Eagles’ bold predictions in 2026 NFL Draft

The Eagles drafted an offensive lineman at 23, just not a tackle

While it would be incredible to see the Eagles go all-in on adding an elite offensive weapon to really give Mannion and Jalen Hurts the ammunition they need to make another Super Bowl run, it certainly feels like Roseman is going to address the trenches at pick No. 23 unless someone truly special falls to the pick – or a trade-up opportunity presents itself at a reasonable price.

Fortunately for the Birds, there are about a half dozen offensive tackles who are expected to go in the first round, including about five, Monroe Freeling, Caleb Lomu, Max Iheanachor, Blake Miller, and maybe even Spencer Fano, who could still be there in the 23 range.

Some talent evaluators like a player like Iheanachor, who is relatively new to the position but has the potential to be the best tackle in the draft if he can reach his full potential. Others like the safety of Fano, who has arms that just barely pass the 32-inch benchmark in order to be a tackle-first prospect, but could shift inside to guard, or even center if the opportunity presents itself.

Should the Eagles go all-in on upside, knowing they might not need this player for two more years? Or should they instead try to add someone who can play now as a five-position backup who could slide in at guard or center if Landon Dickerson or Cam Jurgens isn’t ready to roll for Week 1.

What if the answer is neither? What if the Eagles decide to address the trenches but instead opt to take the very best offensive lineman in this year’s class: Vega Ioane out of Penn State.

Standing 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, Ioane has been described as a fortress during the pre-draft process and for good reason. Over the past two seasons, Ioana allowed a grand total of zero sacks over 1,599 regular season snaps, holding it down at mostly left guard but also center, right guard, right tackle, and even out wide as a sixth blocker for an offense that looked great at times with Drew Allar at quarterback before he suffered a season-ending injury.

While Ioane, like Fano, has over 32-inch arms, he’s largely been viewed as primarily a guard prospect coming out of Happy Valley, not because he isn’t versatile, but because he should instantly start as a rookie and never look back. Ioane was a pancake specialist at Penn State, opening up holes for rushers like Nick Singleton while becoming almost like a fullback in the open field on zone blocking concepts, which should still be part of the Eagles’ offense in 2026 even if they incorporate more power run concepts under Mannion. If anything, Ioane’s size, athleticism, and versatility might just make him an ideal addition to the Eagles’ offense for the next four years at a minimum, as he can fit darn-near any offense the Birds end up running regardless of who is calling the shots.

Is there a chance Ioane is off the board at 23 when the Eagles are picking? Yes, that is very possible, but despite being considered one of the six or so blue-chip prospects in this year’s class, the guard moniker has dropped him down boards as teams look to maximize positional value with premium picks. After watching the Eagles use their first two picks on inside linebacker and safety in 2025, it’s clear Roseman is simply looking for the best possible players, and in 2026, Ioane falls into that category.

The Eagles add 3 pass catchers for Jalen Hurts

2025 will go down in the annals of NFL history as the year of the tight end.

After years of offenses getting more wide receiver-focused, with 11 personnel becoming the default while four and even five wideout sets taking up more of the playbook, savvy playcallers like Sean McVay began to build passing concepts around multi-tight end lineups, forcing opposing teams to cover the entire field and the trenches equally. As a result, athletic tight ends were being covered on vertical routes by either slower linebackers or smaller safeties, and any attempt to mitigate that with additional cornerbacks would be met with a heavy dose of inside rushes, where opponents could struggle to stop the run outside of their base defense.

By hiring Mannion, the Eagles have made it clear that they want to add some of that McVay magic to their own offense, tying Rams philosophies in with long-time Sirianni staples to create something far more effective than Philadelphia’s brutal offensive efforts in 2025.

As a result, the Eagles need to load up on more talent not just for the 2025 season but for years to come, when players like Dallas Goedert, Hollywood Brown, and maybe even AJ Brown will no longer be on the roster.

Fortunately, while players like Kenyon Sadiq, Jordyn Tyson, and Omar Cooper Jr. have earned all of the hype in the first round, there are a ton of really good offensive weapons who could fall into Day 2 or even Day 3, where the Eagles have eight picks.

Eli Stowers might just be the most electrifying pass-catching tight end prospect in this year’s class and is expected to still be on the board at pick No. 54. Receivers like Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II, Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, Louisville’s Chris Bell, North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance, and Ole Miss’ De’Zhaun Stribling all have incredible upside and could be great value picks in the second or even third rounds. And even on Day 3, the Eagles could land a receiver like Barion Brown, who could moonlight as a punt returner, or a blocking tight end like Stanford’s Sam Roush, who could give the Eagles optionality to run and pass in no-huddle situations.

Either way, if the Eagles are serious about reloading their offense for the future, they need to leave this year’s draft with at least three new pass catchers, two of which should be selected before Saturday.

The Eagles add a quarterback and trade another

There’s no two ways about it: Tanner McKee was an Eagles draft home run.

Initially selected out of Stanford as an older, unathletic pocket passer, a stark contrast to Hurts’ style, McKee proved he could be a legitimate player in the NFL under multiple different offensive coordinators, leading some to assume he could be traded this week for as high as a third-round pick.

Would it be surreal to see a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers turn McKee into their long-term starter after he was stuck in reserve duty in Philadelphia? Most certainly so, especially if he somehow eclipses Hurts and becomes a certified star, but much like with Kevin Kobb decades ago, the Eagles have their guy and thus, would be wise to move off of a developed but largely unproven reserve at the peak of his value in order to reload for the future.

As a result, the Eagles should trade away McKee and use the selection they get from the deal on a new quarterback to develop for the future, preferably one with plenty of collegiate success under their belt and at least some starter upside.

Now granted, yes, McKee was a sixth-round pick, but Hurts was a second-rounder when the Eagles already had Carson Wentz under contract, a move made because Philadelphia believes he had the makeup of a future starter. In this year’s class, there are multiple players who were widely considered first-round talents at one point who have fallen out of favor for one reason or another, from LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, to Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar, and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik.

Would it be unusual to see the Eagles select the third quarterback off the board in this year’s class? Sure, but even with Andy Dalton locked in as a veteran QB2, adding a high-upside QB3 has to be a priority, especially after last year’s addition, Kyle McCord, ended up signing a futures contract with the Packers at the end of his rookie season.