The Linc

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

2025 NFL draft: Ranking the 100 best picks, steals, fits – ESPN
4. Jihaad Campbell, LB, Philadelphia Eagles (Pick 1-31). My final overall ranking: No. 15. I like Campbell’s fit in Philadelphia as much as I dig the 16-spot value the Eagles got by selecting him in this spot. We just saw Zack Baun have an All-Pro season as a triple-threat linebacker in Philly. Campbell is in the same mold but is arguably faster and stronger with higher pass-rush potential. He’ll need some time to recover from surgery to repair a torn labrum, but no other team develops front-seven defenders like the Eagles. […] 37. Ty Robinson, DT, Philadelphia Eagles (Pick 4-111). My final overall ranking: No. 51. Robinson was one of the best value adds in the draft, as the Eagles got a player ranked just outside my top 50 early in Round 4. Robinson is more accomplished as a run stopper than a pass rusher, but the Eagles are as good at developing defensive linemen as anyone in the NFL. Their tutelage makes me confident of Robinson’s higher grade coming to fruition. […] 61. Andrew Mukuba, S, Philadelphia Eagles (Pick 2-64). My final overall ranking: No. 86. Mukuba was further down my board because of concerns about his hard-hitting style combined with a smaller frame. But he could start in Week 1 for the Eagles because of his range, playmaking traits and versatile alignment skills. […] 87. Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Philadelphia Eagles (Pick 5-161). My final overall ranking: No. 79. A Georgia defender to the Eagles? Those tend to work out. Mondon is fast and agile, and he has sideline-to-sideline range. He needs to work on diagnosing speed, but he’ll get the space and time in Philly to do that.

2025 NFL Draft: Measuring value for every NFL team’s picks – PFF
Philadelphia Eagles. Top Pick: LB Jihaad Campbell (Pick 31). Biggest Steal: T Cameron Williams (Pick 207, PFF Big Board Rank 93). Biggest Reach: CB Mac McWilliams (Pick 145, PFF Big Board Rank 256).

Eagles Film Review: Jihaad Campbell has the chance to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL – BGN
I’ve seen a lot of talk about whether he will play EDGE or off-ball, and I think it’s a bit simplistic. I’m almost sure he will play as an off-ball linebacker and then rotate to EDGE pre-snap. This means he may sometimes rush the quarterback from the EDGE position, but it will be because of a pre-snap shift. I don’t expect him to come out on 1st down and immediately line up at EDGE as part of a 4-2 front. He will be an off-ball linebacker who will play some EDGE, just as Zack Baun did. He’s not an EDGE defender. I expect Campbell to start immediately from day one and beat out Jeremiah Trotter throughout training camp. Trotter is a more instinctive player, but he can’t compete with Campbell physically. Vic Fangio is going to want to get Campbell on the field immediately. I can’t wait to see him blitz from depth on Fangio’s Whip concept, which we saw Nakobe Dean excel at last year. He can do that job from day one.

Eagles Pickup Jordan Davis 5th Year Option – Iggles Blitz
There is an argument for and against the move. We’ll start with the argument against it. To this point, Davis hasn’t played to a level worth that money. He’s been a part time player. Part of that is conditioning and part is his lack of impact in the passing game. In 47 career regular season games, Davis has played 1,131 snaps. Last year Jalen Carter played in 16 games and was on the field for 831 snaps. That is a drastic difference. The argument for Davis is that the option is for 2026. He could be a different player by then. Some big guys start slow and then get better. Davis turned 25 in January so he’s just now hitting his prime. Davis isn’t a bad player. He is a good run defender.

Breaking down 8 Eagles undrafted free agents: Could Maxen Hook, Hollin Pierce push for roster spots? – PHLY
MAXEN HOOK – S – TOLEDO. “MAKE IT” TRAIT: TOUGHNESS AND INSTINCTS. Another Toledo Rocket! Hook went to the Senior Bowl, and I studied his tape before making the trip to Mobile in January. I liked what I saw, and I gave him a grade similar to that of Reed Blankenship’s when he was coming out of Middle Tennessee (when he made the team as a UDFA). Listed at just over 6-feet, 200 pounds with solid length. Hook was a four-year starter with a history as a core special teamer. A productive safety who is able to fill the stat sheet in a number of ways. He’s not the biggest, fastest or strongest (which is why he wasn’t drafted), but he just finds his way to the football. He has coverage chops and I like his competitive edge; I think he has staying power in the league. I don’t think he will be an every-down safety like what Blankenship became. I think his eyes are not quite as good as Reed’s were in college; he can be manipulated easier by quarterbacks. His tackling can be shored up a bit (Blankenship was really good in that area coming out). I do like him best in a split-safety scheme like what the Eagles employ, and I think he can stick as a reliable backup and pivotal member of your special teams units.

