The Philadelphia Eagles have traded Carson Wentz, so what does that now mean for them in the draft? We explore in a 7-round 2021 NFL mock draft.
Even before last season concluded, the question for the Philadelphia Eagles was what was next for quarterback Carson Wentz. On Thursday, they finally solved that riddle as the Eagles sent the former No. 2 overall pick to the Colts in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in addition to a conditional 2022 second-rounder that has the potential to become a first-rounder.
Now that the Wentz question is no longer hanging over their heads, the Eagles have the opportunity to evaluate how they can move forward. With trading the quarterback, though, they are taking on a massive dead cap hit, which is bad news for a team that’s already facing issues in that department this offseason.
However, with free agency unlikely to be a truly viable option for Philadelphia to improve the roster, the 2021 NFL Draft becomes that much more important. While they only have an extra third-round pick to show for the Wentz trade in this year’s draft, they have to put Jalen Hurts in the best position to succeed moving forward.
With that in mind, let’s dive into a 7-round Philadelphia Eagles 2021 NFL mock draft to see what the team is able to do to help get back to competing in the NFC East now that Hurts is taking over the offense.
7-round 2021 NFL mock draft for the Philadelphia Eagles after the Carson Wentz trade
You’ll likely see a lot of mock drafts that have the Eagles taking a wide receiver with the No. 6 overall pick. There’s no question that the passing offense needs viable weapons for Hurts to operate at maximum effectiveness. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they need a receiver.
After all, Philadelphia took Jalen Reagor in the first round of last year’s draft. While his rookie season wasn’t anything to write home about — or perhaps even less than that — he still has potential to be an impressive weapon. More importantly, the wide receiver class in 2021 is exceptionally deep.
So instead, they get an offensive weapon in the form of tight end Kyle Pitts. The Florida product is an outright stud with the ability to line up in-line or in the slot and thrive. He’s a great route-runner who presents a matchup problem immediately with his blend of size and athleticism.
The Eagles have long utilized heavy personnel with multiple tight ends and, with Zach Ertz likely on his way out, they need someone to pair with Dallas Goedert. Pitts would give them that player and make the offense more dangerous in the process.