Eagles Reportedly Have One Position Targeted Above All Others With First-Round Pick

Philadelphia appears to have a plan in place with their top draft choice

Aug 17, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles are just days away from the 2024 NFL Draft with hopes of acquiring talent that will develop into cornerstone pieces of the franchise.

While trade scenarios always are in play, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will have the No. 22 overall pick and reportedly has a clear target in mind, at least from a positional standpoint.

"The position I’ve heard most consistently assigned to the Eagles is offensive tackle," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported Monday. "It might seem a little strange, given the team’s needs on defense (and in the secondary in particular), but GM Howie Roseman’s always prioritized the lines and worked to get ahead of potential holes, so finding the eventual replacement for Lane Johnson -- who’s entering his 12th year -- is in play. With the group of tackles in this year’s class so highly regarded, though, it’s unclear whether the right one for Philly makes it to 22."

While right guard remains the largest question mark on the offensive line heading into 2024 with Cam Jurgens moving to center, it's does make sense to lock up a highly-toughted prospect at a premium position and aim for a guard further down the board.

By the time Philadelphia gets to the podium, Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Penn State's Olu Fashanu will be long gone.

Roseman will be hoping Alabama's JC Latham, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga, Georgia's Amarius Mims, Washington's Troy Fautanu or Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton can fall into his hands -- all of which have been given first-round grades by various scouts and media pundits.

There should be not shortage of overall offensive tackle talent in this year's draft and it would be wise for the Eagles to dive into the loaded group.

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