Draft weekend is here, and for the Eagles, this is a weekend to fill holes within the roster.
The Eagles will take who they hope becomes their future franchise quarterback in the first round on Thursday night. Then, they will be off the clock from pick No. 2 to pick No. 79 in the third round on Friday night, barring a move up or down.
Again, after pick No. 79, they will not pick again until Day 3 at pick No. 153 in the fifth round. So there's a lot of down time between picks should the Eagles stay where they are.
Once they pick the quarterback, the third-round pick could prove huge — their third-round pick last season, Jordan Hicks, looks like a steal after a strong rookie season cut short by injury — and there is a lot of room to add depth and a potential sleeper in Rounds 5-7.
Here is a look again at the team needs and the ways Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson and the Eagles should look to address those needs this weekend.
After taking their quarterback, the third-round pick should be dedicated to two positions — offensive line or running back.
The Eagles still have a need at offensive line, but with the additions of Brandon Brooks and Stefen Wisniewski, there isn't as much of a dire need among the starting core. At running back, the Eagles are very thin. Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner are all on the roster, but if Mathews goes down with injury, can the Eagles trust Sproles and Barner to be leading running backs?
With the lack of a second-round pick, the Eagles need to make the most of the pick in the third round by attacking a position of need. This is a pick that requires careful consideration and a close look at the Draft board.
When the Eagles come back up in the fifth round, the focus should be first on the position they did not take in the third. Both have need, but if there is one that has greater depth within the Draft class, then take the higher-ceiling prospect in the third and the potential sleeper in the fifth.
Once the Eagles make their first Day 3 selection with the 153rd overall pick in the fifth round, they will have four picks remaining over the course of the final three rounds.
Three positions should be addressed with these picks.
The Eagles don't have a desperate need to add to the defensive line, but should take the chance on somebody floating around in the late rounds.
The Eagles absolutely have to add a linebacker at some point in the draft. They don't have an immediate need among the starting group, but they don't have much outside of the starters, particularly inside. This has commonly been a move predicted in mock drafts, that the Eagles will look for a linebacker later in the Draft.
Finally, there is the potential to build more depth at positions already possessing good depth on the roster. The Eagles don't need to add another wide receiver or cornerback, but a seventh-round flyer on either position makes a lot of sense.
With the remaining pick, it wouldn't hurt for the Eagles to try to grab an upstart depth prospect on the offensive line late in the Draft as well.
Those are the four standout positions of need: quarterback, running back, linebacker, offensive line. After that, looking to build more depth on the defensive side of the ball, particularly on the line, adding another depth piece to the offensive line and potentially grabbing a wide receiver or additional member of the secondary seems to be the best way to go.
Of course, the Eagles will be looking at the best players available at the time as well, and if a prospect slips far enough that it is too good to pass up, the Eagles won't hesitate.
There is also the possibility that the Eagles could try to make their way back into the second round. It would be ideal to add a second-round pick between the first and third to fully address the quarterback, running back, offensive line needs effectively instead of taking a chance on a later-round prospect as something more, like they may have to in the fifth round.
But that chance is growing slimmer and slimmer by the minute, so if the Eagles are going to make just seven picks, five of them in Round 5 or later on Day 3, they need to make the most of the picks they have.
Addressing the ones of greatest need head-on, once they get their quarterback, will ultimately define the success of this Draft.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
