Eagles Select LB Kyron Johnson and TE Grant Calcaterra in Sixth Round

After sitting out the fourth and fifth rounds, the Eagles got a speedy LB who could help on special teams and a solid pass-catching TE with a troubling concussion history

PHILADELPHIA - As expected, Howie Roseman did some moving around on Day 3 of the draft, first moving out of the fifth round by trading with Jacksonville for a couple of sixth-round picks: Nos. 188 and 198.

From there Roseman took that 188th pick and packaged it with a seventh-rounder (No. 237 overall) to go back to No. 181 in a deal with the Detroit Lions. The target was speedy Kansas linebacker Kyron Johnson, who runs in the 4.4 range, and could be an impactful player on special teams for Michael Clay.

They were the third and fourth trades Roseman engineered over the course of the three-day selection process.

As far as a defensive fit, Johnson (6-foot, 231 pounds) was scouted by most as an off-ball linebacker but also has some pass-rushing skills and SAM LB capabilities, topping out at 5.5 sacks for Kansas that season.

He really showed up on the NFL radar at the Senior Bowl where he performed well against first-round OT Trevor Penning.

"It was an experience because when I first got invited, it was literally two days before I was going to go to the NFLPA Bowl, and then Jim Nagy called me talking about, ‘Hey, Kyron why don't you take all your stuff from the NFLPA and bring it over here to the Senior Bowl,'" Johnson said. "I was like, oh, yeah, that's definitely a must."

Johnson is a bit on the older side, turning 24 this summer. He was at Kansas for five years after taking advantage of the extra COVID year allowed by the NCAA.

He said that extra year helped him get drafted.

"I don't really know how things would have played out because that fifth year was just another year for me to step up and actually put my foot down and actually showcase what I have," he said. "But I would say for the most part, I don't know how it would have gone, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have gone as well as it did last year."

After drafting Butkus Award winner Nakobe Dean in the third round, the Eagles' depth chart at off-ball LB is now pretty crowded with T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, Dean, Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley, and JaCoby Stevens in the mix.

The SAM spot is spearheaded by Haason Reddick and Patrick Johnson with Joe Ostman and Christian Elliss on the depth chart as well.

From a scouting standpoint, Johnson probably doesn't have the functional strength to hold up on the edge or the instincts to get near Edwards, White, or Dean on the depth chart but his track-level speed could be a boon for Clay and his special teams units which struggled in coverage last season.

With the 198th pick, Philadelphia got some help at tight end, selecting former star recruit Grant Calcaterra, who originally was at Oklahoma as a four-star recruit before finishing his college career at SMU.

SMU TE Grant Calcaterra / Southern Methodist University

In between, Calcaterra (6-4, 241) actually announced his retirement from football due to concussion issues and planned to pursue a career in firefighting. He also took EMT classes and worked for an ambulance company.

His love of the game quickly had Calcaterra reconsidering and he returned for the rest of his college eligibility, first deciding on Auburn until Gus Malzahn was fired. He caught 38 passes for 465 yards and two touchdowns.

He is also a bit on the older side for a rookie. He will turn 24 in December.

Calcaterra is regarded as more of a flex TE than a blocker and has well-above-average movement skills and pass-catching abilities but that history with concussions has to be a concern.

He will join a depth chart that features star tight end Dallas Goedert but uncertainty afterward, Jack Stoll did a workmanlike job as an undrafted free agent once Zach Ertz was traded but is limited.

Meanwhile, developmental project Tyree Jackson is rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered in Week 18 last season and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is attempting a transition from receiver to tight end. Veteran Richard Rodgers and Noah Togiai are also available for Nick Sirianni.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen