Eagles Shaping Up to Retool and Reload Once Again Heading into 2026 NFL Draft

We may say this every year, but the 2026 NFL Draft feels like an important one for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Following an abysmal 2025 season, which ended with an embarrassing 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Eagles are heading into 2026 in an interesting situation. They’re still very much contending with their fantastic roster of veterans and young studs, but they seem to be on the verge of major holes due to multiple reasons.

Whether it’s letting players walk in free agency, not re-signing players who didn’t live up to expectations, or drafting for the future/depth due to lingering retirements, the Eagles have many issues heading into Draft weekend.

The most notable issue heading into the draft is that of A.J. Brown, who, according to ESPN’s senior analyst Adam Schefter, is expected to be traded to the Patriots after June 1st.

However, that’s old news, and it isn’t relevant until it happens. Plus, the Eagles still have much bigger issues to solve, and it all starts with filling out the remaining starting spot on this roster.

Over the last decade, the Eagles have seemed to pull out an all-time draft, where they draft five or more impactful players, or just a strong group of prospects that helps this team be as deep as people say it is.

Look at 2018. Dallas Goedert, starting tight end for nearly a decade. Avote Maddox, slot corner for several years. Josh Sweat, the top edge rusher for this group, left for a high contract. Matt Pryor, a solid backup still in the league, and Jordan Mailata, this team’s current All-Pro left tackle.

Then there’s 2023. Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Tyler Steen, Sydney Brown, Kelee Ringo, Tanner McKee, and Moro Ojomo. Everyone still with the team and at one point or another, other than McKee, has been a prominent starter and an impact player for this team over the past three seasons.

Multiple drafts that have helped elevate this team to multiple championships and playoff success, finding starters that have filled spots that you may not have known needed to be filled. Goedert eventually took over as TE1, Mailata became the successor to “The Bodyguard” at left tackle, Carter gave the a top of the league impactful defender, Ojomo and Smith huge impact players of defense.

Right now, those types of spots feel like they’re about to open up for the Eagles. Right tackle Lane Johnson is on the verge of retirement one of these years, and fellow lineman Landon Dickerson considered it this offseason as well. Draft offensive line depth may seem like the move to get ahead of the curve and prepare for a potential next offseason retirement of two starters.

Also speaking of Ojomo, Carter, and Smith. The Eagles have to start paying up their young defensive stars, and with Quinyon Mithcell and Cooper DeJean extension eligible next year as well, it may be time to find new front seven players.

Or how about the hole at safety left by Reed Blankinship? Do they need to draft another young safety to pair next to Andrew Mukuba, or settle for what they have now?

What the Eagles do during the draft is still very much up in the air, as we don’t know who will be available for them to take until they get to their pick. They can go to several spots and have plenty of options throughout the weekend to fill the holes they have.

This team has too good a roster not to continue competing at the top of the league in 2026. They are just a year removed from lifting the Lombardi Trophy and have shown teams they are more than capable of winning another Super Bowl. Keeping this team at an elite level has to be the highest priority.

Nobody in the NFL manages a team better than the Eagles, and it’s the reason they’ve been able to win two Super Bowls in the last decade. This team knows when they need to bring in certain players to replace former stars and contributors, and the draft has been a huge part of helping this continue to succeed.

Obviously, not every pick is going to be an All-Pro caliber superstar, but this year feels like the year where they continue to beef up the depth of this roster and retool in the key spots that the team knows are going to open up in the next few years. With eight picks this weekend, it seems like the team is ready to fill out this team, get back to the Super Bowl, and bring trophy number three to Philadelphia.

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