Insider Links Eagles to Impact O-Lineman With First Round Pick

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to go back to their bread and butter with the No. 23 pick at next weekend’s NFL Draft.

The Eagles are expected to select an offensive lineman and have their sights set on Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, according to NFL insider Jason La Canfora.

The Eagles struggled offensively in 2025, especially with injuries to their O-line. Right tackle Lane Johnson only played 10 games last year after sustaining a foot injury and missed their playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Eagles Are Interested in Drafting Kadyn Proctor

The Eagles are the model NFC franchise and have achieved that status by targeting players that can win the line of scrimmage.

So with another late pick in the first round, president and general manager Howie Roseman is focused on retooling the club’s aging O-line. Between Johnson, who was picked in the first round of the 2013 draft, and center Landon Dickerson’s injury history, Roseman is likely to bolster their O-line this year.

“Roseman has showed a willingness to trust his evaluations for players who come with some risk,” La Canfora reported for Sports Boom. “Dickerson’s medical red flags coming out of Alabama, for instance, and if Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor is still available when the Eagles select at 23rd overall, that feels to some of rivals like precisely the kind of value selection he would make.

“They have leaned heavily into SEC products with their high picks and Proctor could play inside or outside on the offensive line, filling a short-term need at guard and also being the man to replace Johnson a year from now.”

The Eagles have reportedly met Proctor twice, but Monroe Freeling from Georgia or Ole Miss’ Jayden Williams would also fit the SEC-bred billing in this draft. Each is considered a first-round prospect that, according to various mock drafts, could be available when the Eagles select at No. 23.

La Canfora also referenced some sources who confirmed Roseman’s interest in reloading his offensive line. The Eagles have not spent a first-round selection on the offensive line since 2019 — Andre Dillard, who started just nine in three seasons with the Eagles.

“You know Howie; he understands how to put your team together,” La Canfora quoted a longtime NFL personnel executive. “It all starts up front. He’s gotten a little old and banged up on the OL.”

The Eagles May Also Target Pass Rushers in the First Round

The Eagles have decisions to make with their front four, and specifically their fifth-year options on Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter.

So if Proctor or any of the above-referenced O-linemen are off the board, or there is a pass rusher to be had in the first round, Roseman may choose an EDGE or outside linebacker.

“He is always looking for pass rushers even when he had them,” La Canfora quoted a longtime NFL personnel executive. “He could use a few now.”

Smith and Carter each were 2023 first-round picks, and the Eagles have until May 1 to decide their fifth-round options. If Philadelphia lands a pass rusher at No. 23, or trades up to select one earlier, it could help Roseman make a decision on whether to give a huge raise to either Smith and/or Carter.

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