The defending Super Bowl champions are out. The Philadelphia Eagles fell apart in the fourth quarter, blowing the lead in a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Now, it's on to the offseason, where the Eagles have to figure out a lot of stuff out, especially after head coach Nick Sirianni and star wide receiver A.J. Brown were spotted arguing on the sidelines.
Let's assume, for simplicity's sake, that the Eagles keep their wideout duo together for another season, and that they keep Sirianni around and make another run at a title. Might as well try, right? In that scenario, what can the Eagles do this offseason to achieve that goal?
Well, having four top-100 draft picks can help with that. Here's how the Eagles might navigate the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Round 1, Pick 23: Cashius Howell - EDGE - Texas A&M
It's never a bad idea to add an edge rusher. I mean, there are bad edge rushers you could inadvertently pick, but in theory, adding pass rushers is a positive.
Cashius Howell feels like a perfect fit in Philly, because the Eagles seem to have this special ability to get the most out of their defensive players.
Howell took a circuitous route to this point, including two years coming off the bench in the MAC. He's an explosive athlete, but still needs to refine his game for the next level. Consistency is needed, and the Eagles might be the right spot to coach that consistency into Howell.
Round 2, Pick 54: D'Angelo Ponds - CB - Indiana
The 2024 draft landed Philadelphia two starters in the defensive secondary, but Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean can't cover the entire field alone. The Eagles still need some other help.
Indiana corner D'Angelo Ponds would be a solid bet to solidify the slot corner role. He's undersized, but brings a toughness to the field that fits amongst a defense filled with guys who are imperfect but play hard.
Round 3, Pick 68: Jamari Johnson - TE - Oregon
Owning the Jets' third-round pick is a huge win for the Eagles, as it gets the team a pick that's a good bit better than Philly's own third would have been.
Dallas Goedert has been a key contributor in Philadelphia for years, but he hits free agency this offseason. Even if he returns on a short deal, it's time for the Eagles to think about what's next at tight end. Goedert found the end zone a career-high 11 times, but that obscures that he posted the lowest yards per reception of his eight years in the league and his fewest yards per game since his rookie campaign.
Adding a tight end like Oregon's Jamari Johnson is a good upside move here. He hasn't handled a ton of volume in his college career, but he's showcased his explosiveness when he's been on the field, averaging 15.9 yards per reception in his lone season at Oregon. He might not be ready to dominate out of the gate, but if Philly signed Goedert to a two-year deal and eased Johnson in, the team might luck into its next great tight end.
Round 3, Pick 98: Xavier Chaplin - OT - Auburn
This compensation pick gives Philly four picks in the top 100, giving the team numerous options to improve the roster. This would be a good spot to take a chance on a young offensive tackle, considering the current situation for the Eagles on the outside of the o-line.
Lane Johnson turns 36 this year. He missed extensive time this season and only has one more year left on his contract. I'd be willing to wager he either retires this offseason or next offseason. Jordan Mailata has a lot more time left than Johnson, but you never know when a player will start to fall off as he approaches 30.
Xavier Chaplin has impressive size, and while he hasn't quite shown how he can harness that size at the next level, he should be able to develop into a serviceable tackle. He's a perfect depth piece for the Eagles.