Ossaa Basketball Brackets Regionals

PHILADELPHIA -- The 2024 NFL draft began Thursday night in Detroit and will wrap up on Saturday. The Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to make seven of the draft's 257 picks, beginning with the No. 22 selection of the first round on Thursday night.

ESPN will provide pick-by-pick analysis of each of the Eagles' selections as they are made.

A look at each of Philadelphia's scheduled selections:

My take: The general belief entering the draft was that the Eagles would have to trade up to land one of the top corners. But the board fell general manager Howie Roseman's way. In Mitchell, they get a blazing fast (4.33 second 40-yard dash) playmaker who led the FBS with 15 pass breakups last season. He could make an immediate impact on a defense that finished second-to-last in touchdowns allowed (35) in 2023.

Will he start as a rookie? If all goes well this summer, yes. Veteran James Bradberry is coming off a rough season. He remains under contract, but the Eagles are clearly open to finding a new partner on the outside for Darius Slay. It's a big leap from the MAC to the pros, and there will undoubtedly be some growing pains, but there is an opportunity for Mitchell to contribute right away.

Ties to the team to know: There are a couple of connections to coach Nick Sirianni. Toledo's head coach, Jason Candle, played at Mount Union with Sirianni (they were both receivers) and they later coached together on the Mount Union staff. Toledo's defensive coordinator, Vince Kehres, is the son of Larry Kehres, who coached Sirianni at Mount Union. Safe to say, the Eagles were able to gather plenty of information on Mitchell during the pre-draft process.

What's next: Philadelphia holds the No. 50 and 53 picks in the second round. Offensive line depth is a priority, and the Eagles could also use help at linebacker and along the defensive front. With no third-round selection currently, Roseman could move back to gather more picks.

My take: One of the worst secondaries in the league last season will have a new look in 2024. After selecting cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first round, the Eagles moved up in Round 2 to take DeJean, a multidimensional playmaking defensive back. He has experience at both corner and safety. Some project Cooper as a safety at the pro level, though there's a sentiment within Philadelphia's building that he can "do it all." DeJean proved to be a difference-maker for Iowa on defense -- he was named first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year -- and was an impact punt returner as well.

Will he start as a rookie? First, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have to decide where to play him. If it's safety, he'll be in a room led by C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown. If it's corner, he'll be competing with Mitchell, Kelee Ringo and veteran James Bradberry (assuming Bradberry stays on the roster) for playing time opposite Darius Slay. At a minimum, DeJean could be featured on special teams -- he could come in handy on the new-look kickoffs the NFL is implementing this year -- while building out a role defensively as the year goes on.

My take: The Eagles roll the dice on a former safety with plenty of upside. Philadelphia is in a state of transition at the edge position. Haason Reddick was traded to the New York Jets this offseason and Bryce Huff was signed in free agency. Brandon Graham is likely playing his last NFL season and Josh Sweat is in the last year of his contract. Hunt, the 2023 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year, has plenty of ability but needs time to develop.

Key stat: The 6-foot-4, 252-pound Hunt ranked fifth among edge players in overall athletic testing at the combine. He showed playmaking ability at Houston Christian, leading the team with nine tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks while forcing a pair of fumbles. He started his college career at Cornell before transferring in 2022.

What's next: The Eagles have three fourth-round picks, three fifth-round picks and a sixth-round pick entering Day 3. Their outstanding needs include offensive line depth, linebacker and tight end.

Round 4: No. 120

Round 4: No. 123

Round 4: No. 132 (via SF)

Round 5: No. 152

Round 5: No. 171

Round 5: No. 172

Round 6: No. 210