NFL draft: Eagles might trade back from 25th pick as rivals joust over quarterbacks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- There’s lots of drama building around quarterbacks, some of it involving two of the Eagles’ NFC East rivals, as the hours tick down toward Thursday night’s first round of the NFL draft.

That first round very well might end without the Eagles making a pick for the second year in a row, the NFL Network’s top draft analyst said Wednesday.

“You go through all these different scenarios, and you try to determine who’s going to be there when they pick,” said Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout for the Eagles. “Every time I do it, I go, ‘Man, just trade out.’ When you look at what they’re looking for, I can make a strong case that the second, third round of this draft is the sweet spot -- that’s the value -- so to me, I would try and get down in that range.”

The Eagles are scheduled to make the 25th overall selection in a draft many analysts feel has fewer than 20 true first-round talents. They have the 53rd and 57th choices in Friday’s second round, but they traded away their third-rounder to Detroit last season for receiver Golden Tate. The draft concludes with rounds four through seven on Saturday.

Last year, the Eagles traded out of the 32nd and final spot in the first round, ending up with tight end Dallas Goedert, 49th overall in the second round, as their top selection. They are expected to use this draft to restock along both lines, at safety, running back, and possibly wide receiver and linebacker.

Sports books suddenly seemed less certain Wednesday about Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray being announced as the first-overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals. FanDuel’s New Jersey book dropped the Murray odds of going first overall from minus-1,200 to minus-400, meaning you now only need to risk $400 on that happening to win $100. (Betting on the draft is legal in New Jersey, illegal in Pennsylvania.)

» READ MORE: The wild prop bets on the NFL draft

Murray arrived in Nashville several hours after a charity event at which the NFL touted his presence. It was an odd tone for a prospect to strike when much of the conversation concerns whether he is sufficiently committed to football. The former No. 1 pick of the Oakland A’s was set to pursue a baseball career less than six months back.

Most likely, the odds shift had to do not with the charity event, but with new Cards coach Kliff Kingsbury saying Tuesday that Arizona remains undecided about what to do at No. 1. As long as the Cardinals haven’t traded Josh Rosen, the quarterback they drafted in last year’s first round, they could go elsewhere with the first pick. It’s been rare in recent years for the identity of the first overall pick to be in question heading into draft day.

» READ MORE: Howie Roseman has a type. What does that mean for Thursday?

Meanwhile, with the Washington Redskins reportedly looking to trade up from 15th overall to draft a quarterback, can the New York Giants really be planning to draft for defense at sixth overall, and remain confident of getting the QB they want -- said to be Duke’s Daniel Jones -- with their other first-round pick, 17th overall?

Or could the Redskins, who acquired Case Keenum to fill in for injured Alex Smith, just be messing with the Giants, trying to force them to squander assets to stave off a phantom threat?

If the Redskins aren’t bluffing, would sixth overall even be high enough? What if Washington could trade into the top five?

At an NFL Network luncheon, Jeremiah said he thinks the Giants are comfortable enough going another year with 38-year-old Eli Manning that they will chance being outmaneuvered for Jones.

“They’re willing to see at 17, if the guy we like falls to us, great, we’ll take him. If not, we’ll push that down the road and worry about that another year,” Jeremiah said. “I did not get a sense of urgency that we have got to get this guy right now,” from Giants general manager David Gettleman’s predraft comments.

» READ MORE: Les Bowen’s mock draft

When top prospects met with the media at Nissan Stadium on Wednesday morning – minus Murray – his Oklahoma teammates said his name definitely should be the first one called by commissioner Roger Goodell.

“He’s dedicated to this game. He loves this game. He wants to be the best guy out there,” offensive lineman Cody Ford said.

Wide receiver Marquise Brown said: “With the ability he has to run and the ability he has to throw, I don’t think people understand how good he is … . He can seem like a quiet guy to people who don’t know him, he’s not just open to everyone, but when you know him, if you’re on a team with him, you’re going to know him. He’s a funny guy, and he’s undoubtedly a leader. He leads by example, works hard in the weight room, on the field, does everything for you not to question anything about him.”

The 22 prospects who accepted the league’s invitation to Nashville are finally about to reach the finish line of a draining, consuming process. Some of them have answered the same questions at the Senior Bowl, the scouting combine, on visits with various teams, at their pro days, and now, in the Music City – which mayor David Briley proclaimed Wednesday would become “Football City” for the draft.

“Almost there. One more day,” the Sooners’ Ford said. “I’ll finally get to say I’m not a draft prospect anymore, I’m a rookie.”

READ MORE: See all our NFL draft coverage here