We began this exercise after last year’s draft, scouring the internet for NFL player comparisons for the Eagles selections. Generally, these comps offer pie-in-the-sky projections that are extremely lofty and unlikely to be reached. With 10 picks this year it took a little extra work to nail down, but these are some of my favorites:
Round 1-31: LB Jihaad Campbell: Micah Parsons
(via Howie Roseman)
In his press conference following the selection of the Alabama star, Roseman referenced Parsons as a player who has transitioned from off-ball linebacker to elite pass rusher. “You see (Campbell’s) explosiveness and his speed, and really, it’s kind of interesting, and we talked about this a lot. You see Penn State — give them a lot of credit for what they’ve done. They’ve had guys off the ball move to edge rushers. Obviously, their last two guys who’ve been drafted really high (Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter), they started off the ball and they moved to edge rushers.”
While the GM wasn’t trying to make a direct comparison, Campbell also mentioned Parsons as a player he studies. A South Jersey native, Campbell was a top 10 player on the Eagles’ board and they think he can have a massive impact, even if he’s not quite the specimen Parsons was coming into the league. At his pro day, the Cowboys star ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash at 246 pounds. Campbell was no slouch, posting a 90th percentile performance for a linebacker with a 4.52, but was carrying 10 fewer pounds than Parsons.
Round 2-64: S Andrew Mukuba: C.J. Gardner-Johnson
(via Ross Tucker)
With the last pick in the second round, the Eagles found their CJGJ replacement in Mukuba, who plays quite similarly to the safety they traded away to the Texans earlier this offseason. Both are undersized and don’t have much regard for the well-being of their own bodies. Mukuba is even smaller than Gardner-Johnson, who outweighs him by 25 pounds. How the rookie holds up in the NFL at just 186 pounds is a major question. But like his predecessor, Mukuba can take the ball away. He had five interceptions for the Longhorns last season. You can see Mukuba has got some swagger, but I think it’s fair to say he (and pretty much anyone else) falls short in that department compared to the man he’s looking to replace.
Round 4-111: DT Ty Robinson: Zach Sieler
(via Vic Fangio, probably)
I’m going out on a limb here, suggesting the Eagles’ defensive coordinator saw a little of his former Dolphins defensive tackle in Robinson. The Birds’ fourth-round pick is a high-motor piece you can plug into the middle of a defense but is athletic enough to potentially line up on the outside in certain situations. That sure sounds like Sieler, who was once a 7th-round pick out Division II Ferris State but became a 10-sack player under Fangio in 2023 in Miami. Both DTs measured exactly 6-foot-5, 288 pounds in the pre-draft process and posted nearly identical numbers in both the 40 (Robinson: 4.83, Sieler: 4.84) and broad jump (Robinson: 9-11, Sieler: 9-10). It took Robinson six years of college ball to finally flourish but expect him to play a role from day one as a rookie in the NFL.
Round 5-145: CB Mac McWililams: Kenny Moore
(via NFLDraftBuzz.com Profile)
Moore was one of the guys Nick Sirianni most admired during his time with the Colts, so McWilliams can quickly become one of the head coach’s favorites if he can blossom into anything close to that level of player. Moore became a Pro Bowler in Indy, staking his claim as arguably the best slot corner in the NFL during his peak. That’s where McWilliams projects best, due to his lack of size. Of course, his path to playing time is currently blocked by Cooper DeJean, so he’ll have to battle for a roster spot and snaps much like Moore did as an undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State in 2017.
Round 5-161: LB Smael Mondon: Oren Burks
(via Fran Duffy, AllPhly.com)
As the great Fran Duffy points out, the profiles are strikingly similar. Both are undersized. Burks weighed 233 pounds coming out of Vanderbilt while Mondon is 224. But they’re also extremely athletic. Burks ran a 4.59 to Mondon’s 4.58 and both had broad jumps of nearly 11 feet. Last season, Howie Roseman called Burks the best backup linebacker in the NFL, and he proved he was more than capable when pressed into action during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. Now Mondon will have a chance to fill that very role.
Round 5-168: C Drew Kendall: His Pro Bowl Dad, Pete Kendall
Round 6-191: OT Myles Hinton: His Pro Bowl Dad, Chris Hinton
This was an easy double dip and surely something both draft picks have heard their entire lives. Howie Roseman said the Eagles are very aware of bloodlines during the scouting process and that was evident on day three of the draft.
Drew Kendall followed in his father’s footsteps, attending Boston College and now onto the NFL. There are certainly differences, though. Pete Kendall mostly played guard and was a first-round pick by the Seahawks in 1996. Drew is likely to stick at center and hopes to just hang on as Cam Jurgens’ backup.
As for Myles Hinton, he’s a tackle just like his father was for the Colts in the 80’s. The elder Hinton made seven Pro Bowls but will always be known as the guy who was traded for John Elway during the 1983 draft. Myles has a chance to win a swing tackle job backing up Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata.
Round 6-181: QB Kyle McCord: Derek Carr
(via Matt Miller, ESPN)
Just like Carr did at Fresno State, McCord led the country in passing yards in his final collegiate season. They both get the ball out quick and in rhythm. And it is interesting that Carr’s career was also closely intertwined at multiple levels with a top-shelf receiver. DaVante Adams was his number one target in college and later in the NFL with the Raiders. McCord won three state titles throwing to Marvin Harrison Jr. at Saint Joe’s Prep before the two made the move to Ohio State together. Of course, McCord couldn’t get the Buckeyes to the mountaintop, was made a scapegoat quite publicly, then watched as his replacement won the national title. So, he transferred, had the reins removed, and flourished as a passer. That actually sounds a lot like the guy he’ll be sharing a meeting room with in Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts.
Round 6-207: OT Cameron Williams: Jawaan Taylor
(Brandon Thorn, Bleacher Report)
Williams was the second-most penalized offensive lineman in the country last year. Taylor has been the most penalized player since entering the NFL in 2019. Originally a first-round pick by the Jaguars, Taylor has been a solid starter in both Jacksonville and Kansas City, despite his penchant for drawing flags. However, he was part of an offensive line that surrendered six sacks and left Patrick Mahomes under siege all Super Bowl long against the Eagles. Williams, like Taylor, has a huge frame and long arms. He was only a one-year starter at Texas and might have benefitted from staying in college. Yet school will still be in session for the 21-year-old as he enrolls in Stoutland University. If they can clean up the penalties and refine his technique, there’s a chance he could be a long-term starter just like Taylor.
Round 6-209: OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland: Markus Golden
(via Kyle Crabbs, 33rd team)
Both are in the 6-foot-2, 260-pound range and neither possesses elite athletic traits, but short arms are the truly unifying quality here. Powell-Ryland and Golden’s arms each measured just over 31 inches, a number that can be a disqualifier for some teams when building their draft boards. Despite the lack of length, Golden carved out a very productive nine-year NFL career which included three double-digit sack seasons. Powell-Ryland, meanwhile, was even more prolific at getting after the quarterback in college. No one in the country had more sacks over the last two seasons than his 24.5. Just like Golden, he profiles as a pass-rush specialist and could be a part of the Eagles’ edge rusher rotation this season.
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