Grading the Eagles’ 2024 NFL Draft class

Report card time.

NFL draft grades season is here following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft. You may believe this exercise to be arbitrary and reductive … and you’re not entirely wrong … but shut up. Waiting to see how the picks actually turn out is both 1) all about results-oriented thinking and 2) not fun. The goal here and now is to evaluate the process behind the selections. Did the Philadelphia Eagles make reasonable bets based on the information that was available to them at the time? That much is worth grading.

To recap, here’s an overview of this year’s Eagles draft class:

1 (22) – CB Quinyon Mitchell

2 (40) – CB Cooper DeJean

3 (94) – EDGE Jalyx Hunt

4 (127) – RB Will Shipley

5 (152) – WR Ainias Smith

5 (155) – LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

5 (172) – OG Trevor Keegan

6 (185) – WR Johnny Wilson

6 (190) – OL Dylan McMahon

If we’re accounting transactions made with 2024 draft picks when judging this class, here are some additional factors to consider:

• By trading down multiple times in this year’s draft, the Eagles acquired a 2025 third-round pick from the Miami Dolphins, a 2025 fourth-round pick from Detroit Lions, and a 2025 fifth-round pick from the Houston Texans.
• The Eagles dropped from No. 98 to No. 120 (in addition to sending out the two most favorable of their four 2025 seventh-round picks) to acquire Kenny Pickett from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• In 2022, the Eagles included a pick that became No. 199 (along with a 2023 fifth-round pick) in a trade with the New Orleans Saints to acquire C.J. Gardner-Johnson and the Saints’ 2025 seventh-round pick.
• The Eagles sent Ugo Amadi and a pick that became No. 242 to the Titans for the pick that became No. 182.
• The Eagles sent picks that became No. 146 and No. 182 (plus Terrell Edmunds) to the Tennessee Titans for Kevin Byard ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.

But enough about trades, let’s get to this year’s actual selections.

QUINYON MITCHELL

Can I get a moment to take a victory lap that no one actually cares about? OK, awesome!

Check out my recent history in the annual SB Nation NFL writers mock draft:

• In 2021, I had the Eagles drafting DeVonta Smith. They drafted DeVonta Smith.
• In 2022, I had the Eagles drafting Jordan Davis. They drafted Jordan Davis.
• In 2023, I had the Eagles drafting Nolan Smith. They drafted Nolan Smith (albeit at No. 30 instead of No. 10).
• In 2024, I had the Eagles drafting Quinyon Mitchell. They drafted Quinyon Mitchell.

Am I on a heater or what? And it would’ve been 5/5 over the past five years if Howie Roseman listened to me and took Justin Jefferson in 2020. Nice to know he’s learned his lesson since then.

Self-congratulatory shenanigans aside, Mitchell was one of three realistic targets that I thought made a lot of sense for the Eagles in the first round. As written on the day after he was selected:

The other two were Amarius Mims, who went off the board at No. 18, and Terrion Arnold.

Mitchell is who I had the Eagles taking at No. 22 overall in this year’s SB Nation NFL writers mock draft. Picking him was a no-brainer for me in that activity.

The real life decision was slightly more complicated since Terrion Arnold was unexpectedly still on the board. I liked Arnold over Mitchell; I feel very confident about his projection considering his experience at Alabama, his production, and his mentality (seriously, go watch his interviews and tell me that guy isn’t mentally suited to play CB, he oozes confidence). Arnold is also younger; he just turned 21 in March while Mitchell turns 23 in July.

That being said, the gap between Arnold and Mitchell wasn’t very big for me. Mitchell checks a lot of boxes:

Above-average size.

Plenty of experience playing the position (43 college starts).

Durable.

Boasts elite athleticism (4.33 40-yard dash).

Makes plays on the ball (6 INTs, 45 PDs, 1 FF).

The biggest knocks on him are concerns about the level of competition (four of Mitchell’s six college interceptions came in one game against Northern Illinois’ backup quarterback) and his inexperience playing press coverage. But he showed positive signs in both of those regards during Senior Bowl week. That’s obviously a pretty small sample size but it’s still encouraging.

Mitchell has the potential to be a Day 1 starter across from Darius Slay. I might be more reluctant than others to merely assume he’s immediately a lock for that role. But when you look at this coaching staff’s reluctance to play rookies, and you consider how there are a lot of other corners competing for playing time, I’m not ready to set in stone. And it’s not a disaster if he’s not starting from the jump. But it sure would be nice if he’s instantly able to help the Eagles at a major position of weakness for them last year.

I’m not sure if Mitchell will be so good that he’ll be discussed alongside Sauce Gardner and Patrick Surtain II as one of the best young cornerbacks in the game (BGN’s Jonny Page does indeed think he has elite potential). But, while it’d be great if that happens, that’s not the standard he needs to be held to. I do feel good about his chances of at least becoming an above average starter, which would be a positive outcome.

Credit to Roseman for fighting against his proclivity to trade up in the first round to instead stick at No. 22 to get the Eagles’ top-ranked prospect at a major position of need both in the short-term and long-term.

