5 best first-round draft picks in Philadelphia Eagles’ history feat. Lane Johnson

The Philadelphia Eagles have an amazing history of first-round draft selections who have had successful professional careers with the organization, including Fletcher Cox, Donovan McNabb and Lane Johnson.

In fact, it is reasonable to argue that the Eagles have become one of the NFL's most successful teams since 1999 as a result of their recent draft-day choices, particularly in Round 1.

In this article, we'll examine the best players the Eagles have selected in the first round of the draft.

Ranking the Philadelphia Eagles’ best first round picks in history

#5 - Brandon Graham (defensive end)

It's almost a certainty that Brandon Graham will be enshrined into the Eagles Hall of Fame anytime soon, even though his legacy in Philadelphia isn't one of personal honors and Pro Bowl selections.

Graham was selected by the Eagles as the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft out of Michigan. Despite having a lackluster start to his NFL career, he had a breakout season in his third season, finishing with 45 pressures in 2012.

Graham further demonstrated that his standout 2012 season was not a fluke, playing a bigger role in the Eagles' defensive strategy in subsequent years. He had his strongest years. In 2016, recording career-high pressures (83), quarterback hits (17), and run stops (40).

Graham solidified his place as a Philadelphia Eagles legend when he helped the team win its first-ever Super Bowl with a spectacular performance against the New England Patriots in the 2017 season. Now at the age of 36, he has participated in two more Super Bowls with the team, winning the most recent one in 2024.

In addition, Graham holds the team record of 5.5 career playoff sacks and has more games played for the Eagles than any other player.

#4 - Fletcher Cox (defensive tackle)

Fletcher Cox is unquestionably one of the most productive defensive players in Philadelphia Eagles history. His six Pro Bowl selections are the most for any defensive tackle in team history. In terms of career sacks (70), he also ranks fifth in team history.

The 2012 draft's 12th overall pick spent his entire 12-year career with the Eagles, making 188 appearances during the regular season. Fletcher was instrumental in creating a championship culture in Philadelphia, which further enhanced his significance beyond his on-field accomplishments.

After leading the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl victory in 2017, Cox had his best season as a professional in 2018, recording 10.5 sacks and 34 quarterback hits and was named to the first team All-Pro.

#3 - Lane Johnson (offensive tackle)

Lane Johnson will turn 35 years old in two months and he's coming off one of the best campaigns of his pro career in 2024, when he went on to win the second Super Bowl of his career.

Since being chosen with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft, Johnson seems to improve every year. Since he turned 30, he has been selected to either a first or second All-Pro team except once, when missed nine games in 2020.

He is now on a three-year Pro Bowl streak and has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times all together. Johnson, who has been a mainstay of the Eagles' offensive line since joining the league, has been instrumental in the team's two Super Bowl victories.

#2 - Donovan McNabb (quarterback)

Donovan McNabb, who was selected by the Eagles with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft, played in Philadelphia for 11 seasons. He became known as a dual-threat signal-caller there.

McNabb will be remembered as one of the Eagles' greatest quarterbacks, even though he never won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. He holds the records for passing yards (32,873), passing touchdowns (216), attempts (4,746), and completions (2,801) for the team.

The Eagles went 3-13 in 1998, the year before they drafted McNabb, but he immediately helped turn that record around during his tenure. He led the team to an average of 10 wins per season, eight playoff berths in 11 years, five NFC East Division titles, five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance.

#1 - Chuck Bednarik (linebacker/center)

Chuck Bednarik played collegiate football for the Penn Quakers before being taken by the Philadelphia Eagles with the first overall pick in the 1949 NFL draft. He then played for the Iggles throughout his 14-year NFL career, from 1949 to 1962.

Bednarik is still widely remembered today as one of the greatest hard-hitting tacklers in NFL history. He was also among the last two-way stars in the league, capable of playing both linebacker and center.

In 1949 and 1960, Bednarik played on two Eagles teams that won the NFL Championship. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler, a six-time first-team All-Pro, and a member of the NFL All Decade Team for the 1950s. Twenty years after he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first season of eligibility, the Eagles retired his number 60 jersey in 1987.