History could be against Eagles' next draft pick

Historically, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman struggles when picking in the 20s of the NFL Draft. 

He’s done it four times with little to show for it. He’ll need to do better than these guys in 2024.

2011: Danny Watkins (G), Baylor, Pick No. 23 

Mention “The Fireman” to Eagles fans and watch how fast they get heated. In 2011, Roseman became enamored enough with the 26-year-old Canadian firefighter to make him the oldest first-round draft pick since 1971.

Having not played football until he was 22, Watkins was overmatched and ruled inactive for three of the Eagles' first four games. He’d eventually make 12 unremarkable starts for the team before being released in 2013.

By drafting Watkins, Roseman passed on talented players like defensive ends Cameron Heyward and Cameron Jordan as well as quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick, leaving Eagles fans to wonder what could have been.

2014: Marcus Smith (LB), Louisville, Pick No. 26

Could this be why the Eagles have become so averse to first-round linebackers? As a senior at Louisville, Smith had 41 tackles (19 for loss), 16 sacks and six forced fumbles. He seemed like a great pick at the time but his career in Philadelphia never got off the ground.

Smith was inactive for eight of his first 16 NFL games, had no starts in 37 games played as an Eagle and made just 23 tackles. He was released by Philadelphia in 2016 and out of the league after two games with Washington in 2018.

The Eagles also dropped the ball by drafting WR Nelson Agholor in 2015, but then-head coach Chip Kelly ran that year’s draft, not Roseman.

2019: Andre Dillard (OT), Washington State, Pick No. 22

Roseman saw Dillard as an eventual replacement for Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters but Peters kept the job for two years before giving way to former rugby player Jordan Mailata.

Dillard had nine starts in 59 games with Philadelphia but none in 2022. He signed a three-year, $29M deal with the Titans in 2023 but played poorly enough for the team to release him at the end of the season.

2020: Jalen Reagor (WR), TCU, Pick No. 21

With LSU WR Justin Jefferson sitting on the board just waiting to fill a desperate need at the position, Roseman ignored the obvious in favor of Reagor. The Minnesota Vikings were so thrilled that they struggled to control their laughter while taking Jefferson with the next pick.