BLG GRADE: A

BGN GRADE:

COOPER DEJEAN

If the Eagles weren’t able to land one the three aforementioned first-round targets, I would’ve been comfortable with them taking DeJean at No. 22. And so it seemed sensible to package No. 50, No. 53, and No. 161 to get up to No. 40 (while also getting No. 78 and No. 152 back) to go get him.

DeJean is a pretty exciting player to think about. One would think his versatility should help him find snaps sooner than later. Now, what is that role exactly? In the short-term, he could see playing time as a nickel cornerback while serving as depth on the outside and at safety. There’s potential for Vic Fangio to get creative with him, although the Eagles might want to keep it simple at the start.

Long-term, there’s potential for Mitchell and DeJean to be the next Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown as outside cornerbacks mainstays.

DeJean’s non-defensive usage will also be interesting. When you watch him with the ball in his hands, it feels like he’s too electric to not at least mix in as a punt and/or kick returner. Could we even see him on offense? Iowa gave him a touch there and they were apparently planning on doing more of that in 2024 had he stayed in school.

TL;DR – Not sure how the Eagles will use him but am sure he’ll make an impact in some capacity.

BLG GRADE: A

BGN GRADE:

JALYX HUNT

Is it safe to assume everyone here knows what a “heat check” is in basketball? In case that’s not the case, here’s a definition from Quora:

A “heat check” is a term used to describe a type of shot a player takes. If a player has gotten “hot”, this means they have made an above average percentage of their shots in a recent period of measurement. A player can “get hot” within a single game, or could be described as “he’s been hot from 3 point range” over the past several games.

A “heat check” shot would be used to describe a generally shot of poor selective quality, but acceptable because the player taking the shot has been hot.

The Hunt pick is Howie’s version of a heat check. He was feeling himself after the Mitchell and DeJean selections and decided to get really bold by drafting a former Cornell safety who transferred and turned into an edge rusher for Division I FCS Houston Christian.

There’s enough evidence out there to suggest this wasn’t some unconscionable reach. As Roseman noted, former Eagles scout and current lead NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Hunt listed as a top remaining prospect (No. 64) on the broadcast for a bit prior to his selection. Prior to the draft, Bob McGinn noted at least one scout who had a third-round grade on Hunt.

I like the upside the Eagles are swinging for here. There’s an outcome where Hunt develops into a quality edge rusher, which would be very valuable. He seems

But I think the theory of Jalyx Hunt (band name?) is much better than the reality of him as a player (I do like his personality, he seems fun). I’m not saying it’ll be the same outcome here but I am reminded of former Eagles third-rounder Bryan Smith, who was a total bust.

Hunt is already on the older side for a rookie; he’ll turn 23.5 in September. And I question how much of a chance he’ll truly get to develop when he’s not in line for playing time. Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, and Zack Baun are all likely ahead of him on the depth chart. Perhaps even Julian Okwara and/or Terrell Lewis as well.

If the Eagles are truly committed to being patient with Hunt, perhaps it’ll pay off. Vic Fangio purportedly being interested in him as one of his favorite players from the draft is not nothing. Maybe he can eventually grow to become the Eagles’ version of what Fangio had in Miami with Andrew Van Ginkel. That’d be a fantastic outcome relative to expectation.

The more likely outcome is that Hunt never materializes into much of anything.

BLG GRADE: D+

BGN GRADE:

WILL SHIPLEY

Shipley seems to have some real fans. The Eagles had the former five-star recruit as one of their “red star” players.

I find myself merely whelmed (as opposed to overwhelmed or underwhelmed) by this pick. BGN’s Jonny Page summed it up well in his pre-draft RB rankings:

11. Will Shipley, Clemson, 5’11 206

Summary: Shipley looks like a “jack of all trades, master of none” backup running back with good receiving skills, and a good feel for zone runs but no real elite traits despite good production for 3 straight years.

Eagles Thoughts: I’ve got no real interest in Shipley, until later on in day 3.

I do like that Shipley is only 21 years old and he profiles as a north/south runner (via Underdog Fantasy):

I don’t like how Shipley’s college numbers were comparable to his fellow Clemson running backs, as highlighted by PHLY’s Bo Wulf. He didn’t clearly outperform his peers.

The Eagles had a need for more running back depth. Saquon Barkley is locked in as the workhorse starter but the Eagles didn’t have much behind him. Kenny Gainwell hasn’t proven to be anything more than a RB2 (at best) and he’s going to be a free agent after this season.

Shipley is poised to be Gainwell’s eventual replacement. Perhaps the rookie could overtake the veteran this year? I can’t say I’d be surprised if Shipley’s first three seasons compare to Gainwell’s with both players being a bit overrated and over-utilized by the Eagles’ coaching staff.

BLG GRADE: C

BGN GRADE:

AINIAS SMITH

For the past two seasons, the Eagles have had a clear vision for WR3 behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. That role was to be occupied by Quez Watkins, who was supposed to a low-volume, high-impact target. Unfortunately, bad things tended to happen whenever the ball was thrown to Watkins.

