PHILADELPHIA – Grades. Everybody wants them hours after a team finishes its draft. My style is to wait until a class has had three years of work before giving one. That makes the Eagles’ 2022 class eligible to be graded.
It was a small group. General manager Howie Roseman selected just six players but added an important piece after the draft. The volume of picks has increased each year since, with seven in 2023, nine in 2024, and 10 last spring.
The 2022 class went to the Super Bowl as rookies, so that needs to be factored into the final grade. Before getting there, here is a look at each player taken and the grade assigned.
FIRST ROUND. Jordan Davis, 13 overall. The Eagles traded up from 15 to the defensive tackle. He has done well in his role as a run-stopper, and why linebackers Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean led the team in tackles. The Eagles coaches are trying to teach him to be more of a pass rusher and a three-down type of player. They picked up his team option for 2026, but beyond that, he will need to show he can be the player they want him to be before extending him beyond that.
Player they could have had: Safety Kyle Hamilton went to the Ravens right after the Eagles took Davis.
Grade: B
SECOND ROUND: Cam Jurgens, 51 overall. It was a pick that seemed to catch some off guard, but Jason Kelce endorsed him and he was right to do so. Jurgens is just as athletic as Kelce, if not more so, and earned a Pro Bowl spot in his first year as Jason Kelce’s replacement. The anchor of one of the league’s best offensive line, the Eagles have already given him his second contract which will keep him in Philly through 2029.
Player they could have had: Nobody as good as Jurgens. The three players who went right after him were receivers – George Pickens, Alec Pierce, and Skyy Moore. Hard pass on each.
Grade: A+
THIRD ROUND: Nakobe Dean, 84 overall. Injuries will keep this grade lower than it should be because Dean showed last year that when healthy he should be viewed as one of the top linebackers in the league. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and unless he gets back on the field sooner rather than later after tearing a patellar tendon in the opening round of the playoffs in January, he will likely become a free agent.
Player they could have had: Despite the injury history, Dean was the right pick, though running back Rachaad White went to the Bucs at 91. The Eagles have their RB now in Saquon Barkley.
Grade: B-
SIXTH ROUND: Kyron Johnson, 181 overall. Was supposed to be a core special teamer and develop as a pass rusher. At 6-0, 235, however, he is undersized. He spent a year-and-half with the Eagles before being released and signed with the Steelers. His career never took off in Pittsburgh and he joined the Titans’ practice squad but was waived due to injury in May.
Player they could have had: Nobody of note.
GRADE: D-
SIXTH ROUND: Grant Calcaterra, 198 overall. To find somebody who has given all that he has to the Eagles this late in the draft is a gem. And Calcaterra has provided plenty from his tight end spot – playing in 47 games with 16 starts, 33 catches, 418 yards, and a touchdown, to go along with his blocking in the run game.
Player they could have had: Nobody of note.
Grade: A-
UNDRAFTED: Reed Blankenship. The safety became a starter in Year 2 and hasn’t looked back. He has eight career interceptions, including four last year.
OVERALL GRADE: With five players who helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl last year, it’s an easy ‘A.’
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