Eagles add familiar, popular name in latest mock draft

Luke Easterling of SI.com has Philadelphia taking Trotter Jr. 52nd overall with a second-round pick once held by the Saints. The Eagles haven’t spent much draft capital on linebackers in recent years, but drafting him would be a smart move for 2024.

First, Trotter is one of the best defensive players in college football. He’s currently Pro Football Focus's third-best linebacker prospect, just behind teammate Barrett Carter. But Trotter, not Carter, was just named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after posting a game-high 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and a pick-six against Notre Dame. 

Philadelphia’s linebacker situation isn’t great at the moment. The team added Georgia’s Nakobe Dean in 2022, but he’s yet to make an impact and could be done for the season with a Lisfranc injury. Zach Cunningham is the team’s second leading tackler, but he’s playing on a one-year deal and was almost an afterthought when he signed late in training camp.

The Eagles have been one of the NFL’s more stable franchises under Jeff Lurie’s ownership and general manager Howie Roseman always fields competitive teams. But the piecemeal approach to the linebacker position is wearing thin. Trotter would be a good fit, it’s just a shame the team (and fans) have to wait until April.