5 players Eagles should draft in the first round

The Carson Wentz trade leaves the Eagles with questions at quarterback. Will Philadelphia select a player to compete with Jalen Hurts in the NFL Draft?

The Eagles roster is going to look very different in 2021. The decision to trade Carson Wentz to Indianapolis has grabbed all the headlines, but Philadelphia’s lack of projected cap space is just as large an issue.

That puts pressure on the team’s front office to land an instant star with the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft. In many ways, the selection will serve as a referendum on Jalen Hurts. If the Eagles trust him to be their starting quarterback, they should look to give him a weapon to utilize with their first round pick.

If, on the other hand, Philadelphia doesn’t trust Hurts, they might consider selecting a quarterback. The franchise hopes they don’t get many opportunities to make top-10 picks in the near future. That makes this year’s draft the best opportunity Philadelphia will have to nab an elite signal-caller via the draft.

The Eagles should be able to get an instant starter at No. 6. Fans in Philadelphia should keep a close eye on the following five prospects.

5. Justin Fields

There’s no logical reason Fields should fall out of the top five, but Philadelphia will certainly stop any slide he suffers on draft day. He’s arguably the best quarterback prospect in this class not named Trevor Lawrence.

Some scouts might question Fields’ ability to transition to a pro-style offense, but his downfield accuracy gives him a chance to blossom into a star at the next level. The Eagles front office will be ecstatic if they find a way to come out of this draft with Fields as a member of their roster.