Emory Hunt projected the Eagles to draft an offensive tackle at pick 32 despite market expectations leaning defense. Hunt praised Philadelphia’s forward‑thinking roster strategy and pointed out that 34‑year‑old Lane Johnson is nearing the end of his elite run. He floated Ohio State’s Josh Simmons as the quintessential Roseman selection—an athletic left tackle prospect the team could essentially red‑shirt for a season before inserting him opposite Jordan Mailata. Hunt said that if Simmons or a similarly toolsy tackle is still on the board, "everyone will be asking how he lasted to 32," and bettors taking OT at +375 will look sharp.

R.J. White said the only worthwhile dart on Philadelphia’s first‑pick market is safety at +700. While he agrees DL/Edge remains the chalk outcome, White does not see value at the current +100 price. Instead, he envisions Howie Roseman either trading up a few spots to grab one of the draft’s two blue‑chip safeties or sliding back into the mid‑30s and still landing the same player. With Vic Fangio now coordinating a defense that leans on versatile back‑end pieces, White believes the true probability of Philly taking a safety is much higher than the implied sub‑13 percent. He advised a small wager on the longshot rather than eating even money on edge.

Derek Brown recommended betting the Eagles to open their draft with a cornerback at +425. Brown highlighted the depth chart attrition—Darius Slay’s departure leaves Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean as the only reliable outside options, with Perry Nickerson, Adoree Jackson and Kelee Ringo penciled in behind them. He dismissed last year’s double‑dip at CB as irrelevant because the room remains paper‑thin. Sitting late in Round 1, Howie Roseman can either stay put or slide back a few spots and still snatch a falling prospect like Will Johnson if his middling testing pushes him out of the top 20. Given the glaring need, draft‑board alignment and Roseman’s penchant for exploiting value in premium positions, Brown pegged fair odds around +250, making the current price a strong buy.

Thor Nystrom wrapped the mock by handing Georgia safety Malaki Starks to the Eagles at pick 32 and said the move is so on‑brand for Howie Roseman that odds are bound to tumble. Starks owns a 4.38 forty, a 41‑inch vert, and the highest coverage grade (90.3) among SEC safeties the past two years while playing three different roles—single‑high, slot, and the Bulldogs’ hybrid STAR. Philadelphia cycled through five safeties last season and still finished 31st in explosive‑pass rate allowed, so Roseman’s Georgia pipeline (five Dawgs drafted in the last two classes) makes Starks the obvious fall‑stopper. Thor pointed out that books still hang Starks’ draft slot O/U at 36.5 and list ‘Team to Draft Malaki Starks – Eagles’ as long as +650 because most mock drafters assume Philly will chase trenches. He urged bettors to pounce on those numbers now, arguing that once insiders report the Eagles’ medical board clears Starks, “there is no chance he makes it to Day 2.”

Mike Wright urged drafters to temper expectations on A.J. Brown, ranking him outside his usual top‑tier at WR9. Wright argued the Eagles’ offense has fundamentally shifted with Saquon Barkley in town, reducing the need for Brown’s weekly 90‑yard outbursts. He highlighted several 2024 box scores where Philadelphia scored 40‑plus while Brown managed 36 or 43 yards, evidence the team can win without forcing him the ball. Brown’s weekly volatility—four games under 10 PPR points and a 4.6‑point dud—now comes without the 1,500‑yard, 11‑TD ceiling that buoyed him in 2022. Wright prefers upside swings like Drake London in the same draft range, warning that Brown is likely to post four to five "why did I start him?" weeks and should be viewed as a back‑end WR1 rather than a league‑winner.

Jason Moore locked Saquon Barkley in as his preseason RB1, calling the move from New York to Philadelphia “a Cinderella dream.” Barkley’s 345 carries, 13 rushing TDs and league‑leading 66 % of rushing yards before contact highlighted how dominant the Eagles’ elite offensive line was for him last year. Moore conceded the only blemish is a shallow passing‑game role (just 33 catches), which would hurt if TD variance swings the wrong way. However, he argued the looming NFL vote to ban the ‘tush‑push’ could add 4‑6 goal‑line carries that previously went to Jalen Hurts, giving Barkley a realistic path back to 15‑plus touchdowns. With a high‑win offense, top‑five yards‑before‑contact rate and possible scoring bump, Moore views Barkley as the safest first‑round pick in season‑long drafts and an early cornerstone in Best‑Ball builds.