D+
Philadelphia Eagles
Larceny in No. 255 lands the Eagles a D+, Clark and all.
by [email protected] ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 36 picks
· 36 steals
· 0 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Bud Clark got past him. The Eagles do not have to explain a thing at pick No. 255.
The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. The hoard sets up next April more than it helps this September. They left with cornerback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
In short, the board sent warnings, and they will be hoping it was wrong.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 24th pick they get juice off the edge, and a steal at that. The biggest hole, addressed.
They barely believed it either: Spencer Fano still on the board at the 54th overall pick. A need, and now a little less of one.
Fernando Mendoza in No. 68 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It fills a real need, too.
Taking Jordyn Tyson in slot 98 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Somehow Kenyon Sadiq was still sitting there in Round 4, Pick 14, and they pounced on premier tight end value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They robbed the room for Mansoor Delane here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A top-tier wide receiver at a bargain, Carnell Tate in pick 153, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jermod McCoy in pick No. 154 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Kayden McDonald at Round 5, Pick 15 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Sonny Styles at the 156th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Steal is underselling it; Cashius Howell at No. 157 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board fumbled Akheem Mesidor all the way to the 158th pick, and they scooped it up. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Circle this one: Colton Hood at pick 159 is a fall that decides a draft. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
D'Angelo Ponds at pick No. 160 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
You do not let an edge rusher like Gabe Jacas reach slot 161 and blink. They did not. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tight end of that caliber at the Round 5 slot is the definition of value, full stop. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They will replay Michael Taaffe at the 164th pick for years; that is how good the value is. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jake Slaughter in pick 166 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Brandon Cisse in the 173rd overall pick is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Steal is underselling it; Derrick Moore at slot 174 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They barely believed it either: Germie Bernard still on the board at No. 178. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Lee Hunter in pick No. 181 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A top-tier edge rusher at a bargain, Romello Height in Round 6, Pick 14, plain and simple. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Chase Bisontis in the Round 6 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They will replay Jonah Coleman at the Round 6 slot for years; that is how good the value is. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They robbed the room for Logan Jones here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The roster fit checks out.
Circle this one: Antonio Williams at Round 6, Pick 24 is a fall that decides a draft. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Brenen Thompson at pick 213 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Genesis Smith in the 214th overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A offensive lineman of that caliber at No. 216 is the definition of value, full stop. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board fumbled Deontae Lawson all the way to slot 222, and they scooped it up. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Ja'Kobi Lane at the 229th pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
You do not let an edge rusher like Tyreak Sapp reach pick 236 and blink. They did not. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
J.C. Davis at No. 249 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It fills a real need, too.
Somehow Kaytron Allen was still sitting there in the 254th pick, and they pounced on premier running back value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Steal is underselling it; Bud Clark at the 255th overall pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.