With the Senior Bowl in the rearview mirror, NFL draft season is officially here — and thePhiladelphia Eagles will be on the clock soon enough.
PennLive was in Mobile, Ala., watching all three days of practice and interviewing many of the top prospects in attendance.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’re rolling out a series of stories on Senior Bowl standouts who would make sense for the Eagles in the 2026 NFL draft.
Earlier in this series, we took a closer look at Missouri star Zion Young, the “physical, violent and explosive” edge rusher who could make sense for the Eagles in the first or second round.
But if the Eagles target a Lane Johnson successor and/or help on the interior offensive line with the No. 23 and 54 picks, there’s plenty of edge rusher value to be had in the third round.
That’s where Michigan’s Derrick Moore could come into play.
Moore was a menace in his final season at Michigan. The 6-foot-3, 254-pounder racked up 10 sacks and posted a 92.4 PFF pass-rushing grade, the best in the Big Ten. Moore leaned heavily on bull-rushing opposing offensive tackles, a skill he showcased at the Senior Bowl.
Moore’s strength was overwhelming at Hancock Whitney Stadium, especially during one-on-one drills. There was one rep in particular where Moore drove through the face of 6-foot-9, 345-pound Miami tackle Markel Bell, drawing oohs and ahhs from the crowd.
Moore is known more for his pass-rushing ability than his willingness as a run defender. But he does take pride in setting the edge.
“I love stopping the run,” Moore told PennLive in Mobile, Ala. “When I’m rushing the passer, I can show my power. But stopping the run, that’s where I’m most physical. And it’s not too complicated. It’s about outworking, out-physicaling the guy across from you.”
Philadelphia could use a presence like Moore off the edge in 2026 and beyond.
The Eagles might get priced out of bringing Jaelan Phillips back. Joshua Uche, Azeez Ojulari and Ogbo Okoronkwo are expected to leave as free agents. That would leave only Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith as the under-contract edge rushers.
The good news for Howie Roseman? This is an extremely deep edge rusher class.
There could be 15 or more edge rushers off the board in the first three rounds with a healthy crop — Moore, Illinois’ Gabe Jacas, Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton, Texas Tech’s Romello Height and others — expected to be available for the Eagles at No. 68 overall.
In our most recent mock draft, we had the Eagles landing Moore in the third round. We’ll see if that comes to fruition in April.
SENIOR BOWL SERIES SO FAR
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
Keylan Rutledge, OL, Georgia Tech
Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State
Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State