former five-star recruit out of Weddington (N.C.). The 5-foot-11, 206-pound Shipley proved himself as a versatile player in the backfield, capable of contributing in the running and passing games. Shipley was also a dynamic kick returner. He had 34 career kickoff returns in college for 904 yards (26.6 per return).

On Friday, Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith, a former Imhotep standout, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 89th overall in the third round.

Smith is the second Philly native selected in the draft, after Marvin Harrison Jr. was picked fourth overall by the Arizona Cardinals.

Penn State had four players come off the board over the first two days of the draft — two in the first round on Thursday night, and another two on Day 2 Friday night.

It didn’t take long for another Nittany Lion to hear his name called Saturday afternoon.

The final day of the NFL draft are where the best stories come from.

In recent years, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy went from Mr. Irrelevant to starting in a Super Bowl. Rams wide receiver Puka Nucua went from a fourth round wideout to a record setting rookie. Plenty of other success stories stand out, as well.

The Eagles have kept their selections on the defensive side of the ball, adding two instant difference makers in the secondary with Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell and Iowa's Cooper DeJean, then adding a developmental pass rusher in Houston Christian's Jalyx Hunt. Still, though, there are a few positions that the Eagles can bolster, as they have three fourth-round picks (Nos. 120, 123, 132) and three fifth rounders (Nos. 152, 171, 172).

Two needs that immediately stand out: depth along the offensive line and linebacker groups. It seems as if the Eagles are willing to roll with Tyler Steen at right guard, but a couple of prospects are still on the board that could challenge Steen for the spot.

When you’re projecting an edge rusher, pay less attention to the stats and keep a close eye on how often they win and the ways that they win. Houston Christian's Jalyx Hunt fits into that latter category, finishing 2023 with 46 tackles (nine for loss) and 6½ sacks, but had an eye-popping 18.9% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus.

When the ball is snapped, Hunt gets hip to hip with the offensive tackle in a hurry. Because he can threaten the edge with his explosiveness and bendy limbs to turn the corner, it opens up his ability to use speed-to-power conversions. In pulling off that move, his 34 3/8-inch arms will allow him to create separation between him and offensive linemen, where he can allow his athleticism to get around the corner, along with winning on an inside track.

The Eagles continued revamping their secondary on Friday, trading up 10 spots in the second round to take Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean with the 40th overall pick.

DeJean, widely considered a first-round prospect going into the draft, played primarily as an outside cornerback with the Hawkeyes but has the versatility to play slot cornerback or safety.

The final day of the 2024 NFL draft — which consists of rounds four through seven — is scheduled to begin at noon Eastern and run through 6 p.m.

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