Philadelphia Eagles mock draft: Best and worst-case scenarios for Jalen Hurts in 2024 NFL Draft

For much of the 2023 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles were flying high under the watchful eye of Nick Sirianni. Jalen Hurts was playing at a very high level, and then all of a sudden, everything fell apart.

The San Francisco 49ers set out the blueprint of how to beat the Eagles, as well as how to limit the effectiveness of ‘the brotherly shove.’ This led to the team losing five of their final six regular season games before being dumped out of the playoffs in the wild card round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Many expected this collapse to bring about sizable change to the Philadelphia operation, yet both Sirianni and Hurts remain in place.

Attention now turns to the 2024 season, where the Eagles will hope to have a more resilient game plan.

For this to be possible they will need to address areas of concern in the draft, particularly on the offensive line. Jason Kelce has retired, leaving a chasm at center, while Lane Johnson is still under contract, but there are doubts as to whether he will be back for the 2024 season.

Philadelphia Eagles 2024 NFL mock draft scenarios

Eagles mock draft: Best-case scenario

Eagles' high draft selections are as follows

In this best-case scenario provided by Sportskeeda’s 7-round Mock Draft simulator, the Eagles address their offensive line problems in both the short and long term.

Troy Fautanu is a super effective lineman and he is versatile. Some argue he is as good as a guard as he is at tackle, and he could well be a starter in Philly from day one as a guard and then move into Johnson’s role at RT if he retires in 2025 rather than 2024.

Rushing the passer is something that the Eagles are good at, however trading Hasson Reddick and his 11 sacks in 2023 to the New York Jets has left them a little short.

This is, again, more of a longer-term pick but Adisa Isaac is a diligent pass rusher and he can be explosive off the edge. He will develop within a talented group of defenders in Philly and then be ready to take over from the likes of Brandon Graham.

Khyree Jackson arrives to fill the need in the backfield. James Bradberry is on thin ice and will have one more year to prove he can be an elite-level corner in the NFL, but there is a need to add some competition at this position.

There aren’t huge needs in terms of playmakers on offense, but you have to give Hurts weapons. Devaughn Vele is an accomplished catcher with decent athletic makeup. He will get targets in this team and it’s better for the Eagles to have depth at the position.

Here is the full draft in this scenario:

• · Troy Fautanu, OG, Washington
• · Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State
• · Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon
• · Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
• · Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah
• · Logan Lee, DT, Iowa
• · Gabriel Murphy, EDGE, UCLA
• · Cody Schrader, RB, Missouri

Eagles mock draft: Worst-case scenario

Eagles' worst-case scenario draft picks

This is where things get interesting. It might not be the word draft scenario for some Eagles fans, but it certainly would represent a disaster for Hurts. Speculation about his suitability to be a franchise QB refuses to go away, despite his incredible numbers in the past two seasons.

Initially, this draft is a problem because it doesn’t address either the offensive line issue or the edge rushing issue early enough. Adonai Mitchell is a promising enough talent at wide receiver, but with the Eagles signing DeVonta Smith to a new long-term deal, it doesn’t make sense to add a receiver this early.

Taking a QB in the second round says nothing other than ‘we’re not sure about our QB’. Michael Penix Jr. has been labeled as the best natural passer in this class, and his arrival would set alarm bells ringing within Hurts’ camp.

Not only would this destabilize the roster, but it would also create problems later on in the season the first time Hurts has a bad game. There will be some within the organization who want him dropped and Penix Jr. to come in. Rarely does a team have a good season when they don’t have defined QB1 and QB2 roles.

Furthermore, if Hurts does get people behind him in Philly there is a chance that this could be a totally wasted pick. However, there is a chance that a year of not playing doesn’t actually do Penix Jr’s stock any harm before a trade in 2025.

Coope Beebe finally arrives in the third round to help the O-Line out, but the quality isn’t enough for a team that is trying to find a way to replace Lane Johnson.

Here is how the worst-case scenario shakes out for the Eagles:

• · Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
• · Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
• · Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
• · Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama
• · Jarius Monroe, CB, Tulane
• · Tykee Smith, S, Georgia
• · Jaylen Harrell, EDGE, Michigan
• · David Ugwoegbu, LB, Houston