The Eagles could find themselves very busy during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.(Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)
When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walks up to the podium to declare the 2022 NFL Draft is officially open, the Eagles could find themselves as major players in the first round.
Having three first-round picks, two of which they obtained through trades with the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts, the Eagles have the ammunition to move up and down the draft board to fill areas of need on their team or even potentially pick up additional picks for next year.
With the Eagles finding themselves with multiple draft picks, there are many questions about how the team could decide to use them.
NJ Advance Media Eagles beat reporter Chris Franklin held an hour-long exclusive Q&A session with our Eagles Extra text subscribers on Friday to answer questions about the draft picks as well as other aspects of the team.
Here are some of the questions from Friday’s Q & A:
Q: Are we going to see any changes on the coaching staff?
I don’t think so. Mike and I had a good discussion on the latest version of The No-Huddle Show podcast about the coaching staff. It was good that they stayed intact for the time being so that the players could remain comfortable with the system. The only potential changes I could see are a veteran coach coming in as a consultant to replace Jim Bob Cooter or a senior defensive assistant to come in if Jeremiah Washburn was promoted within the front office and given more responsibilities. I thought Mike McCoy would have been a good person to bring in as a consultant for the offense. McCoy is familiar with Nick Sirianni and was seen at training camp this year, but he took a job with Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars to be their quarterbacks coach.
Q: What do you think of Andy Dalton as QB2 with a developmental quarterback being taken in Round 5?
If the Eagles were to trade Gardner Minshew, I would not mind Dalton being signed on the condition that he would have to accept not being the starter and has to be okay with that. We saw last year what happened with Dalton saying he was QB1, even though everyone knew Justin Fields would be the guy in Chicago. As for developmental a developmental quarterback in Round 5, I would probably wait a little later in the draft, but the guys I would look at would be Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky) and Aqueel Glass (Alabama A & M).
Q. Are the Eagles’ “Quarterback Factory” really considering drafting a QB? If so, will that be a battle for the #2 QB vs. Minshew, or to actually challenge Hurts for # 1? If they are seriously looking, who do you think they should pay attention to, and why?
I think they are considering it and doing their due diligence. If that were the case, a player such as Malik Willis would be the guy they would look at in the first round and maybe Carson Strong in the second round if they were to go quarterback, hoping that they would eventually take over as the starter.
However, I think when all is said and done, they will not draft a quarterback high, maybe late in Day 3 to be the developmental guy and take over for Minshew in the future. I would rank the QB class as Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, Matt Corral, Carson Strong, Desmond Ridder.
Do you think Howie Roseman will draft a cornerback and a linebacker in the first round?
I think the odds of the Eagles taking a cornerback in the first round are very high. As for linebacker, it is uncertain. It all depends on what the team decides to do in keeping all three first-rounders. I think the philosophy is still there that you build the defensive outer shell first, meaning the defensive line, cornerbacks, and edge rushers early, and then put the remaining resources on linebackers and safeties. I like Utah’s Devin Lloyd, Georgia’s Nakobe Dean a lot, as well as Alabama’s Christian Harris. Right now, I think there will not be a linebacker taken in the first round.
Do you think the Eagles trade at least one 1st-round pick this year to grab another in the 2023 draft?
I think there is a chance that happens, but it will depend on how the board plays out. If one of the quarterbacks starts to fall, and say a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Detroit Lions (with the 32nd pick) were desperate to jump up and grab someone at 15, I could see the Eagles picking up a first-round selection next year to get more flexibility.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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