The NFL draft is fast approaching, and the 2023 influx of talent comes at a reasonable time after a mass exodus of free agents on defense.
Only a tiny percentage of this incoming class will make their mark on the league as a rookie.
With Philadelphia set to sign Jalen Hurts to a massive deal, GM Howie Roseman needs all his picks to deliver the goods immediately.
With the draft just three weeks out, we’re taking a closer look at the Eagles’ predraft visits and whether they offer a glimpse into what Howie Roseman has in store.
Each NFL team can meet with 30 top prospects on their draft boards.
The players you see visiting respective team facilities can help outline organizational needs or serious interests.
Philadelphia has two first-round picks, and they’ve embraced the process, bringing in a host of top names that’ll be selected up and down the draft board.
Positions to watch
The Eagles have had 17 reported top 30 predraft visits, and the defensive line leads the list, with some of the top names already having made trips to the NovaCare Complex.
OL — 3
RB — 1
DL — 9
DB — 4
Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson is the only skill position player to visit, while four defensive backs and three offensive linemen have also made the trek.
Rounds to watch
Bijan Robinson, Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson, Iowa edge-rusher Lukas Van Ness, Carter’s teammate, and Georgia edge-rusher Nolan Smith, are all potential options at No. 10 overall.
Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Breese are possible players to watch at No. 30 overall, along with Kelee Ringo and Joey Porter Jr.
LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, and Kansas State defensive back Julius Brents are day two picks, while Western Kentucky nose tackle Brodric Martin could be a day three option.
Lukas Van Ness, Defensive End, Iowa
The Eagles hosted the edge rusher days after Bijan Robinson was in the building.
Van Ness logged 38 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks during the 2022 season with Iowa without starting a game.
Throughout 27 games played during the past two years with the Hawkeyes, Van Ness recorded 71 career tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks.
Bijan Robinson, Running Back, Texas
Robinson’s visit shook up the city, with some wondering if Howie Roseman would make such a move.
Robinson logged 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground last season while breaking 91 tackles, and he’d bring a Marshall Faulk-style smoothness to the running back position alongside Jalen Hurts.
The Longhorns star is a dynamic three-down running back that would make the Eagles much more explosive, and he’d complement Rashaad Penny thanks to his abilities as a pass catcher.
Philadelphia wouldn’t usually take a running back at No. 10 overall.
Still, Robinson is dynamic, and the extra first-round pick for a team with Super Bowl aspirations wouldn’t be the worst move a general manager could make.
Jaquelin Roy, Defensive Tackle, LSU
Standing 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, Roy had 97 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and one forced fumble during his time in Baton Rouge.
In 2022, the massive defensive tackle had 49 tackles and 0.5 sacks as a space eater.
Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
Smith is an undersized edge rusher with an elite change of direction and burst.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Smith was on his way to a dominant Senior season before suffering a mid-season pectoral injury that cost him the rest of the year.
Smith plays with power, quickness, and explosiveness off the edge and would mesh well with former Georgia teammates Jordan Davis (DT) and Nakobe Dean (LB).
Emmanuel Forbes, DB, Mississippi State
Forbes patterns his game after Darius Slay, and he’s a big-play cornerback in his own right.
Mississippi State DB Emmanuel Forbes has these team visits coming up:
Eagles
Cowboys
Patriots
Steelers
Lions
Titans
VikingsHe said every team has reached out and at least one other visit is scheduled too.
— Jon Sokoloff (@JonSokoloff) March 28, 2023
Forbes owns the FBS record with six career pick-sixes and is a three-year starter for the Bulldogs.
The Bengals also talked to CB Emmanuel Forbes. Holds the record for must pick-6s in college football history.
Would be a very fun add for the Bengals defense. pic.twitter.com/FAE0ZKuIGa
— Blake Jewell (@BlakeJewellNFL) March 2, 2023
Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
We are ready for @dawandj79… are you?
Watch @seniorbowl Practice LIVE exclusively on NFL+ https://t.co/iIlrCwYjtm pic.twitter.com/qbU8VTdebt
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 31, 2023
The Ohio State star Jones was dominant in Mobile before suffering a concussion.
Ohio State OT Dawand Jones has Top 30 visits scheduled with the following teams, per source.
• Commanders
• Eagles
• Colts
• Steelers
• Browns
• Bengals
• Seahawks— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 8, 2023
Dawand Jones👀👀
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 31, 2023
Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State
The #1 OL in the NFL Draft #OhioState Paris Johnson Jr.
