B
Philadelphia Eagles
Good, not great, for the Eagles: B.
by Stan ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Eagles did exactly that with Carson Steele in pick 178. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.
Goncalves at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Cornerback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
They trusted the board more than the depth chart.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a go-to option on the outside, outstanding value to boot. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They reached into another round for Marist Liufau, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Nice patience on Brandon Dorlus, who had no business lasting to pick No. 64. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Caelen Carson is a better player than the 84th pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A straight-up fair deal on Max Melton at the 97th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Matt Goncalves in No. 137 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Oronde Gadsden II in No. 147, miles early. A need, and now a little less of one.
A clean, defensible pick in pick 172 with a little surplus value in Ainias Smith. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Carson Steele this early at slot 178. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Storm Duck in the 253rd pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.