Eagles used first five picks on defense, but Howie Roseman says they didn’t draft for need – PFT
The Eagles suffered heavy losses to their defense in free agency, and then they used their first five picks in the 2025 NFL draft on defensive players. But General Manager Howie Roseman says there were no reaches for positions of need. Roseman told Rich Eisen that he was prepared to pick the best player on his board regardless of position, and was pleased to find that defensive players they liked a lot were available when the Eagles were picking. “Obviously we’ve lost some players here in Philadelphia since the Super Bowl, and we weren’t trying to draft for need, but when need hits the value of the player, it’s a beautiful thing,” Roseman said.

How much will Eagles draft picks play in 2025? – NBCSP
Round 5-161: Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia. After drafting Campbell in the first round, the Eagles took another linebacker in the fifth. Mondon is a super athletic guy who feels like he could become a special teams demon in the NFL. Mondon will be a bit buried on the depth chart at linebacker behind Baun, Campbell, Dean and Trotter but he could stick as a situational linebacker who specializes in coverage and a key special teams contributor because of his extreme athleticism. Mondon is 6-foot-2, 224 pounds. He ran a 4.58 in the 40 (81st percentile), had a 10-yard split of 1.52 seconds (96th percentile) and had a broad jump of 10-10 (96th percentile). Not only does Mondon have the athleticism to be a good special teamer but he has already done it. That’s the nice thing about Georgia; even their starters play special teams under Kirby Smart. And Monday played pretty much everywhere early in his career in 2021 before becoming a starter. According to the 33rd Team, Mondon played over 425 special teams snaps in his Georgia career. Here’s the breakdown: 100 on punt coverage, 97 on punt return, 85 on kickoff, 58 on kickoff return. So if Mondon is able to make the roster, he seems like a candidate to be active on game days for his special teams prowess.

Fifth-year option tracker for first-round picks from 2022 NFL Draft – NFL.com
KENYON GREEN: The Eagles are declining Green’s option, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on May 1. The Texans, who took Green in the 2022 draft, traded the offensive lineman to Philadelphia on March 11.

Jerry Robinson celebrates Jihaad Campbell being drafted in the first round by the Eagles – PE.com
Jerry Robinson was tuned in. And he knew the deal: He was, in 1979, the last linebacker selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the NFL Draft. In 1979. Forty-six years ago. Until now. When the Eagles selected Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the 31st pick in Thursday’s first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, The Legend of Jerry Robinson surfaced again. “It’s pretty cool, man,” Robinson said on a phone call the day after that first round. “I felt like the Miami Dolphins team, the undefeated team from 1972, sitting with the champagne bottles, when a team loses now. To be part of the history of the Philadelphia Eagles is just the honor for me.”

NFC East 2025 draft grades: Commanders edition – PhillyVoice
However, the knock on Josh Conerly is that he is susceptible to power rushers, and he gave me some Andre Dillard vibes on that front. He has also never played RT, so he is going to have to rewire his brain and learn how to pass set on the other side. That can be easier said than done. Some guys can do it, piece of cake. Others, like Dillard, could not. Conerly got some reps at RT at the Senior Bowl, and he had an embarrassing moment against Marshall’s Mike Green. That’s a guy who is uncomfortable reversing his footwork and playing on a side he is not used to playing on. In Washington, he’s likely going to have to play on the right side because the Commanders traded for Laremy Tunsil this offseason. To be determined if that’s at RT or RG, as GM Adam Peters said he can play tackle or guard. I don’t see the fit at guard, personally, since, again, his weakness is anchoring, but whatever. In my opinion, Conerly was a Day 2 prospect who had a chance to get pushed up into the first round because of positional importance, which, of course, is what happened. And certainly, I will never criticize a team for prioritizing the offensive line, especially with a star quarterback in place. But he feels a lot like a player who can have some significant growing pains early in his career as he adjusts to the power of NFL linemen and tries to figure out how to play on the right side. The Commanders aren’t a great fit for Conerly, in my opinion, as he would have a better chance to succeed if a team drafted him to play LT.

