December 23, 2024

The Eagles have the No. 22 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are 4 prospects they could target.

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The Eagles ended their season with a loss at Tampa Bay and entered the offseason with plenty of questions and change looming.

After owning the 10th and 30th picks in the 2023 NFL draft, the Birds will have one selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft: the No. 22 overall pick.

With a number of veterans likely in the latter stages of their careers and uncertainty at linebacker among other draft needs, the Eagles will likely look to rebuild a defense that finished 31st in scoring to finish the regular season.

Here are four players the Eagles could target with the No. 22 pick in April.

» READ MORE: Eagles draft: Ranking the top 2024 NFL draft needs for struggling Birds

Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

Since 2013, the Eagles have drafted five tackles, including franchise cornerstone right tackle Lane Johnson, who was once again named to the AP NFL-All Pro team in 2023. Of those five players, four of them have measured in at 6-foot-5 or taller, weighing over 300 pounds. As for arm length, three of those players (Andre Dillard, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Johnson) had an arm length greater than 33 inches, per the NFL combine measurements.

With that in mind, Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton, who has impressive athleticism for his size (6-foot-7, 328 pounds) has successfully transitioned from an early college tight end to a potential first-round tackle. Does that sound familiar to another player on the Eagles roster?

In just two years as a full-time tackle for the Sooners, Guyton made 14 starts (five in 2022, nine in 2023), appearing in 20 games under the guidance of one of the top offensive line coaches at the collegiate level, Bill Bedenbaugh. Playing with outstanding balance and foot quickness, the redshirt junior is an active hand fighter in pass protection, working to keep his hands inside the frame of edge rushers.

While there is room to grow as a run blocker, working more cohesively on double teams, and maintaining his position against opposing defensive linemen, the future is bright for Guyton, who was the Senior Bowl’s top-rated tackle last summer. Learning under Jeff Stoutland can give the Eagles a longterm answer behind Johnson, who is still playing at a high level but entering the late stages of his career.

Offensive tackle is a premium position and in the lone game Johnson missed this season, the lack of depth at the position was apparent.

» READ MORE: Six players from Senior Bowl roster reveal the Eagles should monitor

Terrion Arnold, DB, Alabama

It has been over 20 years since the Eagles took a defensive back in round one. Lito Sheppard, in 2002, at 26th overall, was one of three defensive backs (Michael Lewis, Sheldon Brown) the Birds selected inside the top 60 that year.

Since Howie Roseman became the general manager in 2010, the Eagles have drafted just six defensive backs in the top three rounds, the highest coming in 2017 (Sidney Jones, 43rd overall). It has been a position where the Eagles have traded for or added through free agency, but with the decline in play from James Bradberry and Darius Slay’s health, adding more youth to an uncertain future at a premium defensive position is an area the Birds should address.

With a deep class of defensive backs in the 2024 NFL draft, Alabama’s Terrion Arnold offers the ability to be a playmaker on the football, with five interceptions and 11 pass break-ups in 2023 along with the ability to play on an island in coverage. Arnold, a redshirt sophomore, has fluidity turning his hips in coverage and the closing speed to break on passes in both short and intermediate passing game.

While the future is bright for players like Kelee Ringo, the Eagles fourth-round selection last year and undrafted free agent Eli Ricks, the Eagles need more ballhawks and playmakers in their secondary. Arnold offers those attributes, the ability to tackle in space when he is forced to in zone coverage, and a willing participant defending the run.

Bralen Trice, Edge rusher, Washington

Since drafting Brandon Graham in the first round in 2010, the Eagles have selected five edge rushers in the top three rounds over the last 12 drafts. Of those five players, just three were 250 pounds or heavier (Vinny Curry, Marcus Smith, Derek Barnett) while the other two (Jordan Hicks, Nolan Smith) weighed in under 240 pounds at the combine. Four of the five were 6-foot-2 or taller; all five measured in with 32 inch arms or better.

With Graham likely at the end of his playing career after agreeing to a one-year deal during the off-season last year, the Eagles are in need of a multi-positional power rusher to complement the speed Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, and Smith bring. Enter Washington edge Bralen Trice, listed at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, who has knock back power behind his hands with a clear pass rush plan every time he gets after the quarterback.

Whether it’s rushing as a stand-up edge player, reducing down inside to rush from the three-tech position (inside shade of the tackle) or from the 4i (directly in front of tackle), Trice has the versatility and quickness to win from any spot across the defensive line. Over the last two seasons, Trice has accounted for 16 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Per Pro Football Focus, the Huskies senior pass rusher finished the 2023 season with a 16.4% win rate in pass-rushing situations, accounting for 76 quarterback pressures this season.

Two years of consistent tape, performing in marquee games and relatively clean injury history makes Trice an enticing player to take near the end of the first round.

» READ MORE: Five prospects the Eagles should watch closely during Monday night’s CFP championship game

Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon

The Eagles have a dynamic duo in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but the lack of a consistent third receiver is evidenced in bringing in Olamide Zaccheaus during free agency and bringing in Julio Jones earlier this season. Dallas Goedert even took a step back in his production this season, allowing teams to zero in on shutting down Smith and Brown.

With a payday looming for Smith, investing high draft capital in wide receiver, a position the Birds selected in the first round in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021, seems unwise considering the other holes on the roster. However, based on the Eagles’ first-round draft history, a pick in the trenches or at wide receiver is the most likely scenario.

Oregon’s Troy Franklin, although slender in frame (6-foot-3, 187 pounds), is an outstanding vertical threat who was used sparingly in the slot and primarily as an outside receiver in the Ducks offense. Per PFF, just 94 of his 722 snaps came inside the numbers as a slot receiver, but his skill set should easily translate in any wide receiver spot. His ability to change route tempo, specifically on vertical routes down field and on fade routes, stands out. Seven of Franklin’s 14 receiving touchdowns in 2023 came on passes 20 yards or more downfield.

The junior wideout finished every game except the Pac-12 title game against Washington with a catch of 30 yards or more. While he needs to clean up the concentration drops (nine in 2023), Franklin will be just 21yearsold on draft day and could fit as a deep threat playmaker the Eagles desperately crave.

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