It is no secret the Philadelphia Eagles lost a lot of tonnage and experience on the defensive line in free agency. They lost a big piece of their line when Milton Williams left for the New England Patriots.
However, as usual, the former NFL Executive of the Year, Eagles' general manager Howie Roseman, has a plan. He has four fifth-round selections which he might be able to use one to parlay along with the first pick, to move up for a higher draft choice in the first round.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com, in his latest mock draft, said the Eagles are going to just that. They are going to move up from the last pick of the first round to No. 26 in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. They will then use that selection to draft Ole Miss defensive tackle Waler Nolen.
"Why change something that works? Philadelphia moves up in Round 1 for a defensive lineman once again -- after doing so to acquire Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis -- plugging Nolen into the void left by free-agent departure Milton Williams," Reuter said. "The Eagles give the Rams their late third-round pick and one of four fifth-rounders in order to move up six spots, while also receiving a sixth-round pick from Los Angeles in the deal."
The biggest question is whether Nolen will be available at the 26th pick. He could go earlier as he is projected as one of the top defensive tackles in the draft. He was an All-American his senior season and had 48 tackles, including 14 for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Other mocks have Philadelphia holding steady at No. 32 and having Nolen drop to them at the bottom of the first round. It is a substantial risk to wait for a player the team covets when there are assets to be used to move up.