The 5 O’Clock Club: The best five – Hogs Haven
We know the status of two players: Laremy Tunsil will be the starting left tackle, Tyler Biadasz will be the starting center. Let’s consider the possibilities for 5 other players: Nick Allegretti will either be the starting left guard or he will be relegated to backup guard. Brandon Coleman could be the starting right tackle, the starting left guard (supplanting Allegretti), or he could be a T/G backup. I don’t think the coaches would put Coleman at right guard because that spot belongs to Cosmi when he’s healthy; ideally, his replacement should be someone with just a year left on his contract. Josh Conerly probably has the same possibilities as Coleman. Andrew Wylie could be the starting right tackle, the starting right guard, or he could be a backup T/G. Nate Herbig could be the starting right guard and backup center, or simply a backup interior offensive lineman. He may also have a chance at the starting left guard position.

The best and worst pick of the Cowboys 2025 draft – Blogging The Boys
Worst Pick: Shemar James. The pick that seems like the most head-scratching for the Cowboys is taking Shemar James with the 152nd overall pick in the fifth round. Why it’s a striking move is that the Cowboys moved up 22 spots after making a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, giving up their 174th and 211th overall picks in the process. James is a player that some outlets had falling to as far as the seventh round, so the Cowboys aggressively moving to take him comes as a surprise. As a prospect, James has some warts. Draft analysts say he doesn’t process what he is seeing fast enough in the running game causing him to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Although his speed on the field looks adequate, James didn’t test well on the 40-yard dash at the combine, running a 4.69.

Kirk Cousins, George Pickens among 7 trades to watch for after NFL Draft – SB Nation
George Pickens to the Cowboys. If there’s one constant in football it’s the receivers will get dropped in an instant if they become a pain in the ass for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It doesn’t matter how much you produce, the organization just doesn’t have the energy for it. This happened with Antonio Brown, then Diontae Johnson, now it’s seemingly George Pickens’ time. His effort has come into question in the past, as well as his maturity — something Mike Tomlin puts as premium on as a coach. The decision to trade for D.K. Metcalf and give him a massive extension makes it highly possible we don’t see Pickens in a Steelers jersey again. Enter the Dallas Cowboys, who were unable to get help at WR in the draft. The team was strongly linked to Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan, but when Carolina taking him with the No. 8 overall pick it became difficult for Dallas to find a guy who can complement CeeDee Lamb. McMillan’s size is what drove him to become a top pick, which means it’s something Dallas is looking for. The 6’3 Pickens seems like an ideal fit as a No. 2 receiver who can catch outside his frame and contest jump balls, which adds another element to the offense.

PFN says New York Giants should sign this veteran guard – Big Blue View
Still, I love the idea of signing Brandon Scherff, a five-time Pro Bowl right guard. Why? Bottom line, he is a better player than Greg Van Roten. Van Roten is a comfortable fit for the Giants because he was with the team last season, he has played next to Jermaine Eluemunor for several years between time with the Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, and he seems to be a favorite of offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. He can also fill in at center. Still, the 35-year-old Van Roten gave up seven sacks and 35 pressures in 727 pass-blocking snaps a season ago. He has given up 12 sacks and 56 pressures over the last two seasons. Scherff gave up just 17 pressures and no sacks in 2024. He surrendered just two sacks in more than 700 pass-blocking snaps in 2023. Scherff isn’t the run blocker he used to be, but overall this would be an upgrade. Besides, Scherff landing with the Giants would be a full circle moment for Big Blue View. Those of you who are long-time BBV readers might remember that I banged the drum incessantly for the Giants to draft Scherff in 2015, and mocked him to the Giants right before the 2015 draft. Washington wrecked my plan by selecting him at No. 5 overall, with the Giants selecting Ereck Flowers No. 10. Somehow, I think Scherff would have been a better pick.