What’s With All the Linebacker Noise Surrounding the Eagles Draft Plan?

Coming into this draft it’s clear the Eagles have plenty of holes on the roster. I think the majority of the fanbase would agree the biggest position of need is at wide receiver. The Eagles have to get Carson a young stud at receiver that he can grow with over the years. This seems like a pretty fair assessment and one that almost everybody who watched this team last year would agree with. So, why are we seeing so many mock drafts from respected reporters around the league having the Eagles take a linebacker?

In Todd McShay’s latest mock he had the Eagles taking LSU LB Patrick Queen. While former Eagles scout and now NFL network analyst Daniel Jeremiah had the Birds acquiring LB Kenneth Murray out of Oklahoma. I’ve seen multiple other mocks that have the Eagles opting for a linebacker at the 21st pick. This idea that, with all the holes the Eagles have, they would opt for a position the team hasn’t valued in a long time is crazy to me. First off, the Eagles haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since 1979. Looking more recently at Eagles draft’s choices with Howie in charge, since 2010 the Eagles first round pick has been an offensive or defensive lineman seven times. The only other position Howie has drafted in the first round is quarterback back in 2016. The other two years were 2015 when Chip was running the show and drafted Nelson Agholor and 2018 when the Eagles traded out of the first round. Since Howie took back power in 2016 the Eagles have drafted a total of two linebackers, Joe Walker in the 7th round of 2016 and Nate Gerry,a converted college safety, in the 5th round of 2017. The Eagles have had twenty six picks since 2016 and only two have been used for a linebacker. Why would Howie start prioritizing linebacker now?

Howie has built the roster from the trenches out for years and has never valued the linebacker position. Not saying it isn’t a position of need because it definitely could be improved. In a perfect world, I’d love for the Eagles to be able to have a young Pro Bowl caliber LB at the core of the defense for years to come. With the way the team has drafted in the pas,t it doesn’t seem feasible to suggest linebacker is their top priority heading into this years draft.

But, analysts with countless resources are mocking linebackers to the Eagles and it is not something we should completely blow off. On paper it is a position of need and there are two very talented guys that could fill that need who could be available at twenty one. What these mocks are failing to look at is how the Eagles have drafted before and how they build their roster. Why would Howie, in arguably his most important draft, one that could have a major impact in determining the course of the franchise for years to come, choose the position the team values the least? The Eagles haven’t had a top level linebacker for years and it hasn’t been a glaring issue issue. The need for receiver has become so glaring that it is almost impossible for them to pass one up, even if someone at that position isn’t the BPA.

It feels like the sense around the fan base and people associated with the team is that there is almost no shot the Eagles go linebacker in the first. Could Howie be trying to leak reports about interest at linebacker to make other teams think they won’t go receiver in the first? Sure, that definitely sounds like something Howie would do. At this point, it feels more likely that it’s smoke than truth surrounding the Eagles interest at linebacker in the first. Based on Howie’s previous drafts and the team’s needs it seems more likely the Eagles would go defensive end or offensive lineman before considering taking a linebacker. Who knows with Howie though. Right now, just days out from the draft, I think the majority of fans would be shocked if Patrick Queen or Kenneth Murray end up here.