PHILADELPHIA — Five years ago, Philadelphia was at the forefront of two major NFL events.
The first came in April 2017, when the league held the NFL draft near the Art Museum along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. About 10 months later, the Eagles hosted two playoff games en route to the first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
To commemorate the five-year anniversary of the city's draft weekend, Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino did a redraft for the first round. All the picks were made considering how each player has fared on and off the field during the last five seasons.
Here's the alternate reality:
1. Cleveland Browns
Player they took: Myles Garrett
Player they'd take: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
This was a no-brainer. Mahomes has quickly proven himself as a generational talent under center. Even after his flurry of turnovers in 2021, Mahomes has thrown 151 touchdowns compared to 37 interceptions. His resumé includes back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, including a win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
2. Chicago Bears
Player they took: Mitchell Trubisky
Player they'd take: Myles Garrett, edge rusher, Texas A&M
Instead of reaching for a quarterback, as they did in reality, the Bears move up a spot to take the most talented player in the draft. Deshaun Watson would have been the selection at one point, but legal troubles and character concerns are enough to justify passing here.
3. San Francisco 49ers
Player they took: Solomon Thomas
Player they'd take: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
A grand jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges, and he has settled 20 of the 24 civil lawsuits filed by massage therapists that alleged sexual harassment and sexual assault. Despite the lingering civil lawsuits, the Browns acquired Watson in a trade with the Texans, and they proceeded to sign him to a megadeal, including $230 million in guaranteed salary.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Player they took: Leonard Fournette
Player they'd take: T.J. Watt, edge rusher, Wisconsin
Even though we went with Garrett ahead of him, you could make an argument that Watt is the best edge rusher from his class to this point. He's been the most productive pass rusher, at the very least. Getting one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL at No. 4 overall is a lot better than what the Jags actually got.
5. Tennessee Titans
Player they took: Corey Davis
Player they'd take: Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington
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Kupp's FCS background surely hurt his draft stock as he fell to the third round. But Kupp has defied the odds, developing into one of the league's most elite receivers. Last season, he became just the fourth player of the Super Bowl era to lead the league in catches (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16) en route to being named NFL offensive player of the year.
6. New York Jets
Player they took: Jamal Adams
Player they'd take: Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
With the benefit of hindsight, the Jets put more stock into positional value here and secure a lockdown cornerback. Christian McCaffrey or Adams would also be good options, but White plays the more premium position and wins out.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
Player they took: Mike Williams
Player they'd take: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Eagles coach Nick Sirianni had a firsthand look at Williams as his position coach during Williams' rookie season. Despite overseeing him for just one season, Sirianni has used Williams, along with teammate Keenan Allen, as teaching points to his current wide receiver group. Williams, a big-bodied target at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards twice, including a career-best 1,146 yards in 2021.
8. Carolina Panthers
Player they took: Christian McCaffrey
Player they'd take: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
It's easy to look at the' Panthers current state and feel the urge to conjure up an alternate path for them here, but McCaffrey is essentially the only thing they really have going for them. Injuries have been a major hindrance for him, but McCaffrey is still one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. If only Carolina was capable of building around him.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
Player they took: John Ross
Player they'd take: Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
Sure, the Bengals already had Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard on the roster. But that RB duo combined for just six rushing touchdowns in 2017. Meanwhile, Kamara has tallied 47 rushing touchdowns over his career with an average of 9.4 rushing touchdowns per season. Running backs have been devalued as first-round talents in today's NFL, but Kamara has been a smashing hit since entering the league.
10. Buffalo Bills
Player they took: Patrick Mahomes (pick was traded to Kansas City)
Player they'd take: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
With Mahomes off the board, the Bills stand pat and get one of the best cornerbacks in the draft. They did quite well for themselves trading back and getting White in 2017, but staying put and getting Lattimore isn't a bad consolation in this scenario.
