NFL Draft Results: Eagles trade down to No. 73 and pick Milton Williams

With the 73rd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select ... Milton Williams, defensive tackle, Louisiana Tech!

The Eagles were originally picking at No. 70 before making a small trade down with the Carolina Panthers. Philly received a sixth-round pick at No. 191 in the deal. It’s interesting to note this move came after a run on quarterbacks.

Williams is undersized at 6’3”, 284 pounds but very athletic. He offers some interior pass rush upside. This seems like a decent pickup.

The Eagles had an underrated need at defensive tackle. Fletcher Cox turns 31 this year and has nine seasons under his belt. Javon Hargrave came on towards the end of last year after a disappointing start. Behind those two, the Eagles really had nothing. The team re-signed Hassan Ridgeway but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy in recent seasons.

Here’s a scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Pound for pound, Williams can match his toughness and strength with many of the interior defenders in this draft. Determining his best positional fit will be up to the team that drafts him, but he’s a good football player who understands leverage and knows how to use his hands. He’ll have some bumpy snaps from time to time due to a lack of length and overall mass, but it shouldn’t be debilitating for his NFL career. Williams possesses twitchy power and short-area athleticism, but needs to continue the development of working the hands and feet as one to unlock his potential. His pass rush is relatively pedestrian at this time and will need to be upgraded to become more than just a good backup. Teams will weigh the tape and testing against subpar physical traits, but the end result could land him in the middle rounds as an upside talent.

College stats via Sports Reference:

Spider graph via Mockdraftable:

Highlights:

Grade the pick

Remaining Eagles draft picks

1 (10) - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

2 (37) - Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama

3 (73) - Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech

4 (123)

5 (150)

6 (189)

6 (191)

6 (224)

6 (225)

7 (234)

7 (240)

Remaining Eagles needs

Cornerback

Linebacker

Safety

Offensive tackle

Defensive end

Wide receiver