The Eagles approached the 2024 NFL Draft looking to reload their defense with youth and versatility while sprinkling in depth pieces on offense.
One season and change later, and their top selections have already become foundational starters -- while the back half of the class remains a mixed bag of depth, special teams, and developmental projects. Here's a full breakdown of how each pick has fared so far.
Round 1, Pick 22 — Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The first small-school corner taken in the first round in years has quickly erased any doubt about the level jump. Mitchell has played in 22 games since being drafted and already looks like one of the premier young outside corners in football.
Physically gifted, technically advanced, and relentlessly competitive at the catch point, he’s become exactly what Philadelphia envisioned -- a long-term CB1 capable of locking down boundary receivers in Vic Fangio’s defensive structure. For a franchise that long struggled to sustain consistent corner play, Mitchell looks like a home run.
Round 2, Pick 40 — Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
Listed as a defensive back coming out of Iowa due to his versatility, DeJean landed in the perfect scheme.
Fangio immediately installed him at nickel, and he has been tailor-made for the role. One of the most instinctive downhill defenders from the 2024 class, DeJean reads screens, triggers on bubble slants, and fits the run like a linebacker while providing enough range to hold up in coverage.
He’s exactly the type of hybrid defender Fangio has always coveted -- and pairing him with Mitchell gives the Eagles one of the most exciting young DB tandems in football.
Round 3, Pick 94 — Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian
A raw traits-based pass rusher taken as a developmental swing, Hunt didn’t offer much as a rookie -- but 2025 has been a different story.
Now firmly part of the rotation, he’s flashed speed-to-power conversion and the kind of closing burst that gives offensive tackles problems in passing situations. He’s not a full-time starter yet, but he’s trending in the right direction as a designated pass rusher.
This is the type of pop he plays with, and it's not hard to see why GM Howie Roseman prioritized him highly last spring:
PHYSICAL football in this second session. Volume UP.
Jalyx Hunt & Javon Foster pic.twitter.com/V19kltDDNq
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 30, 2024
Round 4, Pick 127 — Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
Drafted as a change-of-pace option behind Saquon Barkley, Shipley has logged 20 games but hasn’t made a major dent statistically. Still, he’s been a useful rotational piece -- offering pass-catching ability and special teams value. He hasn’t exploded, but he hasn’t faded either. His role remains defined, if limited.
Round 5, Pick 152 — Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M
Currently a Carolina Panther, the Eagles initially hoped Smith could become a gadget player and return specialist, but the fit never truly materialized on offense. Instead, he settled in almost exclusively as a special teams core player without carving out a consistent offensive niche.
Round 5, Pick 155 — Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
The legacy pick -- and son of Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter -- has embraced exactly the kind of role his father once dominated early in his career: special teams ace and rotational linebacker. While he hasn’t earned major defensive snaps yet, his energy and physicality have made him a locker-room favorite. If given time, he could grow into a more defined sub-package role.
Round 5, Pick 172 — Trevor Keegan, OL, Michigan
Currently a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Keegan, a depth lineman out of one of the best offensive line factories in college football, had minimal on-field involvement. Still, he offers swing-guard versatility and remains a developmental stash for Dallas with starting experience in a pro-style system. It just never worked out in Philadelphia.
Round 6, Pick 185 — Johnny Wilson, WR/TE, Florida State
Wilson was of the most fascinating bodies in the entire 2024 class -- a 6-foot-7 matchup weapon as a receiver or tight end. Philadelphia has kept him in the receiver room, but production has been extremely limited.
Still, the staff values him as a red-zone piece and matchup tool that deserves the proper development.
Round 6, Pick 190 — Dylan McMahon, OL, NC State
Drafted as a high-effort interior lineman with center/guard flexibility, McMahon appeared in just one game before being waived. He is now with the Los Angeles Rams.
Overall, the Eagles’ 2024 draft class can already be declared a success thanks to the first two picks alone. Mitchell and DeJean look like defensive building blocks for the next decade, and Hunt appears to be turning the corner as a rotational rusher (16 pressures so far in 2025).
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If you walk away from a draft with a franchise corner and a high-end nickel defender? That’s a class most GMs would sign up for every day of the week.