ESPN suggests the Philadelphia Eagles should consider trading up in the 2026 NFL Draft to secure key offensive positions. With significant roster changes anticipated, moving up could help them acquire a long-term replacement for aging players.
Key points
ESPN advocates for the Eagles to trade up in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Eagles face significant roster changes with aging players.
Lane Johnson's potential retirement necessitates finding a replacement.
A.J. Brown's trade value is declining as he approaches 29 years old.
Philadelphia Eagles
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: The Philadelphia Eagles logo is seen on a video board during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: The Philadelphia Eagles logo is seen on a video board during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) | Getty Images
***Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …***
2026 NFL draft: Which teams should trade up, down in Round 1? – ESPN
That spending is about to shift to defense. Zack Baun is getting $17 million annually, but Davis became the first player from this recent core of young, homegrown draftees to sign a meaningful second contract earlier this offseason. A handful of standouts are about to follow over the next 12 months, including Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, all of whom should land among the highest-paid players at their respective positions. That’s not even including guys such as Moro Ojomo and Nolan Smith Jr., who could also justify big deals. Though the Eagles aren’t going to overturn their entire roster, that money is going to come from the offensive side in the big picture. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Roseman deal after June 1, when the dead money on his deal can be spread over two years. Star right tackle is nearing the end of his career. is probably in his final year with the Eagles. Only $2.5 million of ’s $16 million cash compensation in 2027 is guaranteed. This offense could look very different in a year or two as Philly’s money flows to the defense. Roseman has to start thinking about what the future looks like on offense now. At No. 23, he’s stuck behind teams that could be thinking offensive tackle, including the Panthers at 19, Cowboys at 20 and at 21. Moving up ahead of them might be necessary to get Johnson’s long-term replacement on the right side. There isn’t the same sort of hunger for a wide receiver immediately ahead of the Eagles, but the teams right behind Philly (the Browns, , Bills and 49ers) could try to jump Roseman to get that wideout, which might necessitate the longtime general manager beating his rivals to the punch.
Jalen Hurts has a new position coach in 2026 with the Philadelphia Eagles reassigning Parks Frazier from “pass game coordinator” to their quarterbacks coach. But Hurts apparently still values the insight from Frazier’s predecessor: Scot Loeffler. The fifth slide of Hurts’ latest Instagram post shows himself at a workout with his 2025 QB coach.
As a disclaimer, I am aware that many of my readers would like to see the team select a safety that they like in the first round, or perhaps TE Kenyon Sadiq. However, there’s very little evidence to suggest the Eagles highly value those positions, and as such they are unlikely to select them in the first round, even if available at a perceived decent value. In other words, you can root for safeties to fall to the Eagles all you want, but ultimately that’s not what is best for the team since they’re very likely not drafting those positions anyway. The one position that would not be ideal for the Eagles in Round 1 — but also wouldn’t be the best thing if a ton of them come off the board — is receiver. The Eagles feel somewhat likely to select a receiver on Day 2, and it’s best if the cupboard isn’t bare by the time they’re picking in Rounds 2 and 3.
IS A.J. BROWN STILL WORTH A 1ST-ROUND PICK? I still think Howie Roseman wants to trade A.J. Brown, but I’m starting to get the sense he won’t be getting a 1st-round pick in return. Let’s have an honest talk about Brown. He’ll be 29 in June, and he’s now three years removed from his last elite season. We keep hearing whispers about his knees not being in the best shape and that’s all on top of the obvious distractions and drama he brings to whatever team he’s on. Is he still an elite wide receiver? I think he’s still really good, but he’s also the only NFL WR to drop three passes in a playoff game in the last five years. He’s not what he used to be. First-round picks are the lifeblood of any franchise’s future, and when you make an honest assessment of where Brown is right now as a football player are you going to give up a 1st-round pick and an opportunity to add a 22- or 23-year-old player with his whole career in front of him on a rookie deal for A.J.? I think maybe not. So the question becomes is Howie willing to unload Brown and move on for maybe 2nd- and 4th-round picks in 2027? Probably. I know one thing. If the Eagles draft a wide receiver in the first or second round later this week it’s going to be hard to reconcile that with Brown being an Eagle in 2026. I know Howie has been playing down the connection between the additions of , and to Brown’s future, and he pretty much has to. But if he takes a WR early, now you’re talking about adding four WRs to the room in the span of a month, and I just don’t think you do that if you expect Brown to be back.
On this week’s episode of the , Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice said he’s talked to three people around the league who all agree that a deal between and Philadelphia is already agreed to. “I’ve had three different people…I’m not the source guy, but three people just say something as I’ve talked to them that are with teams, that have all told me it feels pretty much done, the post-June 1 trade. I’m not trying to break news here, but I think everybody is in agreement here.”
