Super Bowl LIX Champion Eagles are Ultimate Draft Kings

Credit GM Howie Roseman and his scouts for their NFL Draft excellence

This morning the Philadelphia Eagles, coming off of their dominant 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX are the envy of NFL teams and football fans all over the world.

What was on full display throughout the Eagles’ stellar performance was the brilliant fruition of a bonanza of draft day home runs that GM Howie Roseman and his college scouts have brought to the team.

Philadelphia Draft Kings

• QB —- Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma via Alabama —- R2 2020
• RB —- Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis —- R5 2021
• WR —- DeVonta Smith. Alabama —- R1 2021
• WR —- Johnny Wilson, Florida St. —- R6 2024
• TE —- Dallas Goedert, South Dakota St. —- R2 2018
• TE —- Grant Calcaterra, SMU via Oklahoma —- R6 2022
• LT —- Jordan Mailata, Australian Rugby —- R7 2018
• LG —- Brandon Dickerson, Alabama —- R2 2021
• C —- Matt Jurgens, Nebraska —- R2 2022
• RT —- Lane Johnson, Oklahoma —- R1 2013
• NT —- Jordan Davis, Georgia —- R1 2021
• DT —- Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech —- R3 2021
• DT —- Jalen Carter, Georgia —- R1 2023
• ED —- Brandon Graham, Michigan —- R1 2010
• ED —- Josh Sweat, Florida St, —- R4 2018
• ED —- Nolan Smith, Georgia —- R1 2023
• ED —- Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian —- R3 2024
• ILB —- Nakobe Dean, Georgia —- R2 2022
• ILB —- Jeremiah Trotter, Clemson —- R5 2024
• CB —- Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo —- R1 2024
• CB === Cooper DeJean, Iowa —- R2 2024
• CB —- Kelee Ringo, Georgia —- R4 2023
• CB —- Avonte Maddox, Pittsburgh —- R4 2018
• SS —- Sydney Brown, Illinois —- R3 2023
• KR —- Will Shipley, Clemson —- R4 2024

What an absolutely incredible draft haul!

Philly Special Steal Steaks

QB Jalen Hurts

Has to go down as one of the greatest 2nd round franchise QB steal in the history of the NFL. Hurts is a paragon of poise, perseverance, work ethic, modest leadership and precision passing.

RB Saquon Barkley

The Eagles were a mess at the end of the 2023 season. Signing Saquon Barkley was a literal and figurative game changer for the level of outstanding championship-caliber play on the field and the ultimate culture booster. How the Giants ever let him leave the building, especially to land with their most contentious NFC East division rival is unfathomable.

WR A.J. Brown

How and why the Titans ever let go of him and the prodigious physical and mental toughness he brings to his team is equally unfathomable.

LB Zach Baun

From part-time player in New Orleans to All-Pro, Super Bowl Champion MLB in New Orleans in a matter of 12 months.

OC Kellen Moore

Talk about putting the offense in the perfect hands. Kellen Moore’s genius this season was adapting his pass friendly style of offense to accommodate the superior rushing talents of Saquon Barkley. Now apparently Kellen Moore is about to become the new head coach in New Orleans.

DC Vic Fangio

Perfect fit. Was able to shift the pass coverage focus away from zones and into playing super sticky man-to-man in order to take full advantage of the team’s ferocious pass rush.

Nick Sirianni

Major credit to Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman for electing to stay the course with Sirianni following the team’s 2023 season ending meltdown. Some Eagles fands wanted Sirianni to be fired after losing to the Cardinals in Week 17 last year. Not only do Eagles fans put enormous pressure on the coaches, so do the Eagles’ players. As they say, pressure can break pipes or create diamonds. In this case, the pressure created a diamond out of Nick Sirianni in 2024, whom Tom Brady called “the most disrespected coach in the league.”

Eagles Top 2025 UFAs:

• DE Josh Sweat
• DT Milton Williams
• LB Zach Baun
• G Mekhi Becton
• CB Avonte Maddox

It would be such a coup for the Cardinals to sign the trio of DE Josh Sweat, DT Milton Williams and LB Zach Baun.

While the Cardinals certainly have the cap space to do so, the questions are: (1) Do they have the allure at a time when a number of defensive-minded head coaches with cap space, like Dan Quinn, Mike Vrabel and Aaron Glenn might be targeting the same players? Plus, the 49ers have the 11th most cap space in the NFL with DC Robert Saleh and new defensive senior advisor Gus Bardley in the building. (2) Does Jonathan Gannon have the type of “seal the deal” bond or connection with Josh Sweat and Milton Williams whom he coached in Philadelphia?

According to Fansided, here are their predictions for the Eagles 2025 UFAs landing spots:

List of every Eagles free agent in 2025 and where they’ll sign (fansided.com)

• LB Zack Baun: Denver Broncos
• G Mekhi Becton: Houston Texans
• CB Avonte Maddox: Indianapolis Colts
• DE Josh Sweat: New England Patriots
• DT Milton Williams: Philadelphia Eagles

I think Fansided is likely correct about DT Milton Williams re-signing with the Eagles. Zach Baun and Josh Sweat are going to be more difficult to keep cap-wise.

One interesting edge rusher the Cardinals could try to trade for this off-season is the Eagles’ 2024 UFA ED Bryce Huff (6-3, 255, Memphis, 26). Huff had 67 QB pressures and 10 sacks with the Jets in 2023 and has 157 QB pressure and 22 sack in his career. Huff has two years remaining on his contract, click for details here:

Bryce Huff | NFL Contracts & Salaries | Spotrac.com

The Cardinals have a ton of catching up to do on defense. Currently the Cardinals have no bona fide stars or pass rushers in their front seven, while the Eagles are practically two deep in them.

What perhaps can give Cardinals’ fans hope is the way in which Monti Ossenfort and Dave Sears have been tapping into the Ohio St, pipeline in initially somewhat the way the Eagles have for a few years with Georgia players.

Now the most significant off-season of the MOJO tenure is about to commence.

Sometimes pangs of envy can be productive motivators.

Like the old, “We want to drink what they are drinking.”

Which for the Eagles last night was golden champagne.