Why Eagles made the biggest mistake of 2026 NFL Draft
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The Philadelphia Eagles have been known to crush the NFL Draft under general manager Howie Roseman, and they seemed to pull it off once again in 2026. Philadelphia created the funniest moment of the draft when Roseman moved up to literally steal Makai Lemon from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round.
The viral moment created chaos, especially with the draft being held at Acrisure Stadium in front of the Steelers fan base. It also helped the Eagles brace for the expected departure of A.J. Brown in the coming months.
Drafting Lemon all but guarantees Roseman is in the process of finalizing a Brown trade. The process could already be in motion, with rumors swirling that the Eagles are simply awaiting June 1 to make it official.
However, it did not allow the Eagles to address their biggest roster need. Philadelphia has needed help on its defensive line all offseason and failed to adequately fill that void in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Eagles desperately needed defensive line help in NFL Draft
The Eagles are quietly forming a dynasty under the Howie Roseman-Nick Sirianni regime, compiling four consecutive double-digit-win seasons, including a Super Bowl title and a runner-up season since 2022. But after years of boasting one of the league’s most intimidating defensive lines, they are thinning out up front entering 2026.
The cracks began to show themselves in 2025, when Philadelphia ranked 20th in rushing yards allowed and 12th in sacks. The modest numbers worsened in the offseason, when the team lost Nakobe Dean , Jaelan Phillips , Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari in free agency, along with longtime safety Reed Blankenship , who was its third-leading tackler in 2025.
The Eagles return the big-bodied tandem of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis , along with All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun . However, their returning edge-rushers bring just 9.5 sacks to the table. They added Jonathan Greenard and Arnold Ebiketie , who combined for only five sacks in 2025.
Philadelphia’s edge-rushing shortcomings pair horribly with its lack of depth on the interior defensive line. The Eagles have almost nothing behind Carter, Davis and Moro Ojomo and can only pray that 2025 fifth-rounder Ty Robinson or perennial bust Byron Young make massive leaps in 2026. They got so desperate after sustaining injuries in 2025 that they lured 38-year-old Brandon Graham out of retirement in the second half of the season.
Roseman clearly had to bolster his front-seven in the draft, but he spent his first five picks on offensive players before even taking a single defender. It made sense to add offensive weapons following a disappointing season on that side of the ball, but he waited too long before shifting his focus.
Eagles failed to address biggest need in 2026 NFL Draft
The Eagles did take a pair of front-line defenders in the draft, but not until the very end. Howie Roseman used his final two picks in the seventh round to take Nigerian prospect Uar Bernard , who has famously never played football before, and New Mexico edge-rusher Keyshawn James-Newby. Both are interesting in their own unique ways, though neither is guaranteed a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Instead of addressing defense early, Roseman opted to take a pair of pass-catchers with his first two picks. He followed up the Lemon trade-up by taking Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers in the second round. Stowers, the 2025 John Mackey Award winner, is the team’s new plan to succeed 31-year-old Dallas Goedert .
While Lemon and Stowers were value picks for the Eagles’ future, they could have benefited from addressing their defensive needs at any point after those two selections. Instead, they went with Miami offensive tackle Markel Bell in round three, their only Day Two pick, and North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton in round four. Bell is a solid addition behind 35-year-old Lane Johnson , but he will begin his career as a backup, and Payton is barely a fringe roster player.
Philadelphia’s decision to draft Payton just one month after trading for Andy Dalton is especially head-scratching, with the rookie now likely the fourth-best quarterback on the roster behind Jalen Hurts , Tanner McKee and Dalton. If Roseman really wanted another quarterback, he could have waited until the seventh round before taking a flier on a prospect who would arguably be on par with Payton.
The Eagles stole the show on draft night once again, but their decision on Day Two and Day Three could have turned a good draft into a great one. Their roster is nonetheless poised to compete for another NFC East title in 2026.
Related: Eagles make Makai Lemon first 1st-round pick to sign rookie contract
Related: Makai Lemon’s grateful message to Nick Foles after taking No. 9 jersey
