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The Philadelphia Eagles’ 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years
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- The Philadelphia Eagles’ 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years
Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons—injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.
With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn't pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let's set the ground rules: We're starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.
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Now that we've established the parameters, here are the Philadelphia Eagles ' five worst draft picks of the past decade:
Dishonorable Mentions
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CB Sidney Jones (43rd Overall, 2017)
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LB Davion Taylor (103rd Overall, 2020)
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LB Nolan Smith (30th Overall, 2023)
5) DB Sydney Brown , 66th Overall (2023)
Philly's defense was in need of a physical safety in 2023, and they hoped they'd found one with the third pick of the third round when they nabbed Brown, whose physicality drew comparisons to Talanoa Hufanga . Brown made only a handful of starts in three seasons with the Eagles, though, and was traded to Atlanta in March 2026 to move up slightly in Rounds 4 and 6.
4) DE Derek Barnett , 14th Overall (2017)
Granted, Barnett has done enough to remain in the NFL for nine seasons, so it would be disingenuous to call him a flat-out bust. He certainly didn't have the impact the Eagles were hoping for, though, and superior players like T.J. Watt and Jonathan Allen were taken after Barnett in Round 1. On a team that hits as often as the Eagles do, Barnett fell far enough short of expectations to make the list.
Jerry Habraken, Delaware News Journal
3) WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, 57th Overall (2019)
When the Eagles picked Arcega-Whiteside late in the second round, there were many who believed the team had gotten a steal. Instead, the only thievery to be found was the Stanford product pilfering a paycheck from the Eagles for three years. During his time in Philadelphia, JJAW caught just 16 passes. Following a failed position switch to tight end, the Eagles dealt him to Seattle , where he'd be released two weeks later.
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2) OL Andre Dillard , 22nd Overall (2019)
Selected to be the heir apparent to Jason Peters , Dillard never panned out. A torn biceps cost him all of 2020, and when Peters left for Chicago before the 2021 season, Dillard was beaten out for the left tackle job by Jordan Mailata , a former seventh-round selection. He departed in free agency in 2023, signing a three-year deal with Tennessee , but he was released after only one.
1) WR Jalen Reagor , 21st Overall (2020)
There are times when there are multiple candidates for the top spot on these lists. This is not one of them. Reagor looked like a reach when the Eagles selected him in 2020, and he did precious little in two seasons with the club before being traded to the Vikings. Of course, he's best remembered for being the guy selected directly before Justin Jefferson , a choice so egregious that there's video of Minnesota 's front office laughing at the pick.
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Related: The New York Jets' 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Jul 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
