Many teams around the NFC are reportedly terrified about the idea of the Philadelphia Eagles taking a specific player with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles enter the first round of this week’s event in an enviable position. Unlike other teams with selections in the top 10, the Eagles don’t necessarily need to fill many holes or try to find a player that will be one of the pillars of their team for years to come.
Philadelphia is only a few months removed from an appearance in the Super Bowl and can use their pick at No. 10 in many different ways. They could target a specific need, or add high-level depth to the strengths they already have. However, there is one position the organization actually does need to upgrade and that is running back.
Part of maintaining a winning team for many years means losing key players in NFL free agency. That is what happened this spring as the organization let Pro Bowl back Miles Sanders hit the open market and sign with the Carolina Panthers. Yet, the team has the good fortune of possibly using the pick they acquired from the New Orleans Saints to address that loss with a player that can make an immediate impact.
Philadelphia Eagles record (2022): 14-3, first place in NFC East
Over the last few weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles have been linked to the top running back in this year’s class, Texas star Bijan Robinson. While such a pick would be outside the normal strategy for general manager Howie Roseman, Robinson being their selection in the opening round makes a lot of sense for a team that will hope to contend for an NFL title again in 2023.
And it seems the idea of Bijan Robinson being in an offense with Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, and DeVonta Smith has some teams in the NFC terrified, as NFL media reporter James Palmer explained during a Monday appearance on the NFL Network.
“If you look at what [Howie Roseman] said during his press conference last week, they don’t think they’re going to be picking this high in the draft in the next several years. They feel like they need to hit on a unique talent that can make an impact right away. But he also said they need to be open-minded when they’re looking at No. 10.
“This is outside the box for the Eagles. But when I talked to several teams over the weekend in the NFC, I’ll tell you this, they do not want the Eagles to draft Bijan Robinson. They believe that would make this offense beyond scary. … Running back is a need for the Eagles in this draft.”
– James Palmer
While taking a running back that high in the NFL Draft is no longer common practice, it just seems like Robinson being taken by the Philadelphia Eagles is the perfect move for the team in the short and long term. We shall see what they do when they are on the clock Thursday night.