Needs Entering Draft: RB, WR, DT, CB
Positions Drafted: RB, WR, DE, DT, CB, S
The Philadelphia Eagles needed to bolster their defense, and bolster it they did. The first three rounds saw the Iggles nab highly productive defensive end Derek Barnett (who created nearly as much pressure per game as Myles Garrett), and cornerbacks Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas to man the boundaries. After cutting Leodis McKelvin, it was inevitable that they would add coverage in addition to pressure. Running back and wide receiver were also needs, and they spent up in free agency to address the latter, but Philly still snared depth at both spots. Mack Hollins should contribute on offense soon, and Donnel Pumphrey seems like a direct replacement for the ancient Darren Sproles come 2018.
Elijah Qualls is an intriguing defensive tackle for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to play with -- he can line up all over the line -- and they didn’t need to overdraft a big man since they traded for Timmy Jernigan. Safety depth is needed on this team, but Nate Gerry will not need to start for a long time. All in all, they plugged holes as appropriate.