Ranking 12 Eagles defensive back options in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft

Enough of all of these great offenses aready. Quarterbacks get too much credit when things go right. Sure, they also probably take too much blame when things often don't, but we can place a check mark in the Philadelphia Eagles box. They have their franchise signal-caller, even if, for whatever reason, he's still the subject of unnecessary criticism.

Philly is also home to the best one-two punch at wide receiver in the NFL. From what we hear, their running back is pretty good too. The offensive line also gets a passing grade.

That being said, let's talk bout some defensive backs, shall we? We'll focus our attention on the defensive side of the ball here. Philly lost Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, and Avonte Maddox in free agency, leaving several young guys on the roster.

Some see Philly's top needs as edge rusher, the interior of both the offensive and defensive lines, and at cornerback. Let's focus on a few DBs. Let's also say the Birds address other needs early, they'll still have solid draft options in the middle of the coming NFL Draft.

Which DBs will be off the board when the Eagles are on the clock at pick 96?

Cooper DeJean, Adoree' Jackson, Quinyon Mitchell, Parry Nickerson, Eli Ricks, Kelee Ringo, A.J. Woods, and Tariq Castro-Fields are the current cornerbacks on Philly's offseason roster. Lewis Cine, Andre' Sam, Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, and Tristin McCollum are the safeties.

It makes sense for the Birds to add, at minimum, a couple of DBs during the selection meeting.

Here's our theory. Once we reach Philly's third-round selection, currently slated at pick 96, the following defensive backs will probably have heard their names called: Travis Hunter (Colorado), Jahdae Barron (Texas), Malaki Starks (Georgia), Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina), Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky), Will Johnson (Michigan), Kevin Winston Jr. (Penn State), Trey Amos (Ole MIss), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), Xavier Watts (also from The Irish), Shavon Revel (East Carolina), and Andrew Mukuba (Texas).

That's a solid dozen prospects who will make their teams very happy. Here's how we ranked the guys in the next tier.

They'll all be solid options if Philly addresses other needs early or if the Birds look to add some insurance in Round 3.

Ranking the best mid-round options the Eagles will have in the 2025 NFL Draft

Draft theories are subjective. So are prospect rankings, but here's how we feel the defensive backs in the second-tier of this year's class stack up when they are ranked vs. one another.

1. Azareye'h Thomas, cornerback Florida State Seminoles

Azareye'h Thomas is a big corner who could sneak into Round 1 by some theories, but we believe a second-day selection is more realistic. He'd make a nice CB2 while covering the opposing team's Y receiver despite flying under the radar due to a sub-par Seminoles season.

2. Lathan Ransom, safety, Ohio State Buckeyes

Lathan Ransom will pale in comparison to what some of these other prospects can do athletically, but he's elite or near-elite in the other areas needed to play safety at the professional level. He should hear his name called on the second day of the draft.

3. Dorian Strong, cornerback, Virginia Tech Hokies

Dorian Strong might be a better zone than man corner. Tackling could also be better, but there's more to like than there is to complain about here. He earned Third-team All-ACC honors in 2023. He has certainly helped re-establish Virginia Tech's reputation as one of the nation's breeding grounds for DB talent.

4. Jacob Parrish, cornerback, Arizona State Wildcats

At five-foot-ten and 198 pounds, Jacob Parrish probably grades as a slot corner, and that could be what Philly is thinking, a possible replacement option for Avonte Maddox as the Birds will need a backup for Cooper DeJean.

5. R.J. Mickens, safety, Clemson Tigers

We don't know how we feel about Clemson safety R.J. Mickens, but so many of the people whose opinions we respect turn in passing grades for him. A former teammate of Jeremiah Trotter Jr's for three seasons, he was the leader that the Tigers' defense needed this season. He also plays well as coverage.

Philly once found a pretty good safety in Death Valley, and though we'd never compare Mickens to Brian Dawkins, R.J. is someone fiery who NFL teams can be excited about.

6. Nohl Williams, cornerback, Cal Golden Bears

Nohl Williams' long speed and fluidity might be, at best, average, but he has played well when the lights come on. He's physical and a solid tackler, which makes him an attractive bet for teams looking to play him in press coverage. He also looked good at the Senior Bowl.

7. Jonas Sanker, safety, Virginia Cavaliers

Jonas Sanker was a solid and very polished defender for the Cavaliers. He does everything you'd expect a good safety to do, including cover, track ball carriers down, and make physical tackles. He closed his career at Virginia with consecutive First-team All-ACC nominations in 2023 and 2024.

8. Cobee Bryant, cornerback, Kansas Jayhawks

Cobee Bryant's slim but lengthy build kind of reminds us of Emmanuel Forbes, but both are more dissimilar than similar. The former Jayhawk will need to get stronger for the NFL. Otherwise he's probably limited to off-zone coverage capability. Several teams were also turned off by his slow 40-yard dash time (4.53).

9. Billy Bowman, safety, Oklahoma University

Billy Bowman is a highlight reel waiting to happen. He's the quintessential 'feast or famine' prospect though. The former Sooner earned First-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023, but he's as likely to knock someone's head off or pick off an errant pass as he is to miss a tackle or bite on an explosive play.

10. Shamari Simmons, safety, Arizona State Sun Devils

Shamari Stevens did what highly-touted prospects are supposed to do, make clutch plays when their teams need them to do so. He's consistently around the ball

11. Malachi Moore, safety, Alabama Crimson Tide

Malachi Moore's versatility will increase his stock. He can play slot corner and slide back in coverage to play free safety. He lacks elite athleticism, but if teams are willing to overlook that, they'll find a talent that plays the run well and covers just as well if not better.

12. Sebastian Castro, safety, Iowa Hawkeyes

NFL Scouting Combine performances aren't everything, but there are certainly things we can learn by watching them. Sebastian Castro's stock took a hit in Indianapolis, but he played well during Senior Bowl week. We have more than seen enough to know he'd do an NFL team proud if they invest a pick to acquire him.

Final thoughts: We believe Philly's best strategy is to address needs in the trenches early as they've done so many times before. Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

That may rule out the possibility of landing fan favorites like Maxwell Hairston or Malaki Starks, but they should still be able to find some depth options.