Has Top 30 meetings scheduled with:#Eagles#Bears#CardinalsPer source.
I am also told Justin Fields and Paris remain close friends and keep in touch regularly. pic.twitter.com/fOsndcLgAv
— Jared Tokarz (@JaredNFLDraft) March 8, 2023
The other half of Ohio State’s dominant bookend of tackles, Johnson is a potential top-10 pick with the versatility to play guard.
Brodric Martin, DT, Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky IDL Brodric Martin has Top 30 visits scheduled with the Chiefs and Eagles, per source.
Big man in the trenches that was a standout at Shrine. pic.twitter.com/Vho1xgEAm8
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 7, 2023
A colossal nose tackle standing 6’5, 337; Martin logged 62 tackles and four sacks over the last two seasons (26 games) at Western Kentucky after transferring from North Alabama.
Lil 330lb peak-a-boo from @ShrineBowl acceptance Brodric Martin from WKU. Massive 6’4 335lbs with some range! pic.twitter.com/cvu0rEcznL
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 9, 2022
Jalen Carter, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
Carter played alongside 2022 first-round picks Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt on the defensive line for the national champions Bulldogs in 2021.
Carter was a 2021 second-team All-SEC selection after logging 37 tackles, 8.5 for loss with three sacks, two blocked kicks, and two starts in 15 games.
In 2022, Carter led a Bulldogs defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (77.1), garnering first-team Associated Press All-American and all-conference honors despite missing time during Georgia’s title run with knee and ankle injuries.
Carter finished the season with 32 tackles, seven for loss with three sacks, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 13 games and nine starts.
Brian Bresee, DT, Clemson
Bresee had eight sacks in 21 career starts at Clemson.
Julius Brents, Cornerback, Kansas State
One of the premier corners in the class, Kansas State CB Julius Brents has Top 30 visits scheduled with the Eagles, Texans, and Steelers in the coming weeks, per source.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 30, 2023
Brents is an All-Big-12 cornerback who started all 27 games in his two years at K-State after transferring from Iowa and had 45 tackles and four interceptions with eight passes defended as a senior.
K-State CB Julius Brents had a really good 1-on-1 period. Demonstrates nice patience at the line and finishes with one of his two picks of the period. pic.twitter.com/7uKLzGuqDM
— Cory Yates (@CoryRAanalytics) January 31, 2023
LSU pass rusher BJ Ojulari
Ojulari is a freak athlete out of LSU and finished second to Will Anderson in pressure rate this season among SEC pass rushers.
The brother of New York Giants defensive end Azeez Ojulari, a former second-round draft pick, B.J. Ojulari, was an All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection last season after he recorded 58 tackles, 8.5 tackles for losses, and 5.5 sacks.
That came after a 2021 season in which he led the Tigers with seven sacks and finished with 55 tackles, 11.5 tackles for losses in 12 starts.
Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
The son of the former Steelers’ pass rusher, Porter Jr. was named third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and honorable mention by the media in 2021.
That season he made 13 starts at cornerback, finishing with 51 tackles (40 solo), one forced fumble, one interception, and four pass breakups.
In 2022, the cornerback earned second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-conference status, winning the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player Award (27 tackles, 11 pass breakups in 10 starts) despite missing two games.
Porter Jr. earned a 9.63 out of 10 grade on RAS (Relative Athletic Score), an analytics-based outlet that evaluates NFL prospects.
Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski
A dominant left tackle who’s athletic enough to slide down to guard, Skoronski is considered by many to be the top offensive lineman available in the draft.
A star at Northwestern, Skoronski would chart a similar path to that of Cam Jurgens in 2022, and he’d likely see time at guard and tackle while developing under Jeff Stoutland.
Skoronski could be a better fit at guard than tackle, even though he started 33 games at left tackle in college.
Kelee Ringo,Cornerback, Georgia
Ringo started as a redshirt freshman on Georgia’s dominant National Championship defense, sealing the Bulldogs’ title win with a pick-six late in the fourth quarter.
Ringo allowed just a 40.7% completion percentage in coverage during the 2021 season, as a 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds with 4.3-4.4 speed.
That size-speed combination won’t make it out of the top 15.
Gervon Dexter, Defensive Tackle, Florida
Traits and size wise, there’s a lot to like w/ #Florida DT Gervon Dexter (6-6, 310, 32 1/4” arms)
Flashes ability to fire off football and hand usage to disengage but never consistent throughout a game. Can see him being a nice rotational piece if he has snap to snap continuity. pic.twitter.com/tVqRL0Ppfh
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) April 1, 2023