Jalen Hurts in the second round of 2020. And then first-round home runs starting in 2021 with , in 2022 with Jordan Davis (and a trade for A.J. Brown), in 2023 with Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, in 2024 with Quinyon Mitchell and in 2025 with . The second and third nights/days have also brought in their high percentage of quality players, prime reasons why the Eagles have made the postseason the last five years and have played in two Super Bowls during that time, bringing home the Lombardi Trophy after the 2024 season.
The World Cup is coming soon. And it’s quickly becoming a pain in the posterior for the 13 teams playing in stadiums that will be commandeered for intercontinental soccer. Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal recently reviewed some of the practical impacts of FIFA bigfooting the various venues where fútbol will be played. This week, for example, the Jets and Giants will move their annual draft parties away from MetLife Stadium to Manhattan. In all, 13 teams are impacted by the World Cup: the Cowboys, Jets, Giants, Falcons, Chiefs, Texans, 49ers, Chargers, Rams, Eagles, Seahawks, Patriots, and Dolphins.
Playoff hockey is back in Philadelphia, and the Flyers kicked off the new era with a 3-2 win in . They now have home-ice advantage for the remainder of the series, and will go back to Philadelphia with the series at least tied 1-1 before Game 3.
Debating which exact prospect is worth the trade up, obviously without knowing the price to move, generally comes back to the Ohio State Buckeyes (Arvell Reese, , and Downs) and David Bailey. Maybe you would toss Mansoor Delane in there as well. If the Cowboys move up it is surely going to be for one of those players, but it is fair to say that the odds of any of them making it to 12 are slim. That seems to be the conclusion that all are coming to. Which of the blue-chips is worth it to you? Which are not?
However, it would be foolish to overlook his injury history. It’s long and concerning. The team has met with him and was represented at his workout to acquire as much information on Tyson as possible. If Washington had him off their draft board after suffering knee, collarbone, and hamstring injuries, it would not be surprising. A healthy Tyson would be in play with the 7th pick, but it’s more likely he could be a trade back target later in the first round if the team is comfortable with his medicals. If he can somehow avoid significant injury going forward, Tyson could reward the Commanders with high-end wide receiver play well into the future.
A report earlier on Saturday had indicated the Giants were “doing everything we can” to keep the 2019 first-round pick, but that Lawrence had drawn “a line in the sand” financially and was unwilling to budge. There were also reports that Lawrence was simply no longer happy being with the Giants. So, both sides get what they want. Lawrence gets a fresh start with the Bengals. The Giants get an early first-round pick and, with two picks in the top 10, a chance to give their roster a huge jolt as the team enters the John Harbaugh era. The Giants also get to maintain their second-round pick, No. 37 overall. Previous reporting had the Giants asking for a first-round pick in a Lawrence trade. Jordan Ranaan of ESPN said this upon learning of the deal: “A Top 10 pick is a coup for the #Giants. Most people around the league didn’t think that was possible.“
I think this was an easy decision for the Giants. The Giants are in the middle of a rebuild and should not be committing more years to their veteran players at least until they know the upside and downside of QB . The reality is the upside of the 10th pick is higher and the peak of that players upside will occur when the Giants may be good. The four year cost is also low enough (around $31 million) to where a number of outcomes justifies the salary in the event the player is not a star.
When negotiations between the Giants and Lawrence stalled, it was believed that the standout defensive lineman would fetch a late first-round selection in a trade. Instead, Joe Schoen and the Giants have received the tenth-overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and now the Giants have a pair of picks inside the top ten to work with. The Giants will be on the clock at No. 5, and again at No. 10. This gives Schoen and the Giants a ton of flexibility next week. They can still add a premium defender inside the top ten — as many believed the Giants were going to do ahead of the Lawrence deal — and they can also address their offensive line, or add a weapon for Jaxson Dart in the passing game, with a pick inside the top ten. As noted by Peter Schrager, the Giants’ brass spent the past few days in meeting with Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson ahead of the private workout he held with NFL teams.
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Q&A
Why should the Philadelphia Eagles trade up in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Eagles may need to trade up to secure a long-term replacement for aging players like Lane Johnson and to stay ahead of teams looking to draft offensive tackles.
What are the potential consequences of not trading up in the draft for the Eagles?
If the Eagles do not trade up, they risk missing out on key offensive talent, which could impact their future performance as their current roster ages.
Who are the key players the Eagles might target in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Eagles could target offensive tackles or wide receivers, depending on how the draft unfolds and the needs of rival teams ahead of them.
What is the current status of A.J. Brown's trade value for the Eagles?
A.J. Brown's trade value is uncertain, as he is seen as less likely to fetch a first-round pick due to concerns about his performance and injury history.
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