Ranking the Philadelphia Eagles Last 10 First-Round Picks, Worst to Best

7. Nolan Smith, EDGE, 2023

The jury is still out on Nolan Smith but the Georgia pass-rusher didn’t get to show off much as a rookie for the Eagles. Drafted 30th overall in the first round, Smith was playing behind Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat in 2023 which is why he saw the field for just 188 snaps on defense (just 16 percent of the possible snaps).

He finished with 18 tackles and just one sack and was credited with four quarterback pressures. Far from the production expected from a player taken that early.

This offseason, Reddick was traded away but that won’t open the door for Smith. Not only is Sweat returning but they also paid Bryce Huff a lot of money in free agency following a 10-sack campaign with the New York Jets.

That means it could be another season of watching and learning for Smith. In all fairness, the Eagles expected Smith to be a project. He had just 12.5 sacks in four seasons with UGA and his career-high was 4.5 in 2021. He’s also undersized at just 238 pounds but he ran a 4.39 and showed off some incredible athleticism during the scouting combine. Perhaps if they remain patient he will work out, but for now, he’s still low on this list

6. Nelson Agholor, WR, 2015

More issues from the short-lived but devastating Chip Kelly era.

Kelly rose to prominence with the Oregon Ducks and once he joined the Eagles, he was constantly scouting players from his old program. He also seemed to place too high of an emphasis on the Pac-12 overall which led to the selection of Nelson Agholor in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

The USC wide receiver had 4.42 speed but was seen primarily as a punt returner who could potentially play in the slot. Kelly saw him as a possible replacement for the explosive DeSean Jackson who he ran off following the 2013 season.

Agholor at least had a few good moments with the franchise, including back-to-back seasons with more than 700 yards receiving. He even made it five years with Philly, which wasn't the case for many other Chip Kelly draft picks. When he did leave in free agency ahead of the 2020 season, Agholor had 224 receptions for 2,515 yards and 18 touchdowns as a receiver — and was hardly used as a returner.

Those numbers aren't awful but they're not what teams expect from a receiver taken 20th overall. That's why Agholor, who was plagued by ill-timed drops throughout his tenure, is largely seen as a bust.