11. New Orleans Saints
Player they took: Marshon Lattimore
Player they'd take: Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Ramczyk was the final pick of the first round at No. 32 by the Saints. Here, he is still drafted by his original team, but cashes in a much bigger — and deserving — payday. Ramczyk has starred at both tackle spots, although his best work has been done from the right side. Last season, he allowed just two sacks over 653 snaps. He hasn't allowed more than two sacks since 2018.
12. Cleveland Browns
Player they took: Deshaun Watson (pick was traded to Houston)
Player they'd take: Chris Godwin, wide receiver, Penn State
Instead of trading this pick to the quarterback-needy Houston Texans, the Browns prioritize offensive playmakers to pair with Mahomes here. Godwin is arguably the second-best receiver from this draft class, although he has played alongside Mike Evans his entire career. He's got 342 career catches for 4,643 yards and 29 touchdowns, all of which rank second in the class of receivers.
13. Arizona Cardinals
Player they took: Haason Reddick
Player they'd take: George Kittle, TE, Iowa
The Cardinals have experienced a firsthand look at Kittle's dominance. A fifth-round pick, he has evolved into a bona fide Pro Bowler who demands the ball in the passing game.
14. Philadelphia Eagles
Player they took: Derek Barnett
Player they'd take: Jamal Adams, S, LSU
The Eagles typically prioritize defensive linemen, but the early run of elite edge rushers leaves them with a "best-player-available" approach. Adams wouldn't be an ideal fit in defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon's scheme, but he would be tailor-made as a versatile box safety in former DC Jim Schwartz's system. He has evolved into more of a hybrid linebacker at this point in his career, but Adams is still the type of difference-maker who commands accounting for from opposing offenses.
Yes, Barnett played his part in the Eagles' Super Bowl run in 2017. His strip sack against the Vikings was the catalyst for an eventual Eagles blowout and his clutch fumble recovery against the Patriots helped secure the team's Super Bowl victory. All that aside, the Eagles likely still would have fielded a more formidable defense with an All-Pro-caliber safety to pair with Malcolm Jenkins. Barnett's contributions could likely be found from a different replacement-level starter.
15. Indianapolis Colts
Player they took: Malik Hooker
Player they'd take: Budda Baker, S, Washington
Hooker has shown flashes as an elite safety with range, but he has missed 30 games over five seasons. Meanwhile, Baker, originally a second-round pick by the Cardinals, has developed into one of the NFL's most electric corners. Baker tackles with force — he as surpassed 100 stops three times, including a league-best 104 solo tackles in 2019, and he has recorded five interceptions over the last two seasons.
16. Baltimore Ravens
Player they took: Marlon Humphrey
Player they'd take: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
This was easy. Taking Humphrey was excellent value in 2017. No reason to change it up here. He's a durable, tough, consistent cornerback who fits what the Ravens do extremely well.
17. Washington
Player they took: Jonathan Allen
Player they'd take: Haason Reddick, edge rusher, Temple
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Had Reddick started out at edge from the jump, his career numbers might look quite different in a positive way. He's not considered a "traditional" pass rusher at 6-foot-1, but he's a technician with a nonstop motor. His production over the last two seasons (13 1/2 sacks, 34 quarterback hits and eight forced fumbles) is a better representation of Reddick's ceiling when used effectively as a proper pass-rushing weapon. Pairing Reddick with Ryan Kerrigan (in his prime), along with Preston Smith would've been a scary sight for NFC East opponents.
18. Tennessee Titans
Player they took: Adoree' Jackson
Player they'd take: Jonathan Allen, DT, Alabama
The original pick of Jackson isn't bad, but the Titans can do slightly better with hindsight. Allen hasn't been an elite interior rusher, but he has been rock solid for Washington and is still good value here.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Player they took: O.J. Howard
Player they'd take: No. 19: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC
Considering that Chris Godwin catapulted from the third round to becoming a top-10 pick in this redraft, the Buccaneers still need to address receiver. Smith-Schuster and Godwin aren't parallel, but Smith-Schuster eclipsed 1,400 receiving yards during his sophomore year in 2018.
20. Denver Broncos
Player they took: Garrett Bolles
Player they'd take: Dion Dawkins, OT, Temple
The Broncos needed offensive line help, but they do better than they did in 2017 here. Instead of going with Bolles, who has been about league-average at left tackle, they get a slightly better blindside protector in Dawkins.
