PHILADELPHIA − Eagles general manager Howie Roseman finally made it seem like he was telling the truth about the NFL draft.
Roseman answered defiantly Thursday when he was asked if, in the pre-draft process, he spends time figuring out what other teams will do in the draft.
“Nobody has any idea what we’re going to do,” Roseman said. “I know that … This is a huge game of poker, and all you want to affect is the outcome of your desired results.”
What is the Eagles’ desired result when the three-day NFL draft begins next Thursday? That’s easy, and Roseman gave every indication of what he is looking for, especially with the first of the team’s two first-round picks, at No. 10.
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“I think the most important thing when you’re picking in the first round, certainly when you’re picking 10, is that you get a unique player,” he said. “I think that there are so few unique players in any draft that if you start picking by position and not based on the quality of the talent,” you’re going to make a mistake.
So the question becomes for the Eagles, who is that unique player?
Roseman wasn’t going to give that away. He even made it a point to say so.
“Am I going to give you guys any answers today?” he said. “No, not even a little bit.”
But in many ways, Roseman already has.
And it all starts with Jalen Hurts and his new record-setting contract extension for five years worth as much as $255 million. Hurts, of course, is among the most unique of unique players because of his passing and running ability.
The contract is structured in a way where the salary cap hits for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, at least, are low enough where the Eagles can add players in free agency.
According to ESPN, Hurts’ salary cap hits are $6.15 million this season and $13.56 million in 2024.
But the Eagles also have plenty of chances to add in the draft. They have the two first-round picks, along with a second and third-rounder. In 2024, the Eagles will have 12 picks, including two second-round picks and at least two third-round picks once the compensatory picks for losing free agents this spring is taken into account.
So the Eagles will have at least 9 picks combined in the first three rounds both this year and next year. Those are plenty of opportunities to draft “unique players.”
“For us it’s about flexibility around (Hurts),” Roseman said. “This is the ultimate team game, and he needs to have talented people around him.”
Hurts already does. That explains why the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in February with a dynamic offense that finished third in scoring.
But Hurts, who’ll turn just 25 years old this summer, is only scratching the surface.
We saw last season that if teams focus on stopping Hurts as a runner, he’ll burn them with the pass to wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert.
If they focus on stopping Hurts as a passer, then he’ll burn them with the running game, as will the running back, whether it’s newly-signed Rashaad Penny to replace Miles Sanders, or Kenny Gainwell, Boston Scott or even Trey Sermon.
But none of those running backs are “unique.”
“We’re going to bring in guys to help Jalen do his job better,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “We’re going to continue to do things. We’ll have new wrinkles this year, obviously … We’ll grow on the scheme that we’ve had to maximize Jalen’s ability.”
So what “unique player” does that?
It certainly doesn’t sound like a defensive player, whether it’s someone like defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who might fall to the Eagles at No. 10, or one of the top cornerbacks or even a safety like Alabama’s Brian Branch.
After all, Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said last month at the NFL owner’s meetings that “offenses dominate in this league.”
So is it an offensive lineman like Ohio State’s Paris Johnson or Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, both of whom should be available in the range of picks No. 8-12?
Possibly. But Roseman went through the Eagles’ starting offensive line, naming each player, then saying: “Those are guys we’ve drafted high or have made the Pro Bowl. All of those guys have unique physical traits − like really unique physical traits.”
Sure, right tackle Lane Johnson is 33 years old, and could be a few years away from retirement, so perhaps someone like Skoronski or Paris Johnson can be groomed as his successor.
But let’s go back to running back.
For so many reasons, Texas’ Bijan Robinson could be the answer. He combines the size, the speed and the pass-catching ability to be on the field for all three downs. Just imagine Robinson taking advantage of defenses that try to double Brown, or put a defender to guard against Hurts running.
If Sanders could get 1,269 yards rushing last season in those situations, consider what Robinson could do after many have compared him to the Giants’ Saquon Barkley.
Then consider what Hurts could do as a runner and passer when opponents focus on Robinson.
Sure, the Eagles haven’t drafted a running back in the first round since 1986. But when Roseman was asked about that drought, this was his reply:
“We understand how important it is to get this right, and how you get it right is you make sure you get a unique player. I think that if you start saying, ‘Hey, we can only get a unique player, but it’s got to be this (particular) position,’ then you really narrow your options right there.
“So just trying to be as open minded as possible about what that looks like.”
For the Eagles, that looks like Bijan Robinson, the most “unique player” to build around Hurts.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