Moving forward, the Eagles seem to envision the WR3 role a bit differently. They’ve added two more traditional slot receiver options in Parris Campbell and Smith. They’ve also added two big-bodied downfield threats in DeVante Parker and Johnny Wilson. There are two different buckets. Perhaps we could see WR3 playing time split between those roles?

Smith will have a chance to compete for snaps as a role player. He could factor in as something of a Olamide Zaccheus replacement. Smith isn’t a burner but he does have the ability to make defenders miss and fight for yards after the catch. The Eagles could look to get him involved on screens and jet sweeps. Smith had 72 rushing attempts in college for 405 yards (5.6 average) and four touchdowns.

Smith also factors in as a returner with experience fielding both punts and kicks.

BLG GRADE: C+

BGN GRADE:

JEREMIAH TROTTER JR.

Trot Jr. can’t reasonably be expected to be Trot Sr.

That being said, there is a path to him making an impact as a rookie. Exactly no one would suggest the Eagles are loaded at off-ball linebacker. Devin White and/or Nakobe Dean are projected starters who could very well be unseated.

If Trot Jr. flashes in training camp, that’ll be more than Dean has ever really done in his NFL career to this point. He has the ability to make up for any size/athleticism concerns by using his instincts to make plays like he did at Clemson.

At the very least, Trot Jr. might be able to provide some quality depth and play on special teams. Definitely worth taking the chance on him at this point in the draft.

BLG GRADE: B+

BGN GRADE:

TREVOR KEEGAN

Not the flashiest pick ever made but I like the meat-and-potatoes nature here. The Eagles lost two of their top backup offensive lineman with Sua Opeta and Jack Driscoll leaving in free agency. Keegan has the potential to be a decent option off the bench over the next few seasons. Perhaps he’ll even push for the starting right guard job?

To get a guy who started 37 games for one of the best offensive lines in college football over the past few seasons at No. 172 feels like good value.

BLG GRADE: B

BGN GRADE:

JOHNNY WILSON

Can Wilson be a legitimate NFL player? Or will he be the next tall receiver who’s much more intriguing in theory than in reality, like Ifeanyi Momah or Hakeem Butler (his top comparison on Mockdraftable)? Wilson was more productive in college than the former … but less than the latter.

Wilson and the Eagles have been insistent that he’s indeed a receiver, not a tight end. He’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot and perhaps some occasional targets. Wilson has the potential to be especially useful in certain matchups (example: a team with shorter corners) and situations (red zone). He could be the low-volume, big-play option (16.5 yards per reception in college) the Eagles want behind their top two WR targets.

Taking a shot on a 6’6⅜”, 231 pound receiver with 99 percentile wingspan who runs a 4.52 second 40-yard dash is worth the dice roll later on Day 3.

BLG GRADE: B-

BGN GRADE:

DYLAN MCMAHON

McMahon: Undersized, athletic center who was drafted at No. 190 and will be wearing No. 63 on the Eagles.

Jason Kelce: Undersized, athletic center who was drafted at No. 191 and wore No. 62 on the Eagles.

McMahon is the next Kelce confirmed.

Not really.

But … maybe?

For now, McMahon will compete for a backup center role behind Cam Jurgens. He has some experience at both guard spots, which is nice, but it sounds like best projects to the pivot in the NFL. Not hard to see why the Eagles wanted to enroll him at Jeff Stoutland University.

BLG GRADE: B-

BGN GRADE:

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

• With the 2025 NFL Draft expected to be deeper than this year’s class, I really like the move to acquire three future picks. The Eagles don’t even necessarily need to use them on rookies; they now have extra ammunition for a veteran acquisition(s).
• The Eagles clearly had interest in drafting an offensive tackle, as further evidenced by their investment in Mekhi Becton one day after the draft ended. I heard they liked Amarius Mims; he might’ve been the pick at No. 22 if he didn’t go off the board at No. 18. The problem for them is that six tackles went in the top 20 selections. And the Eagles seemed to think there was a massive drop-off after that first group, which wasn’t a totally uncommon opinion (see the DJ tweet below). They didn’t want to draft a tackle just to have more depth there. They wanted a tackle who seriously projects as a future starter. Unless Becton or one of their reported UDFA signings unexpectedly pans out, they’ll likely be looking to find a potential Lane Johnson successor again high in the draft next year.

OVERALL GRADE

I’ve gotta say, the result from this BGN poll surprised me:

I expected a lot more “A” votes. Especially when the Eagles are getting a lot of national love for their draft efforts. They have the third-highest consensus grade:

To me, Roseman and company did a good job of adding high-level talent while also conveniently addressing a major position of need at the top of the draft. The Day 3 picks were worthwhile gambles, if not better … as in the case of the Trotter Jr. selection. Didn’t love the Hunt pick but that selection alone isn’t enough to drag the total grade down.

Between the nine picks they made and the future ones they acquired, I thought the Eagles used a pretty good process, which is what we’re ultimately evaluating here. I’d give them an A.