NFC contender rumored to be surprise trade up candidate in the draft

The Philadelphia Eagles front office has been deemed one of the best and most forward-thinking in the league under executive vice president of football operations and general manager Howie Roseman. There is no reason to think that won't continue moving forward, making it a good idea to be mindful of their offseason activity leading up to and during the 2024 NFL Draft.

Recent reporting by ESPN's Senior NFL insider Adam Schefter ($) from intel he has gathered ahead of the draft has told us that Roseman and the Eagles desire to select a cornerback in the first round. And they may be eager enough to shock many by trading up from their No. 22 overall first-round pick to land the prospect of their choice.

Eagles deemed surprise candidate to trade up in 2024 NFL Draft

"If Roseman wants a cornerback at No. 22, as many people around the league believe he could, he might have to move up again," Schefter said.

Considering the gap between the top two tiers of players at the position, Philadelphia's only chance of securing one of the consensus top two prospects (Alabama's Terrion Arnold or Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell) may be trading up. 

Roseman has shown a willingness and tendency to trade up in Round 1 if there is a player on the board he covets, as evidenced by Schefter:

"He [Roseman] did it in 2019 to get offensive tackle Andre Dillard, in 2021 to get wide receiver Devonta Smith, in 2022 to get defensive lineman Jordan Davis and again in 2023 to get defensive tackle Jalen Carter, Davis' teammate at Georgia."

Nonetheless, it would be a surprising move if he did it to secure a cornerback, especially considering the Philly general manager has yet to spend a first-round pick on the position since assuming the role in 2010.

But we can't rule out Roseman and the Eagles pulling trading up to select a cornerback in stunning fashion if his previous track record is any indication, especially considering the aging players they have at the position like Darius Slay (33) and James Bradberry (30), who have shown signs of regression in addition to not being under contract beyond the 2025 season.