2014 NFL Draft: Howie Roseman Expects Eagles to Take "At Least" One Wide Receiver

The 2014 NFL draft is only a little over a week away and everyone is waiting in anticipation as to what the Eagles will do on that big day. Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman made a radio appearance on SportsRadio 94WIP on Wednesday morning and offered a very slight hint. Straight from the GM's lips (via Zach Berman): "I think in all likelihood we will come out of this draft with at least one wide receiver."

Shocking, right? Hardly. This isn't the first time Roseman has lauded the talent and depth of this year's draft class. When Roseman spoke at the 2014 NFL combine earlier this offseason, he made his feelings towards this year's wide receiver class apparent. "It’s the best group at any position in the draft in our opinion. I think when you talk about it, it makes a lot of sense because of all the underclassmen that came out. When you look at the draft and just look at position groups, I think it’d be hard to argue that it’s not the best position group."

The Eagles haven't made their interest in wide receivers a secret, either. A total of six known receivers have been brought in to Philadelphia for pre-draft visits. That list includes: Kelvin Benjamin (FSU), Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU), Cody Latimer (Indiana), Mike Evans (Texas A&M), Marqise Lee (USC), and Kevin Norwood (Alabama). The Eagles are allowed 30 total visits but only 20 have been reported so far. Of the known visits, 30% have been wide receivers.

Circling back to Roseman's original comment, it's interesting that he stressed the "at least one wide receiver" notion. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Eagles double dip at receiver if this class is really so talented as it's made out to be. As my good friend Jimmy Kempski pointed out, those expecting a defense-heavy draft may be disappointed. The Eagles are bound to address the defense at some point. But just because it was the perceived weak point of the team last season doesn't mean they're going to go all-in on the draft to fix it. The Eagles offense will not never be a priority as long as Chip Kelly is in charge.