NFL Draft: Here's when Philadelphia Eagles are on the clock
PHILADELPHIA -- The 2026 NFL draft begins Thursday in Pittsburgh, when the Philadelphia Eagles will pick at No. 23 in Round 1.
The draft continues with Rounds 2-3 on Friday and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (ESPN, ABC and ESPN App).
The Eagles have eight total picks: Nos. 23, 54, 68, 98, 114, 137, 178, 197.
But how will they use them? Which positions need to be addressed? Which prospects are coming in for visits and getting buzz with the Philadelphia front office and coaching staff?
Eagles reporter Tim McManus has the latest intel on the team's draft plans, potential targets and more in the lead-up to the 2026 draft.
Tuesday, April 21: An A.J. Brown trade to the New England Patriots post-June 1 is now likely, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It's as clear as ever that drafting a receiver early is in play for Philadelphia.
Does that mean it's definitely happening? No.
The recent additions of Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore to complement DeVonta Smith make it so general manager Howie Roseman doesn't have to reach for a wideout.
But if the stars align, the Eagles could draw from what is considered a quality receiver class.
Washington's Denzel Boston is projected to be drafted around the Eagles' pick (23rd overall). At 6-foot-4, 209 pounds, Boston could potentially fill the role of a big-bodied receiver opposite the 6-foot, 170-pound Smith.
Thursday, April 16: General manager Howie Roseman said he thinks about his first-round draft misses "every day really, if I'm being honest with myself." It's seared into memory to the point that Roseman said he tends to overcompensate and will look at things skeptically when evaluating players with similar profiles as the ones that didn't work out.
"I feel like they've also helped me really get better at my job," he said. "I think if it wasn't for those mistakes, a lot of the successful picks may not have happened. I can't go back and change the past. I'm very comfortable understanding that as much as I'm trying, I'm not going to be perfect, but I'm going to try my hardest to be as perfect as I can be."
His hit rate has been outstanding in the first round of late, landing DeVonta Smith, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell and Jihaad Campbell going back to 2021. Outside of Mitchell, a common denominator is that the players hail from major college programs in Georgia and Alabama. When you've excelled against the best of the best, it eliminates a good bit of the guess work."
Tuesday, April 14: Will the Eagles draft right tackle Lane Johnson's eventual replacement later this month?
General manager Howie Roseman spoke about that idea during media availability Tuesday.
As Roseman noted, they did that with center Jason Kelce by selecting Cam Jurgens in the second round of the 2022 draft. It benefitted Jurgens to learn directly from Kelce before Kelce's eventual retirement in March 2024. The key ingredient in that decision was their conviction in Jurgens as a player, first and foremost.
"There's value [in] that as long as the player...is worthy of the selection of wherever you're taking him."
In other words, don't expect Philadelphia to force a succession plan. It will only happen if the front office fully believes in the tackle on the board.
Friday, April 10: A trend of note as reports of the Eagles' predraft visits trickle in: The majority have been offensive linemen to this point, including tackles Caleb Lomu of Utah and Max Iheanachor of Arizona State.
The Eagles had an uncharacteristically down year along the front in 2025, due in large part to lingering health issues. A pair of standouts in right tackle Lane Johnson and left guard Landon Dickerson pondered retirement this offseason.
Given those factors and Philadelphia's organizational philosophy of building from the inside out, it's fair to assume the Eagles will invest some resources in the trenches later this month. They have done a strong job of evaluating and developing linemen in the past but are now operating without Jeff Stoutland, the venerable offensive line coach who was heavily involved in Philly's draft process over the past decade-plus.
Will the hit rate dip in his absence?
Full first round draft order
- Pick 1 - Las Vegas Raiders
- Pick 2 - New York Jets
- Pick 3 - Arizona Cardinals
- Pick 4 - Tennessee Titans
- Pick 5 - New York Giants
- Pick 6 - Cleveland Browns
- Pick 7 - Washington Commanders
- Pick 8 - New Orleans Saints
- Pick 9 - Kansas City Chiefs
- Pick 10 - New York Giants
- Pick 11 - Miami Dolphins
- Pick 12 - Dallas Cowboys
- Pick 13 - Los Angeles Rams
- Pick 14 - Baltimore Ravens
- Pick 15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Pick 16 - New York Jets
- Pick 17 - Detroit Lions
- Pick 18 - Minnesota Vikings
- Pick 19 - Carolina Panthers
- Pick 20 - Dallas Cowboys
- Pick 21 - Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pick 22 - Los Angeles Chargers
- Pick 23 - Philadelphia Eagles
- Pick 24 - Cleveland Browns
- Pick 25 - Chicago Bears
- Pick 26 - Buffalo Bills
- Pick 27 - San Francisco 49ers
- Pick 28 - Houston Texans
- Pick 29 - Kansas City Chiefs
- Pick 30 - Miami Dolphins
- Pick 31 - New England Patriots
- Pick 32 - Seattle Seahawks
