Eagles Executive VP and GM Howie Roseman has six total draft picks entering tonight’s NFL Draft. But if history is any guide, he isn’t going to be standing pat and selecting those exact six picks. Not many know how to wheel and deal like Howie this time of year. As we get ready for what will likely be more moves, let’s take a look back at the recent history of Roseman’s trades leading up to drafts of the past.
NOTE: I am going back to the 2016 Draft, for two reasons: In 2015, former head coach Chip Kelly strong-armed roster control from Roseman for that season. And if we continue to go back beyond that, I may pass out and miss the entire draft.
2022 NFL Draft
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Early in April of 2022, the Eagles held three picks in the first-round: 15, 16, & 19, and had 10 picks in all. When the world stopped spinning, Roseman turned that into an All-Pro wide receiver and what they hope will be two cornerstones of their defensive front seven.
April 4: Traded 2022 picks 16, 19, and 194 to the Saints for 2022 picks 18, 101, 237, a first-round pick in 2023, and a second-round pick in 2024.
April 28: Traded the 15th pick, along with pick 124, and two fifth-round picks in 2023 to the Texans in exchange for the 2022 13th overall pick, used to select Georgia DT Jordan Davis.
April 28: Traded the 18th pick and the 101st pick to the Titans for WR A.J. Brown. Signed Brown to 4-year, $100M contract.
NFL
Analysis: You can’t look at this flurry of moves and give it anything but an A. Roseman turned the 10 picks into Brown, five selections in 2022, plus what became the 10th pick this year, and a second-rounder in 2024.
2021 NFL Draft
If there was any question about the degree of Roseman’s foresight, 2021’s draft transactions should put it all to bed.
March 17: Traded Carson Wentz to the Colts for Indianapolis’ third-round pick (84th overall) and a conditional 2022 first-round pick.
March 26: Traded 6th overall pick and pick 156 to the Dolphins for the 12th overall pick, pick 123, and a 2022 first-round pick.
April 29: Traded 12th and 84th pick to the Cowboys for the 10th overall pick, which was used to select Alabama WR DeVonta Smith.
April 30: Traded 70th overall pick to the Panthers for the 73rd pick (DT Milton Williams) and the 191st overall pick (DE Tarron Jackson).
May 1: Traded 225th and 240th overall pick to Washington for a 2022 fifth-round pick.
Analysis: Knowing what we know about Wentz, who is currently without a job in the NFL, Roseman did the near-unthinkable getting what he got for him. Then turning the sixth pick, a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder into Smith, a top-20 pick in 2022 and a fourth-round pick? Roseman is that guy.
2020 NFL Draft
Not a ton of trades, but Howie still hits a home run.
March 20: Traded third-round pick (85th overall) and fifth-round pick (166th overall) to the Lions in exchange for CB Darius Slay. Eagles sign Slay to 3-year, $50 million contract extension.
April 25: Stay with me. Traded 146th overall pick to Cowboys for fifth-round pick (164th) and a fifth-rounder in 2021. Traded pick 164 to the Dolphins for picks 173 and 227. Traded those two picks to Chicago for three picks: 196 & 200 in the fifth round and 233 in the seventh round.
April 25: Traded a sixth-round pick (190th) to 49ers for WR Marquise Goodwin and pick 210.
Analysis: While this draft didn’t have a lot of high-pick moves, and the first-round pick (Pick 21 WR Jalen Reagor) didn’t pan out, the net result was a franchise QB (Pick 53 Jalen Hurts) and an elite cornerback.
2019 NFL Draft
Can’t win ‘em all. Roseman took a shot here and it didn’t pan out.
March 13: Eagles acquire WR DeSean Jackson and a 2020 seventh-round pick from Buccaneers for 2019 sixth-round pick (pick 208).
March 14: Eagles trade DL Michael Bennett and 2020 seventh-rounder to Patriots for 2020 fifth-round pick and WR Marcus Robinson.
April 25: Acquired 22nd overall pick from Baltimore for picks 25, 127 & 197. Selected OT Andre Dillard with 22nd pick.
April 27: Eagles acquire fifth-round pick (167) and seventh-round pick (246) from the Patriots for pick 163, then acquire DT Hassan Ridgeway from Colts for pick 246.
Analysis: Dillard started exactly four games in four seasons, a bust by every measure. It wasn’t costly beyond that, however. That was the only major draft deal, and it fell flat.
2018 NFL Draft
Thanks to the trades prior to the 2016 Draft Roseman made to vault up to No. 2 overall to select Carson Wentz, the Eagles didn’t come in with very many picks. But our man made some very fine chicken salad.
April 26: Eagles trade last pick in the first round (32nd) and a fourth-rounder (132nd) to Ravens for a second-round pick (52) and fourth-round pick (125) in 2018 and a second-rounder in 2019.
April 27: Eagles acquire 49th overall pick from Colts in exchange for 52nd pick and a fifth-round pick (169), and select TE Dallas Goedert at 49.
April 28: Eagles acquire seventh-round pick (233 – Jordan Mailata) from Patriots for pick 250 and a seventh-rounder in 2019.
Analysis: Roseman made nearly as many trades (three) as he made draft picks (five)! Jumping in front of the Cowboys at 49 to get Goedert was a master stroke. Maddox was quite a find in the 4th round, but nowhere near what he got in Mailata. Josh Sweat isn’t half-bad either.
2017 NFL Draft
The Eagles gave up their 2017 first-round pick to move up to draft Wentz, but a shrewd deal just before the start of the 2016 regular season recouped a top pick for the Eagles.
September 3, 2016: Eagles trade QB Sam Bradford to Vikings for Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2017 (14th – DE Derek Barnett) and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2018.
April 4, 2017: Eagles acquire DT Timmy Jernigan and the 99th overall pick for the 74th overall pick.
April 29: Eagles trade picks 139 and 230 to the Vikings in exchange for pick 132 (RB Donnel Pumphrey)
April 29: Eagles trade fifth-round pick (155) to Tennessee for picks 164 and 214 (DT Elijah Qualls)
April 29: Eagles trade picks 164 and 194 to Dolphins for 166 (WR Shelton Gibson) and 184 (S Nathan Gerry)
Analysis: Very nice job getting out from under Bradford, although Barnett really hasn’t played up to first-round billing.
2016 NFL Draft
Roseman’s first year out the mud, after Chip Kelly’s dismissal, and he wasted no time undoing many of the terrible personnel moves Kelly made in the two years prior.
March 7: Eagles trade LB Kiko Alonso, CB Byron Maxwell, and the 13th overall pick to Miami in exchange for the 8th overall pick.
April 20: Eagles trade 8th pick, 77th pick, 100th pick, their 2017 first-round pick and their 2018 second-round pick to the Browns in exchange for the 2nd overall pick (QB Carson Wentz).
April 30: Eagles traded sixth-round pick (188) to Vikings for picks 196 (CB Blake Countess) and 240 (DE Alex McCalister).
Analysis: Hindsight is what it is with Wentz, but Roseman wanted a franchise QB badly. Roseman was able to jettison two players who largely underperformed (and their contracts) out of Philadelphia and somehow move from the middle of the first round to No. 2.