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Eagles top options for Round 1 of NFL Draft include potential successors for Lane Johnson and Dallas Goedert
TL;DR
The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft, looking to fill key positions after significant offseason changes, including a new offensive coordinator and player departures. They are expected to consider potential successors for Lane Johnson and Dallas Goedert as they pick late in the first round.
The Philadelphia Eagles are always one of the most interesting teams in the NFL during the offseason, and the 2026 offseason has been no different. They've experienced a lot of turnover on both sides of the ball, both on and off the field, and while their core is still largely in place, they will look like a different outfit next season -- and depending on what happens over the next few months, they could look even more different than they already do right now.
The Eagles have already landed a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Kevin Patullo, replacing him with former Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion after an extensive search that saw multiple other options seemingly not be all that interested in the role. They also lost a key coach on defense as former defensive backs coach Christian Parker left to take over as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.
Philly also saw players like Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship leave in free agency, while bringing in players like Marquise Brown, Tariq Woolen and more to fill out the depth chart. And of course, persistent rumors about A.J. Brown trades have been hanging over the team throughout the entire offseason, and such a trade could still come to fruition sometime between now and training camp.
So, heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, the Eagles remain one of the most interesting teams in the NFL. They are, as usual, picking fairly late in the first round, but when they come on the clock, there is sure to be heavy interest in who they ultimately select.
With all that in mind, here are our top five options for the Eagles at No. 23 overall.
5. Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
CLEM • OT • #78
A four-year starter at right tackle for Clemson, Miller is considered a safe late first-round draft pick by many around the league. He's incredibly durable, having never missed a game and broken Clemson's career record by logging 3,778 snaps in four years. He's not elite at any one thing, but he's good at just about everything. Like the top player on this list, he could sit for a year behind Lane Johnson and then take over the job when the latter is ready to retire. The Eagles are always thinking ahead when it comes to their needs, and drafting a right tackle of the future early on would fit with that ethos.
4. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
TOLEDO • S • #7
Like another player on this list (Oregon's Dillon Thieneman), McNeil-Warren is a great athlete (9.01 Relative Athletic Score) with positional versatility (966 career snaps in the box, 624 at free safety and 204 in the slot, per Pro Football Focus) that should make him attractive to the Eagles. He's probably slightly more likely than Thieneman to actually be on the board for Philly, since it seems like Thieneman could be the second safety drafted while McNeil-Warren looks like he could be third (with both coming in behind Ohio State's Caleb Downs). Of course, all it takes is one team to like McNeil-Warren better for that to flip, which is why both of these guys are on the list.
3. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
OREG • TE • #18
Dallas Goedert agreed to return to the Eagles for one more year, but he's turning 31 next season and is coming off a career low in yards per reception and hasn't topped 700 receiving yards since 2022. The Eagles could get out ahead of his potential departure by picking up Sadiq, who is a high-level athlete (9.52 Relative Athletic Score) with elite traits that could be one of the best weapons any team adds in the latter part of the first round, regardless of position. He can play in line or in the slot (he split his snaps essentially 50-50 at Oregon this past season, per PFF), and both eventually take over for Goedert and help mitigate any potential trade of A.J. Brown by giving Jalen Hurts another explosive option.
2. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
OREG • S • #31
The Eagles lost Reed Blankenship in free agency and could definitely use another safety to play next to Andrew Mukuba. They don't typically take safeties this high in the draft (I'm not sure if they've ever taken one in the first round) but Thieneman's combination of athleticism (he posted a 9.71 Relative Athletic Score at the combine) and positional versatility (he played 1,399 career snaps at free safety, 732 in the box and 236 in the slot, according to PFF) make him an attractive target and someone who could really shine in Vic Fangio's defense. Thieneman's presence would allow the Eagles to get more defensive backs on the field while still being in position to defend the run at a high level, which is Fangio's preference.
1. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
ARIZST • OT • #58
Iheanachor is a huge man at 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms. He was a two-year starter at right tackle for the Sun Devils and ideally would sit for a year behind Lane Johnson while preparing to take over his job in the long term whenever the future Hall-of-Famer decides to hang up his spikes. Having Johnson in place would allow Iheanachor to develop over time, which is good because he is still a raw player, but at least he's already experienced on the right side of the line, unlike some of the other mid-to-late first-round tackle prospects. If he's still on the board when the Eagles come on the clock, it would be a pretty classic Eagles move to scoop him up and solidify the right side of the line for the future.
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