The Philadelphia Eagles face the challenge of rebuilding a defense depleted by significant offseason losses as they prepare for next week’s 2025 NFL Draft. Their primary target, however, might be out of reach at No. 32, which could force the Birds to trade up.
Following their Super Bowl championship, salary cap constraints forced Philadelphia to part ways with multiple key defensive contributors:
- Defensive end Josh Sweat (signed with Arizona Cardinals)
- Defensive tackle Milton Williams (signed with New England Patriots)
- Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (traded to Houston Texans)
- Cornerback Darius Slay (released and signed with Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (signed with Minnesota Vikings)
- Cornerback Avonte Maddox (signed with Detroit Lions)
- Linebacker Oren Burks (signed with Cincinnati Bengals)
The Eagles did manage to retain All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun on a $51 million deal after his breakout season. They also signed several veterans to one-year contracts, including cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and edge rushers Azeez Ojulari, Joshua Uche, and Patrick Johnson.
General Manager Howie Roseman now turns to the draft to address remaining defensive line gaps.
NFL Draft analyst: Walter Nolen won’t be there at No. 32 for Philadelphia Eagles
Many mock drafts have linked Philadelphia to Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen at pick No. 32, but NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes that scenario is increasingly unlikely.
“I would say it’s unlikely that he falls that low. He’s just too explosive and in a passing league I can’t see him getting there,” Jeremiah told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. “But if you asked me if Nolan Smith was going to get there, I would have said no. If you would have asked me if Cooper DeJean was going to be there in the second round, I would have said no.”
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah was asked about Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen dropping far enough for the #Eagles to move up from No. 32:
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) April 18, 2025
"I would say it's unlikely that he falls that low. He's just too explosive and in a passing league I can't see him getting there. But if…
Jeremiah suggests Nolen could be selected within the top 15 picks. With Philadelphia holding a dozen selections in the 2026 draft, a trade-up scenario seems plausible.
“I would also say with where they are as a team and the roster and you go through and look at it, they’re in pretty good shape,” noted Jeremiah. “They have a ton of picks. I think they have 12 picks next year. So they could be a team … looking at teams looking to move back. They could be a team that, say it’s him, say it’s Walter Nolen [who’s] there. Maybe that’s someone they would be aggressive to move up.”
If the Eagles miss out on Nolen, Jeremiah identified another potential target.
“I wouldn’t sleep on Shemar Stewart as an explosive player that they could use and fit. If he starts to drop, they could go up and get him. I think there’s a lot of teams this draft that would like to go in reverse, and the Eagles might be one of the few teams that would really be willing to put their foot on the gas and go get somebody.”
For the 2025 draft, Philadelphia holds eight selections — one each in the first four rounds plus four fifth-round picks.
