Eagles News: NFL GM told Peter King that Philadelphia loves Nolan Smith

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Peter King’s Mock Draft - FMIA
10. PHILADELPHIA: Nolan Smith, edge rusher, Georgia.. Came very close to giving the Eagles Peter Skoronski here, but two things happened Sunday. A GM who’s always smart when I do this exercise told me he knew the Eagles love Smith. And someone else told me Skoronski’s very likely to play guard, and check out where the Eagles have drafted starting guards, or guards-to-be. Okay. Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, Isaac Seumalo went 51st, 37th and 79th overall, respectively. And then I looked at the ages of the Eagles’ four most prominent ends or edge players: Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat average 29 years, 7 months old as of September. Okay. I talked myself into a 238-pound edge player who runs a 4.39 40-yard dash.

Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class - NFL.com
13) Nolan Smith. Smith is an undersized edge rusher with elite change of direction and burst. As a pass rusher, he has a dynamic get-off from a two-point stance, and his ability to bend and close at the top of his rush is special. He is a very loose and twitched-up athlete. When he gets upfield, he can put his outside foot in the ground and explode back inside to defeat blocks. Against the run, he’s at his best when he uses his quickness to slip blocks and penetrate. His lack of bulk shows up at times, as he’ll get uprooted. He missed a big chunk of the 2022 season due to injury. Overall, Smith has a lot of similar traits to Haason Reddick, and I believe he’ll be utilized in the same way at the next level.

Philadelphia Eagles 2023 NFL Draft board - PhillyVoice
Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia: Smith was a highly rated prospect coming out of high school (2nd in the nation, via Rivals), who had the best SPARQ rating in his recruiting class. That means that he’s an incredible athlete, in case you’re unfamiliar with SPARQ. He also crushed the Combine, running an absurd 4.39 40 and vertical jumping 41 1/2” at 238 pounds. But Smith isn’t just an athlete. He is also a physical run defender willing to set the edge so that his teammates can collect tackles, and in viewing a number of his interviews it’s pretty easy to see that he’s going to be culture fit in any locker room. He had an immediate role in Georgia’s defense as a true freshman, but his production has left something to be desired. 2021 was been his best year, when he had 53 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one INT, and three forced fumbles.

Ranking 10 tight ends for the Eagles in the 2023 NFL Draft - BGN
4. Darnell Washington. Washington has a rare athletic profile but the tape and production don’t match up. Coaches will love him because he has high-level traits and if he develops well, he could become an outstanding tight end. But he’s not outstanding currently and the production and film reflect that. He’s the most impressive-looking tight end in the draft, but he has a fair bit of work to do before his play matches up to his potential. Eagles Thoughts: The Eagles’ offense is so good, they could afford a swing at a prospect like Darnell Washington at the end of the 1st. I would prefer Washington in the 2nd, but I imagine an NFL team is going to fall in love with the potential and take him earlier. He could be scary as an in-line tight end and red zone specialist.

Eye on the Enemy #135: JP Acosta on whether or not Jalen Hurts’ deal impacts the Eagles’ Draft Day Philosophy - BGN Radio
SB Nation Writer JP Acosta joins John Stolnis to share his thoughts on Jalen Hurts’ massive contract and how it impacts the Eagles’ draft day philosophy. Later in the show Stolnis addresses the Derrick Henry rumors, explains why Jonathan Gannon made him mad, and touches on whether the new WR signing means Quez’ days as the No. 3 are over.

NFL mock draft 2023: New projection for first round on draft week - SB Nation
10. Philadelphia Eagles: Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern. GM: James Dator. It’s pure BPA for the Eagles. Skoronski can play inside and out, giving them someone who can plug in right now — and potentially take over for Lane Johnson in the future. Sustained success is built with smart picks like this.

2023 NFL draft buzz: McShay on top prospects, QBs, early picks - ESPN+
We know GM Howie Roseman likes to build through the trenches in the draft, and that’s exactly what I’m hearing the focus will be for Philadelphia in Round 1. The Eagles lost Javon Hargrave on the interior, and Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are both older players on one-year deals, hence the defensive line buzz. I’m not sure the Eagles have a specific player in mind here, but Van Ness’ versatility would fit with their scheme. I’m sure they’d explore Smith here, too, but he’s very similar to Haason Reddick off the edge, whom they already have in the fold. And I’ve heard differing reports on the team’s interest in Carter. It sounds like defensive line is more likely the target than offensive line, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles opt for Skoronski here, too. He’d be instant protection for newly signed Jalen Hurts as a future left tackle who could play anywhere on the line in the meantime. In short, it looks like best player available in the trenches. On the running back chatter, I don’t think Philadelphia picks Robinson here, even if it’s a really good fit. But I will say the Eagles have done their homework on him, and I wonder if they could wrap their heads around taking him if they trade back a bit. If they pick up additional draft capital and already have the other first-rounder at No. 30, picking Robinson down the board wouldn’t be wild.

