Prospects for Eagles to Avoid in 2022 NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to be busy during the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, but not as busy as they originally thought.

Last week, the Eagles made a trade with the New Orleans Saints that involved a large number of draft picks. Philadelphia parted with two first-round selections (Nos. 16 and 19) and a sixth-round pick (No. 194) in this year's draft, and it acquired a first-round pick (No. 18), a third-round pick (No. 101) and a seventh-round pick (No. 237), as well as a 2023 first-round selection and a 2024 second-round selection.

Philadelphia could still be targeting the same players, though, as it will still first be on the clock at No. 15, and then again three picks later. And there are some intriguing prospects for the team to consider.

There are also some players Philadelphia should avoid. Here's a look at the names Eagles shouldn't take in this year's draft.

Should the Eagles take a wide receiver in the first round for the third consecutive year? That's up for debate. It's not their biggest need, as DeVonta Smith and Zach Pascal should have success in 2022. But Philadelphia could still benefit from bolstering its receiving corps.

The Eagles have had mixed results drafting wide receivers of late. Jalen Reagor (2020 first-round selection) has yet to play at a high level, but Smith (2021 first-round pick) showed his high potential last year.

If Philadelphia does want to take another receiver early, though, it shouldn't be Alabama's Jameson Williams.

There's some risk that comes with the 21-year-old, who suffered a torn ACL in the College Football Playoff National Championship in January. Because of that, he didn't participate in the combine or at the Crimson Tide's pro day.

It's possible Williams goes on to have a tremendous NFL career, as he has a high ceiling if he can play at the same level he did prior to the injury. But the Eagles can't have another first-round receiver go on to underperform (like Reagor), so they should make a safer pick if they want to address the position in the opening round.

It's possible cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. won't still be on the board when the Eagles are first on the clock at No. 15. He has a ton of potential, and there will likely be some teams interested in drafting him at least a few picks before Philadelphia's first selection.

However, the 20-year-old isn't a safe pick. He is coming off a foot injury that limited him to three games this past season. Also, he didn't record any interceptions in 10 games over his final two years at LSU. That may not be a huge concern, considering he notched six picks in 2019, but it's something to keep in mind in terms of his playmaking ability on defense.

There are also things Stingley still needs to improve at in order to have success at the next level.

"He allows some separation from off-man but bursts to close distance instantly. He's well-suited for a variety of zone coverages but needs to play with much better zeal and toughness in run support," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in a scouting report.

So while the Eagles could use a strong cornerback to pair with Darius Slay, they may want to avoid taking Stingley. And that means they should perhaps wait a round or two for a cornerback.

The Eagles need to surround Jalen Hurts with another playmaker or two, and then they need to commit to him for at least one more season.

Perhaps he isn't going to develop into a franchise quarterback and Philadelphia will need to find another long-term answer, but that shouldn't happen this offseason.

Hurts has played well enough over his first two seasons to warrant an opportunity to take another step forward in 2022. And they don't need a backup, because Gardner Minshew is a proven veteran to have at No. 2 on the depth chart.

So Philadelphia should show the 23-year-old it believes in him by not taking a quarterback in this year's draft. The team has enough other needs that it doesn't need to take a late-round flier on a QB this year.

If Hurts struggles in 2022, though, things should be different next offseason. The 2023 draft class should have plenty of strong quarterback prospects, including Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud.

If the Eagles want to go in a different direction, they should try to find a new QB to build around then.