The Eagles tend to fortify positions before a desperate situation develops. Freeling could be two-time first-team All-Pro OT Lane Johnson's eventual successor.

This pick came down to value for the Eagles. The slick sleuths discovered behind the scenes that they'd have their choice between Sadiq or an unnamed offensive lineman. (There will be other mocks!) GM Howie Roseman stayed at 23 after working the phones and landed the best player at his position. The Eagles don't have a primary tight end under contract for the 2026 season and arguably should have drafted one last year. Sadiq, at 6-3, 245, enhances the passing game as a potential mismatch and fits a new offense that is expected to feature the play-action game. The Eagles pick a tight end on Day 1 for the first time since drafting Keith Jackson at No. 13 in 1988. Jackson earned All-Pro honors in his first three seasons.

If Avieon Terrell -- the younger brother of former first-round pick A.J. Terrell -- were two inches taller, he'd probably be my top CB in this class. Alas, he is not, and it causes me to question what his ultimate ceiling will be as an NFL corner. That said, I still have him going in the first round. He's pretty good.

Best Pick: Second-round safety Andrew Mukuba would have been a higher pick if he weighed a little more. He throws his body around as much as anybody in this draft. But the concern is if he will hold up.

Worst Pick: I like their draft, so I will go with this: They didn't pick an offensive lineman until the fifth round. That surprises me for a team that always seems to have guys developing and ready to play.

The Skinny: They went defense with their first five picks to fortify a unit that suffered some losses in free agency and has some injury issues. First-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell was the best off-ball linebacker in this draft. I like quarterback Kyle McCord in the sixth. They added a bunch of other talented players. Howie Roseman had another good draft.

Top needs entering the draft: Safety, defensive tackle, linebacker and wide receiver

I gave the Eagles an A after last year's draft, but no way did I think their top two picks -- cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean -- would help power a much-improved defense to a Super Bowl title. That's how to target a need and get an instant impact.

This year? Well, general manager Howie Roseman's No. 1 post-free agency priority is to figure out how to replace 1,067 combined snaps from key defensive linemen Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, both of whom left for massive contracts elsewhere. Roseman signed edge rushers Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari to one-year deals, but I thought he could go D-line in Round 1. Donovan Ezeiruaku, maybe? Or Darius Alexander?

Roseman went a slightly different direction, however, adding versatile off-ball linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who I thought could go in the top 20 picks. Campbell can be a chess piece for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, getting a handful of snaps on the edge per game. This pick tells me there's some concern about the knee injury Nakobe Dean suffered in January, so Campbell could help fill that void. He's a really solid player.

I mentioned in my Friday night recap how much I like safety Andrew Mukuba, whom Philly got at the end of Round 2. He can play the role vacated by the trade of C.J. Gardner-Johnson. He hits like a linebacker.

On Day 3, offensive tackle Cameron Williams could be a steal -- if Philly can help him put all of his talent together. He started just one college season. I had him No. 125 on my Big Board. Ty Robinson will join Fangio's deep front-seven rotation and play multiple positions. Linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. can be a special teams demon. Quarterback Kyle McCord is a solid No. 3 QB. Roseman has done it again, selecting solid players throughout the draft.