- Aggressive move for a premium playmaker: The Eagles jumped the Steelers to secure USC’s Makai Lemon at Pick 20. A top-15 talent on the PFF Big Board, Lemon provides elite hands and contested-catch ability (10-of-14 in 2025) as a potential long-term pillar for the receiving corps.
- Banking on historic athletic traits: Philadelphia used a late-round flyer on IPP prospect Uar Bernard. Despite no football experience, the 306-pounder posted a historic 4.63-second 40-yard dash and 39-inch vertical, making him one of the most intriguing developmental projects in draft history.
- Identifying statistical outliers: The class is bolstered by high-production gems like QB/H-back Cole Payton, who earned a staggering 95.9 PFF grade in 2025, and edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby, whose 168 pressures over the last three years led all of college football.
All 257 picks from the 2026 NFL Draft have been made, reshaping depth charts across the league and setting the foundation for the season ahead. But draft weekend is only the starting point — the real evaluation comes from how each class aligns with the board, positional value and projected impact.
This class features a wide range of outcomes. Using PFF's Big Board as a baseline, along with wins above average (WAA) added and an emphasis on premium positions, we can begin to separate sound process from questionable decisions before a single training camp snap is played.
With that framework, here's a look at how the Philadelphia Eagles approached the 2026 NFL Draft — where they found value, where they prioritized need and how much immediate impact this class is positioned to deliver.
Philadelphia Eagles: B+
Picks: 8 | WAA added: 1.537 (Rank 8/32)
- Pick 20: WR Makai Lemon, USC Trojans
- Pick 54: TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt Commodores
- Pick 68: T Markel Bell, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
- Pick 178: QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State Bison
- Pick 207: G Micah Morris, Georgia Bulldogs
- Pick 244: S Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Pick 251: DI Uar Bernard, IPP
- Pick 252: ED Keyshawn James-Newby, New Mexico Lobos
Highest-graded pick (2025): QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State Bison (95.9)
Lemon: With the Steelers needing wide receiver, the Eagles jumped Pittsburgh to take the sliding Lemon. This is good value at a position of need for Philadelphia, as has often been the case in recent years. With a potential A.J. Brown trade looming, Lemon adds a player who can make tough catches over the middle of the field, as he recorded 10 receptions on 14 contested targets in 2025.
Stowers: Stowers is a natural, versatile athlete with a high usage rate over the past two seasons, projecting to a contributing NFL role. He is best utilized as a backfield or big-slot option rather than as an in-line blocker, where his impact is limited.
Bell: Bell's size is a rare trait, even at the NFL level. He is a better athlete than expected for his frame, but limitations in foot speed and flexibility could impact his ability to develop into a full-time starter.
Payton: In a world where people like to force “the next Taysom Hill” each draft season, Payton actually has the ingredients to potentially be worthy of that comparison. He is a well-above-average athlete for the position and a decent enough passer (lefty) to play as an H-back and even a dropback quarterback in a pinch. However, his play as a quarterback under pressure against NFL-caliber competition is still quite unproven.
Morris: Morris logged 803 snaps in 2025 and earned a 72.0 PFF grade, driven largely by his pass protection. His 83.7 pass-blocking grade ranked 34th among qualifying interior linemen, and he allowed pressure on just 1.0% of pass-blocking snaps (tied for ninth) with a 2.55% loss rate (27th). His impact was more limited in the run game, where he posted a 67.2 run-blocking grade (tied for 113th) and an 11.9% impact run-block rate (tied for 128th). At 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, he brings size and stability in pass protection, which aligns with his No. 242 ranking on PFF’s Big Board as a depth interior lineman with pass-game value.
Wisniewski: Wisniewski projects as a box safety with good awareness and the ability to match up with tight ends, though limited range may cap his role.
Bernard: Bernard enters the league as a true outlier, selected 251st overall despite no prior football experience, with his profile driven almost entirely by elite testing. At 6-foot-4, 306 pounds, he posted a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, a 39-inch vertical and a 10-foot-10 broad jump — historic marks for a 300-plus-pound athlete.
James-Newby: James-Newby produced elite pass-rush output over the past three seasons, as he recorded 168 pressures, which leads all levels of football in that span. The former Lobo has below-average size and must address a 28.8% missed tackle rate, but his pass-rushing ability gives him sleeper potential.
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