Each week during the NFL regular season we lay out a rooting guide for non-Eagles games on the schedule. Let's do some version of that for the 2025 NFL Draft, shall we?
As the first round unfolds…
I strongly believe that the Eagles want to select a defensive lineman with their first-round pick. They prioritize the trenches, it's a need, and it's a deep group of D-linemen high in the draft this year.
The following is a list of defensive linemen and their placement on The Athletic's "consensus big board," which combines rankings from a wide range of NFL Draft experts:
- Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State: 1st overall
- Mason Graham, DT, Michigan: 4th overall
- Jalon Walker, EDGE/OBLB, Georgia: 7th overall
- Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall: 14th overall
- Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia: 15th overall
- Walter Nolen, iDL, Ole Miss: 18th overall
- Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M: 19th overall
- James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee: 21st overall
- Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College: 22nd overall
- Kenneth Grant, iDL, Michigan: 29th overall
- Derrick Harmon, iDL, Oregon: 30th overall
11 of the top 30 guys are D-line! So, you know, there's a very good chance that one or more of them could slide either all the way to the Eagles at pick 32, or perhaps a guy they love who should get picked in the teens slides into the 20s where the cost won't be a high to move up.
And so, you should be rooting for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and cornerbacks to come off the board early, thus pushing defensive linemen further down the board.
The NFC East
The Giants are picking third overall this year. It feels a whole lot like the first two picks will be QB Cam Ward to the Titans at pick No. 1, and WR/CB Travis Hunter to the Browns at pick No. 2. That leaves them with a decision between Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter.
In the 2024 Draft, the first three picks were quarterbacks. Caleb Williams went to the Bears, Jayden Daniels went to the Commanders, and Drake Maye went to the Patriots. Quarterbacks also got taken 8th overall (Michael Penix, Falcons), 10th overall (J.J. McCarthy, Vikings), and 12th overall (Bo Nix, Broncos). Sanders is not as good of a prospect as Williams, Daniels, or Maye were a year ago. He's arguably also not even as good a prospect as Penix, McCarthy, or Nix.
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Meanwhile, Carter is thought of by many as the No. 1 prospect in this draft, and although he is not a quarterback, he does play a premium position. The Giants are a long way from contention, however, should they add Carter to an already good defensive front that includes Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, they would at least have a strong D-line to hang their hat on and build around. And then in another year or so, maybe they could find a young quarterback that would represent better value than over-drafting Sanders at pick 3.
Carter feels like the very clear best option at 3 for the Giants. However, GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll are squarely on the hot seat heading into 2025. Frankly, it's incredible that they're still employed in their positions. One path to their continued employment is to draft a quarterback, hope that he can show promise as a rookie, and sell the notion to Giants ownership that the franchise is heading in the right direction.
Eagles fans should hope the Giants' brass operates in self-preservation mode, passing on Carter and drafting Sanders.
The Cowboys pick 12th. Their roster just isn't very good, with needs all over the place, notably at RB, WR, OT, OG, iDL, EDGE, and CB.
Their draft strategy should be pretty clear. Draft the best available player at a premium position, AKA WR, OT, iDL, EDGE, or even CB. What they should not do is draft a running back, even if it is arguably their top need. A running back might be their best chance of improving the team in 2025, but they're delusional if they think they're a good running back away from serious Super Bowl contention.
Eagles fans should be hoping that Jerry Jones picks North Carolina's Omarion Hampton, a very good running back prospect who would help short-term, but would be a terrible use of resources, long-term.
The Commanders have already had a bad draft before it has even begun, in my opinion. They had a chance to surround Jayden Daniels with young talent and try to build a winning roster, long-term, but instead chose immediate gratification by trading much of their draft capital for aging vets like CB Marshon Lattimore, LT Laremy Tunsil, and WR Deebo Samuel. Those players should help the Commanders more than rookies likely would in 2025, but all three players are probably on the downsides of their respective careers.
The Commanders have just five selections in the 2025 draft, and per Sharp Football Analysis, the second-lowest draft capital in the NFL. After a surprising trip to the NFC Championship Game that is no doubt helping fuel their win-now offseason, the Commanders are picking 29th.
Their defense gave up 30 or more points in seven games last season, including a 55-burger to the Eagles in the NFCCG. They badly need help across their defensive line, especially on the edge. As noted above, this is a good draft for them to land an edge rusher at a quality value. Trading out of the first round and recouping some of their lost picks would also make sense.
What's the dumbest thing they could do? I seen some mocks project running backs to the Commanders. While a dynamic back could in theory help bring their offense to another level, that would be yet another pick that leans into what I believe is an ill-advised all-in strategy, when they have much bigger issues that have to get fixed.
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