Philadelphia Eagles 7-round 2021 mock draft after trading down

The Philadelphia Eagles traded down to the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and a new 7-round mock draft projects what they could do there. 

The offseason has been colored by trades and moves that have reshaped the roster for the Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, that began when they dealt Carson Wentz to the Colts, seemingly handing the keys to the offense to Jalen Hurts, but it continued on Friday as the Eagles traded down from the No. 6 pick with the Dolphins to No. 12. Philadelphia also received a 2022 first-round pick and a mid-round pick swap in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Now that they’re sitting at No. 12 — though it was rumored they were trying to do what the 49ers did and trade up to No. 3 — the strategy changes for the Eagles. In the long run, getting an extra first-round pick to move down six spots is a quality move. But will it take away some value for Philadelphia in 2021?

We’re exploring that and what the Eagles can land in the 2021 draft as we run through a 7-round mock draft for Philadelphia after their big trade with the Dolphins.

Philadelphia Eagles mock draft: Full 7-round projection after trades

Trading down from the No. 6 spot does limit the options that the Eagles had on the table. Now with the No. 12 pick, the team that is likely eyeing a wide receiver will likely no longer have their pick of the litter. Furthermore, they also will probably not have the opportunity to take all-world tight end Kyle Pitts either.

But what makes the move savvy is that the top three wide receivers in this class — Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle — are all virtually interchangeable in terms of where they could go. For a team so devoid of talent at the position, getting any of them would help, so why not increase their future draft capital and still get one of those players?

In this mock draft, it’s DeVonta Smith that comes to them and they’d have to be happy about that in a major way. Though his size does raise some concerns, the talent does not. The reigning Heisman winner has the speed and route-running ability to be a superstar at the NFL level.

Smith could be a high-end possession target capable of shouldering the load in the passing offense while attacking every level of the field. He would also open up the field for last year’s first-rounder, Jaelan Reagor, and young Travis Fulgha. All this would help put Hurts in the best long-term position to find success.