21. Detroit Lions
Player they took: Jarrad Davis
Player they'd take: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
After further evaluation of Detroit's 2017 offense, the Lions certainly could've benefited from bolstering the depth chart with talent. That year, the Lions won nine games but finished with an NFL-worst 76.3 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, Cook has topped 1,100 rushing yards in each of the last three seasons.
22. Miami Dolphins
Player they took: Charles Harris
Player they'd take: Trey Hendrickson, edge rusher, Florida Atlantic
Hendrickson's upside is still somewhat debatable, but you can't argue with his production. T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett are the only players from the 2017 class with more sacks than him (34), and he's an ascending player. Hendrickson is a productive, high-motor edge rusher who is well worth it at this point in the draft.
23. New York Giants
Player they took: Evan Engram
Player they'd take: Austin Ekeler, RB, Western Colorado
This certainly feels like a high number for running backs taken, but why not in a redraft, especially when considering how productive these players have been in recent years? Last year alone, Eckeler eclipsed 1,550 total yards with 20 touchdowns (12 rushing, eight receiving). He's a do-it-all tailback who serves as a magnet to the end zone.
24. Las Vegas Raiders
Player they took: Gareon Conley
Player they'd take: Marcus Williams, S, Utah
The Raiders have needed secondary help dating back several years, and Williams would go a long way in helping them in that department. He has 15 career interceptions and just signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Ravens this offseason.
25. Cleveland Browns
Player they took: Jabrill Peppers
Player they'd take: Eddie Jackson, S, Alabama
Jackson was a Day 3 pick by the Bears, but he proved to be a first-round talent. Here, the Browns still address safety and nab Jackson, who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2018.
26. Seattle Seahawks
Player they took: Takkarist McKinley (pick traded to Atlanta)
Player they'd take: Shaquill Griffin, CB, UCF
The Seahawks got Griffin in the third round in 2017, but he's good enough to command a first-rounder in this redraft.
27. Buffalo Bills
Player they took: Tre'Davious White
Player they'd take: Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions
Golladay's image was crushed last season following a horrific first year with the Giants on a big-money contract. Time will tell if he's able to restore his career, but Golladay was once a highly-feared, big-bodied passing target. His best seasons occurred in 2018 and '19, when he tallied 1,000-plus receiving yards and 65-plus receptions. He was a Pro Bowler in 2019, finishing with a career-best 11 touchdowns.
28. Dallas Cowboys
Player they took: Taco Charlton
Player they'd take: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
Many Eagles fans already have disdain for Barnett, so a marriage with the Birds' biggest rival is fitting. While he has consistently struggled with penalties and has earned a reputation for playing with reckless abandon through the whistle, Barnett was still a starter-quality defensive end for the first five years of his career. That has first-round value.
Eagles re-sign Derek Barnett to a two-year contract
29. Cleveland Browns
Player they took: David Njoku
Player they'd take: Aaron Jones, RB, Texas-El Paso
Jones catapults from Day 3 into the first round. A fifth-round pick, he signed an extension with the Green Bay Packers last offseason.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers
Player they took: T.J. Watt
Player they'd take: Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma
The Steelers ended up with James Conner in the third round, but Mixon would have given them a marginal improvement that's worth the investment.
31. San Francisco 49ers
Player they took: Reuben Foster
Player they'd take: David Njoku, TE, Miami
Njoku recently signed a four-year extension worth $56.75 million with the Browns. He'll benefit from better quarterback play, but most of his career has consisted of flashes. Last season, he recorded 36 receptions for 475 yards and four touchdowns.
32. New Orleans Saints
Player they took: Ryan Ramczyk
Player they'd take: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Davis didn't prove worthy of a top-10 pick, but he's still a productive receiver in the league. His 241 career receptions with the Jets and Titans rank eighth in his draft class, and he's seventh in receiving yards. Good enough to be a first-rounder, even if it's by the skin of his teeth.
