The Eagles defense will be without several key pieces in 2023. 

CJ Gardner-Johnson, Javon Hargrave, TJ Edwards, and Marcus Epps have all signed elsewhere. 

To replenish some of that depth, one national media outlet has the Eagles taking an elite defender with the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Kyle Stackpole of CBS Sports released a new mock draft, and he has Philadelphia landing Nolan Smith. 

Regarding Smith, Stackpole said the following:

What a luxury it is to add a top-10 pick to a defense that finished last season with 70 sacks — the third-most in NFL history. Nolan Smith, who dealt with an injury in the fall, helped himself a ton by putting up massive numbers at the NFL Combine. He'll be able to learn from the trio of Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham so that he can make the most of every opportunity he's given.

Smith was fantastic at the combine, putting up the best numbers among edge rushers in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, and vertical jump. In the broad jump, Smith was only behind Byron Young and Will McDonald IV. 

Smith is probably undersized to play 4-3 defensive end in the NFL, so he would likely play outside linebacker. Smith is proficient in pass coverage as well, and could eventually morph into an every-down player. 

Presumably, Smith would slot in behind Nicholas Morrow as the weakside linebacker, and could see rotational snaps at the defensive end. The Eagles desperately need depth on the edge, as currently Derek Barnett, Christian Elliss, and Tarron Jackson are the only options on the roster. 

In 2022 for the Georgia Bulldogs, Smith collected 18 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and three sacks. That production came in just eight games, as Smith suffered a season-ending torn pectoral injury. 

Clearly Smith is healed from the injury after his impressive combine performance. 

While it may seem like a luxury pick, Smith would fit in nicely on the Eagle defense.