Eagles 4-round 2026 NFL mock draft: Philadelphia’s first-round strategy changes following latest Lane Johnson update
The Eagles may adjust their attention early in this year’s draft.
Lane Johnson is back! The Philadelphia Eagles future hall of famer and fan favorite made a subtle but obvious social media post on Thursday that points to a return to the gridiron for him.
Amid retirement speculation, it sounds like the Eagles will get Johnson back as their right tackle, and that’s notable for their offseason roster-building plans in Philly.
Lane Johnson news adjusts draft needs and possible free agency moves for Eagles
With Johnson reportedly returning for 2026, I believe it is worth considering that offensive tackle won’t be high on their radar when it comes to their earliest draft selections. Taking a tackle in the first round, when you are planning to push your chips in to contend next season, seems like a miscalculation.
Instead, it would make more sense for the Eagles to focus on other roster holes, like their secondary’s depth, tight end, and even pass rusher. Depending on how free agency shakes out, all three of those routes are legitimate for the Eagles’ first couple of picks in this year’s draft.
With that, I ran through a mock draft scenario where the Eagles wait to address offensive line until late in the third round. Where many mocks have them taking an OL in the first or second recently, that script flips after Johnson’s update in this exercise.
Eagles 4-round 2026 NFL mock draft
Round 1, Pick 23: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
EMW is one of the top ballhawks in this class. I love his potential in playing with a secondary group that has guys like Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell at the head of it. With Reed Blankenship potentially out the door in free agency, safety may be the biggest defensive need on Philly’s roster.
Round 2, Pick 54: Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan
Moore had a 36.0% pass rush win rate last season for the Wolverines defense. His production was consistent, and he’s one of the better run stoppers off the edge in this class as well. He matches the sort of gritty style along the DL that I think Vic Fangio will really prefer. Relentless motor as well!
Round 3, Pick 68: Max Klare, TE, Ohio State
Tight end may be a massive need if the Eagles do not bring back Dallas Goedert. If that’s the case, Klare provides the best balance of receiving and blocking ability by this point of the draft. His production took a small decline with Ohio State, compared to his Purdue days, but he also improved his run blocking ability.
Round 3, Pick 98: Kage Casey, OT, Boise State
Here is where the Eagles address the OL for the first time in this scenario. Casey was two-time All-Mountain West first-team selection and boasts NFL size at 6’5” and 311 pounds. The Boise State product had the 5th-best PFF overall grade in the NCAA among left tackles last season. Working with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata could do wonders for him.
Round 4, Pick 122: Ahmari Harvey, CB, Georgia Tech
Harvey is a versatile defender on the back end, and I believe adding depth in the secondary will be a priority on day two/three of the draft for the Eagles. Interested to see how he tests at the NFL Scouting Combine next week as well.
Round 4, Pick 137: Kevin Coleman Jr., WR, Missouri
Coleman is a jitterbug athlete at wideout. He’s got special teams return game prowess and showed that he could produce in a multitude of P4 offenses. According to PFF, Coleman was sixth in missed tackles forced last season among draft-eligible prospects in college football.
Philadelphia Eagles News
Lane Johnson’s latest social media post reveals his Eagles future without saying a word
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