Philadelphia

Eagles

Carter is one of two Eagles players to have his fifth-year option picked up this offseason, with LB Nolan Smith also having his option exercised. Carter has been a disruptive force for the Eagles since being drafted by them in 2023. The former ninth overall pick has tallied 13.5 sacks and 25 TFLs in 43 career games, and earned Second-team All-Pro honors in 2024. He has also been named to back-to-back Pro Bowls. The decision to pick up Carter’s option means he will remain under contract with the Eagles through the2027 season.

The Eagles selected Smith with the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The fourth-year linebacker has totaled 10.5 sacks and 10 TFLs in his first three seasons with the team while racking up 91 tackles, and was instrumental in the team’s Super Bowl championship run, where he totaled four sacks in four postseason games. Smith is now under contract through the 2027 season and could be in line for an extension before his new deal is up if he’s able to string together a breakout campaign in 2026.

This is, of course, all speculation, but Payton is one of the more athletic QBs (4.56 40-yard dash, 9.86 RAS) to come through the draft in recent memory, and there’s been plenty of speculation about what the Eagles have planned for him after making him the fourth quarterback on the roster. Mosher notes in his article that he reached out to an NFL personnel executive who scouted Payton to get his thoughts on him. Said scout replied, “not sure he’s a QB,” and according to Mosher, the “personnel exec and the team he works for weren’t alone in that opinion.” It’s worth noting that Payton was asked to participate in non-QB drills at North Dakota State’s Pro Day but declined. Now that he’s found his landing spot to begin his pro career, it will be interesting to see how he will be utilized come camp and whether or not the Eagles and Nick Sirianni have a few tricks up their sleeves for their rookie fifth-rounder.

Lawson (6’3/226) operated as the shot-caller in Alabama’s front, compiling 85 tackles with a 57.6 percent run-stop share, while adding 10 havoc plays and 6 run stops as a high-volume interior presence. His 85.9 percent tackle rate reflects solid finishing consistency, though his production profile leans more toward stability than splash with just 4 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. Lawson flashes utility as a blitzer, generating 12 pressures on 93 rushes (12.9 percent pressure rate). A 3.06 time-to-first-pressure showed enough timing and feel to attack interior creases. He wins with anticipation and play speed, staying square through traffic and using controlled footwork to navigate blocks rather than stacking and shedding with power. Athletically, Lawson presents as an average-to-good mover without elite top-end traits, relying more on processing and angles than dynamic range to close space. His high-cut frame and modest play strength can show up against climbing linemen, limiting his ability to consistently hold the point or finish through contact at the second level. Lawson projects as a rotational MIKE or WILL with core special teams value, offering early-down reliability and leadership traits that could lead to a spot starter in a scheme that emphasizes instincts over range.

Transferring to Ole Miss after two productive seasons at Virginia Tech, Wright (6’4/246) tallied 66 receptions for 1,029 yards and nine touchdowns from 2024-2025. He made splash plays often, tallying 12 receptions over 20 yards while nursing an injured right shoulder last season. According to PFF, Wright averaged 10.9 yards after catch per reception, No. 2 among qualifying FBS tight ends. The speed he possesses threatens safeties downfield; he can stretch the field vertically while a compact frame allows him to shake off defenders. Wright is a bit inconsistent as a blocker, needing improvement in technique to be trusted in the run game. His athletic receiving ability is his best tool heading into the draft. Wright will need development before he can start for an NFL team, but he can certainly join a tight end room as a pass-catcher slowly earning reps through improving blocking ability.

James-Newby (6'2/238) spent a three seasons at Montana Tech and another two at Idaho, an FCS program. He racked up 10.5 sacks in his second season at Idaho alone and earned FCS All-American Honors. He used his final year of eligibility to transfer to New Mexico, where he tallied another nine sacks and 15 TFLs. James-Newby is considerably undersized and isn’t a force against the run even in the Mountain West. The Eagles won’t give him many reps against the run, but he could be a speedy pass-rush specialist for the team.

Bernard (6'4/306) is a 1-of-1 athlete from Nigeria, but one with vanishingly little football experience. Per NFL.com, Bernard has “not played organized football, but he displayed a rare blend of size, length and explosiveness at the IPP pro day in March.” He blazed a 4.63 40 to go along with an otherworldly (for his size) 39-inch vertical. He broad jumped out of the building. He’s a moon shot pick by an Eagles team that always loves to bet on talent. Bernard will spend 2026 developing on the practice squad then see what happens for 2027.

Wisniewski (6’3"/219) spent five years at North Dakota State, winning two FCS National Championships, though a foot injury in 2023 sidelined him for all of the 2024 season, in which he won his second ring. He got his start at NDSU as a special teamer and linebacker before transitioning to safety in 2023. Wisniewski was a natural at his new position, stealing eight interceptions, one of which was a 75-yard pick-six. He transferred to Texas Tech for his final season of college ball. Wisniewski tallied six TFLs, one sack, and two forced fumbles on the Red Raiders’ dominant defense. Wisniewski wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine and did not do the 40 or agility drills at his Pro Day. He’s an instinctive player who is more than willing to lay the hammer down in the run game, but his athletic limitations are evident when he’s tasked with covering better receivers. Wisniewski’s multi-position background and experience on special teams could help him crack a 53-man roster this year, but he may need to spend a season on the practice squad to get more reps at safety.

Morris (6’5/334) is a traits-laden interior prospect with a rare blend of size, power and movement skills, posting an elite 9.96 RAS with top-tier explosiveness (95th percentile broad, 82nd percentile vertical) and speed scores for a 334-pound blocker. Morris delivered a strong pass-protection season with an 83.7 PBLK grade, allowing just 4 total pressures and zero sacks across 426 pass-block reps, good for a 99.5 percent block efficiency rating. His game is built on overwhelming upper-body strength and grip, flashing the ability to stonewall rushers when his hands land cleanly while also showing surprising mobility to climb and adjust in space. However, Morris remains an uneven technician, playing with a consistently high pad level and outside hand placement that limit his ability to sustain blocks and allow athletic interior defenders to create leakage. His base can narrow under duress, impacting balance and mirror ability despite his athletic profile, and his run blocking (67.2 RBLK in 2025) lacks consistent displacement relative to his physical tools. Morris projects as a developmental guard with starting upside due to his size and advanced athleticism.

The latest North Dakota State QB prospect is perhaps the program’s most athletic. Payton (6’3”/232) ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the combine and earned an impressive 9.86 RAS to elevate an already intriguing draft stock. Payton is a fifth-year prospect who only saw one season as a starter, but his big-play ability was undeniable. The lefty rushed for 136-777-13 in his final season with the Bison while throwing for 2,719-16-4. His deep ball completion percent numbers look like something out of a video game, as Payton’s 61.9 percent deep completion rate ranks the highest of any QB prospect since 2015, but there’s still plenty of work to be done here. Scouts are quick to criticize Payton’s throwing mechanics, but his profile also has concerning sack-avoiding totals and scramble rates. His career pressure-to-sack rate of 20.6 percent is a general red flag, and his 17.6 percent scramble rate is the highest of any QB prospect since 2018. North Dakota State has offered up several intriguing QB prospects in recent years, with Carson Wentz turning in the most successful pro career to date. Payton will have some work to do if he hopes to get a chance to shine at the NFL level, but even if he doesn’t fully develop as a pro-style QB, he has enough athleticism to possibly contribute as a gadget player in the right scheme. He’ll now have a chance to develop behind Jalen Hurts and could push Tanner McKee for the QB2 job in camp.