As of now the Philadelphia Eagles have three picks in the first round of the NFL Draft. This is great as the Eagles can fill a lot of holes in their roster with elite talent. Here are the positions that the Eagles can fill in the first round of the draft:
Defensive End: The Eagles need another defensive end. Fletcher Cox is not getting any younger. His production has gone down this year as he only has 3.5 sacks in 2021 as compared to six and a half in 2020. His tackling has also gone down. He had 41 total tackles in 2020 and totaled 35 in 2021. Furthermore, his contract is expensive and with him being a free agent in 2023, It may benefit the Eagles to find a solid replacement for him in the draft.
Safety: The Eagles could possibly lose two safeties to free agency in Anthony Harris and Rodney McLeod. Both have given the Eagles production, but it is not guaranteed these players will re-sign
Wide Receiver: The Eagles need another consistent receiver besides Devonta Smith. Jalen Reagor has not given the Eagles the production they had wanted. As for Watkins, he has shown glimpses of greatness as he has speed and the explosive big play ability. The Eagles will need another weapon at receiver to maybe replace Reagor and bring more consistency to this position.
There are the Philadelphia Eagles first round 2022 draft predictions:
15th Overall Pick: DE, George Karlaftis, Purdue
Kalaftis would be a solid pick up for the Philadelphia Eagles if they decide to draft him in this spot. Karlaftis is a playmaker. He is great at being in position to stop the run. There have been multiple plays where he read the play and stopped the running back for a loss in the backfield. He has agility and speed coming off the line scrimmage, which makes him a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. He had four and half sacks in the 2021 season and 36 total tackles.
No context: An 18 year old George Karlaftis 😏 #jets pic.twitter.com/lbLQgcfHVl
— Matt O’Leary (@MattOLearyNY) December 31, 2021
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The Purdue defensive end can also force turnovers as he has forced two fumbles in 2021 in which Purdue benefited by recovering both. If Cox stays with Eagles next year, then him and Karlaftis would make a great duo.
16th Overall Pick: S, Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
Brisker would immediately bring production to this Philadelphia secondary. He can play free safety, strong safety and can even cover in the slot. The Penn State safety is great in coverage as he can out position defenders by using his physicality and his athletic ability to break up passes. Brisker had five pass deflections in 2022.
Brisker is also a great tackler; he knows how to read where the ball is going where he can quickly make a play. There have been multiple plays this year where Brisker has blown up screen passes and running plays. There is a great possibility that he will be available in this spot if the Eagles decide to go with him.
19th Overall Pick: WR, Treylon Burks, Arkansas
This was a hard pick because the Eagles could take a quarterback in this spot to have a little insurance if Hurts does not work out. But it feels like getting another solid receiver is more urgent and Treylon Burks can be that wide receiver for Philadelphia. Eagles Head Coach Sirianni love explosiveness and Burks would do just that for this Eagles offense.
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Treylon Burks with the TD reception to tie it up 😯 pic.twitter.com/vORBgwmZJp
— ESPN (@espn) October 9, 2021
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Burks has a lot of speed, which the Eagles can utilize in screen passes. Once he gets the ball, he knows how to make defenders miss and rip off big plays. He is also very productive when it comes to deep passes. With his combination of good route running and speed, Burks can get a step on the defender and come down with the catch. Lastly, Burks also has good size as he is 6’3. This another plus for the Eagles as he will be able reach over defenders and come down with 50/50 balls. This will be an interesting pick, but if Philadelphia should choose Burks, he would be a great weapon for the Eagles.
This concludes the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles first round draft predictions.
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