Here’s How Every Pick of the NFL Draft’s First Round Will Go Down - The Ringer
8:58 - In what has been the most entertaining first round of all time, we get yet another trade. Eagles GM Howie Roseman sees Carter slipping and can’t help himself. In three of the past four drafts, he has traded up in the first round, and he wants to do so again. Roseman calls Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and offers up a second-rounder (no. 62 overall), along with a 2024 fourth, to move up from 10 to seven. McDaniels talks it over with Raiders GM Dave Ziegler. Ziegler wonders whether the Raiders should just stay put and take Carter. But the thought of actually having to coach a player who might not buy into everything he says terrifies McDaniels. “It’s not the Patriot—I mean Raider—way,” McDaniels explains. The two teams agree to the deal. The Eagles get a player they hope can be a foundational piece for their defense, and the Raiders move back three spots while pocketing a couple of extra picks.

2023 Eagles Mock Draft – 3.0 - Iggles Blitz
1st – DT Jalen Carter – Georgia – 6-3, 314. We’ve talked a lot about Carter, both on the field (good) and off the field (not so good). If there were no character issues, the Bears wouldn’t have traded the top pick and Carter would be headed to the Windy City. But there are issues and Carter isn’t likely to go in the Top 5. There is a lot of speculation about him going to other teams in the Top 10. The problem is that those teams all need a lot of help. The Lions and Seahawks both went 9-8, but they have a lot of holes to fill. I just don’t know if any other team can afford to take the risk on Carter. The Eagles can take that risk because of the quality of the roster. They also have Big Dom and you can bet he’ll do a ton of digging to find out anything and everything about Carter. It also helps that the Eagles have veteran leaders like Cox, Graham, Kelce and Johnson. Those guys can help Carter stay focused and show him how to succeed in the NFL, on and off the field. Carter’s ability to 2-gap and play the run at a high level while also being able to rush the passer makes him a special prospect worth taking a chance on. There is risk with this pick, but the reward could be a Fletcher Cox type of player in the middle of the defense. Those guys are hard to find. As long as Big Dom clears him, Carter is worth the risk.

2023 NFL Draft: Team-by-Team Needs and Pick Predictions - SI
What you need to know: The Eagles are, again, in the enviable position of being able to take a risk, or work a year ahead of a need. On the first count, there’s perception out there that this is Carter’s floor, with Philly having both the veteran locker room and old friends of Carter’s, in Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean, to get the mercurial star on the right path. On the second count, taking Carter would work a year ahead of a Fletcher Cox–sized hole on the defensive line. Landing a Gonzalez at corner, a Van Ness on the edge, or a Darnell Wright at tackle would have a similar effect—with the potential for 2024 needs in those spots. And with the Eagles’ volume of picks a little light, I’d expect Howie Roseman to be looking to move down from No. 10, too, if someone like Carter or Gonzalez isn’t there.

2023 NFL Draft: The biggest questions for all 32 NFL teams - PFF
Philadelphia Eagles: Will they make one of their biggest strengths even stronger? The Eagles fielded the NFL’s only offensive line last season to earn 80.0-plus grades both in pass blocking and run blocking. With the 10th overall pick, it looks like they’ll try to make it even more dominant. As it stands, offensive tackles Peter Skoronski (+250) and Paris Johnson Jr. (+300) are the favorites to be taken with the No. 10 pick, per DraftKings Sportsbook. Either could start at right guard before eventually taking over for Lane Johnson at right tackle.

Falcons the betting favorites to draft Bijan Robinson - PFT
Bijan Robinson of Texas is universally recognized as the best running back in the 2023 NFL draft, but the running back position just isn’t as important in today’s NFL as it used to be, and some think running backs just don’t belong near the top of any draft. So where will Robinson land? The betting odds suggest Robinson landing in Atlanta: The Falcons are the betting favorites to draft Robinson, at +200 odds at Draft Kings. [BLG Note: Watch the Bijan debate rendered useless by him being taken ahead of Philly’s pick.]

NFL Draft rumors: Peter King, Albert Breer connect TE Michael Mayer to Giants at No. 25 - Big Blue View
Well, this would be a 2023 NFL Draft curveball for the New York Giants. Both Peter King of NBC and Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, two of the best-connected NFL writers in the business, on Monday connected Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer to the New York Giants at No. 25. How’s that for creating an out of left field NFL Draft rumor?

Cowboys draft 2023: Final 7-round NFL mock draft - Blogging The Boys
26. Dallas Cowboys: Steve Avila, iOL- TCU. The Cowboys have done an excellent job of addressing their weaknesses this offseason by trading for both Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore while re-signing their most important free agents. That puts them in a position to take the best player available at a position of need, and in this case that’s Steve Avila (full scouting report here). Much like Tyler Smith a year ago, this will be considered a reach by some, but Avila won’t last much longer here. He’s started at left guard, center, and right tackle with some exposure at right guard as well. The versatility alone makes Avila a value pick, and the Cowboys will fall in love with the idea of playing him at left guard next to Tyler Smith at left tackle.

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