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Eagles Trade Pitches Target Pair of Former 1st-Round Picks
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- Eagles Trade Pitches Target Pair of Former 1st-Round Picks
Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Zaven Collins. Getty
The Philadelphia Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman are always in the market for a trade — with a room full of underperforming, overpaid edge rushers, don't be surprised if something could already be in the works.
Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker pitched trade scenarios that would bring the Eagles an edge rusher and floated a pair of former 1st-round picks: Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Zaven Collins or New York Jets edge rusher Will McDonald IV.
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Collins was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. McDonald was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Eagles are 2-2 and have lost 2 consecutive games headed into a critical Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. The NFL trade deadline and Philadelphia's bye line up perfectly this year — the Eagles play the New York Giants on November 8, and the trade deadline is November 10.
The Eagles made a big investment at edge rusher this offseason by trading with the Minnesota Vikings for Pro Bowler Jonathan Greenard and signing him to a 4-year, $98 million contract extension.
Greenard injured his pectoral muscle lifting weights and missed most of the preseason, all of training camp, and the Eagles' first 2 games. In the 2 games since returning, he has just 1 tackle, 1 forced fumble, zero sacks, and 1 QB pressure.
What Zaven Collins Brings to Eagles
Collins, 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, has 1 big thing the Eagles would love—besides his talent: an affordable contract. He signed a 2-year, $14 million contract extension that runs out after 2026 and is only due $4.3 million this season.
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"A former first-round pick by Arizona, Collins has quietly rounded into a very sound player, if not one of the better run defenders at his position," Locker wrote on October 7. "This season, his 90.6 PFF run-defense grade trails only T.J. Watt and Will Anderson Jr. among edge rushers, and his 9.8% run stop rate is also in the 84thpercentile … Philadelphia sits in 31stin the statistic, and Howie Roseman could still add another run-oriented edge defender even with Jonathan Greenard finally being turned loose."
While Collins would help with the run, he's never been a high-volume pass rusher — he has only 12.0 career sacks over his first 5 seasons and had a career-high 5.0 sacks in 2024.
What Will McDonald IV Brings to Eagles
If the Eagles make a deal, it will likely be for McDonald, 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, because he has much higher upside as a pass rusher.
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"Although McDonald hasn't become a bonafide star emblematic of a 15th overall pick, his pass-rushing has been consistently above-average," Locker wrote. "Since 2023, McDonald's 75.7 PFF pass-rush grade ties for 30thamong 91 qualified edge defenders. McDonald has compiled 124 pressures in his career despite missing much of his rookie campaign and being just four games into 2026. The Jets seemed to make future investments in the edge rusher position with David Bailey and Joseph Ossai this offseason, while Kingsley Enagbare has also played more than McDonald. The 27-year-old on a one-year deal should draw eyes for teams looking to better pursue the quarterback."
While McDonald is in the final season of his 4-year, $16.32 million rookie contract, there's a catch — the Jets have already picked up the 5th-year option at a less-than-ideal $14.4 million for 2027.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Eagles Trade Pitches Target Pair of Former 1st-Round Picks appeared first on HEAVY .
