Howie Roseman Admits Fatal Flaw in His Draft Approach
The Philadelphia Eagles general manager has certain biases in his drafting strategy that could cause some problems in the 2024 NFL Draft.
By Cem Yolbulan
The Philadelphia Eagles are heading into the 2024 NFL Draft with an excellent opportunity to bolster the roster for a chance to return to the Super Bowl. Armed with three picks in the first two rounds and a total of eight selections, the Eagles need to address their needs on both sides of the ball, but especially on the defensive end. Philly will almost certainly draft a cornerback early in the draft and needs to select a linebacker to add to their depth as well.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman just shed some light on the draft process for the organization. The positional needs are clearly important but it sounds like Roseman also has other considerations he is keeping in his mind. A surprising one is the prospects' ties to Philadelphia.
According to the reporting by Zach Berman of PHLY, Roseman can't help but look for players with connections to Philadelphia.
Eagles News: Howie Roseman Has a Bias in Draft Strategy
Howie Roseman on how the evaluation of Jeremiah Trotter Jr. might be more complicated than a typical player:
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) April 17, 2024
"I'm biased towards our hometown players. I'm biased towards the people who have legacy with this franchise. So I think that's hard. And I think that's why, Coach talked…
Calling himself "biased towards hometown players", Roseman talked about how difficult it can be to evaluate prospects like Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The son of Eagles legend and Hall of Famer Jeremiah Trotter Sr, the linebacker is a good fit for the Eagles and had an official visit with the team. This is reportedly a tricky situation for the front office, who find it tempting to draft hometown heroes.
"And so I think when you talk about anything the guys who are local — and we just talked about trade and trade and a guy who was local — it's hard not not to want to keep guys who have Philly ties, who understand what it's like to play here, or to bring those guys in."
- Eagles GM Howie Roseman
Trotter Jr. grew up in the Philadelphia area before playing college football at Clemson. As much faith as the Eagles have in Nakobe Dean and Devin White, there are injury concerns in the linebacker room, as well as a depth question. Trotter Jr. would certainly be an intriguing addition there but Roseman and the Eagles' top brass need to make sure they don't let their emotions get a hold of them.
On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Eagles are likely to draft an offensive lineman (+150), a cornerback, (+180), or a defensive lineman (+180) with their first-round selection. Head over there now to get in on the action and don't forget to claim your $150 in bonus bets after your first $5 wager.
More Eagles coverage:
feed
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.