Philadelphia Eagles: Greatest Draft Class of the Last 20 Years

The Philadelphia Eagles are historically bad at drafting. Though there are plenty of gems buried in Eagles’ draft classes, most of the Eagles’ picks have been mediocre at best, making it very difficult to pick out one greatest draft classes, especially just in the last 20 years.

We all remember some of the Eagles’ biggest duds. Take, for example, the 2019 class, which saw the Eagles take Miles Sanders in the second round–that pick, at least, paid off for Philly. However, he was slotted between a first-round tackle who has been a career backup up to this point, a wide receiver who couldn’t separate or catch (picked before DK Metcalf), and two mid-round picks with a combined one game of NFL action. Or, if that isn’t bad enough for you, look at the stretch from 2014-2017, where the best thing the Eagles got was two good years from Carson Wentz. That’s four straight classes with almost nothing to show for it.

However, in recent years, things have been looking up for the Eagles when it comes to drafting. The 2021 class provided Philadelphia with multiple key contributors, including Devonta Smith, Kenneth Gainwell, and Pro Bowler Landon Dickerson. 2022’s class looks similarly exciting, with Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, and Nakobe Dean all preparing for bigger roles in 2023. These two classes haven’t played for very long as of yet but have already cemented themselves as some of the best in Philadelphia’s history.

For this exercise, though, I’m going to stray away from these talented but unproven groups and focus on the class that was the most productive for the longest. Of all the Eagles’ draft classes of the past 20 years, one stands out as particularly strong, especially because of their impact during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run. Today, we take a deeper look at the Philadelphia Eagles’ greatest draft class of the past 20 years, plus some honorable mentions.

Philadelphia Eagles Greatest Draft Class of the Past 20 Years

Philadelphia Eagles 2012 Draft Class

Throughout the years, the Eagles have been able to draft, on average, one great player per season. This draft, however, was different–the Eagles picked multiple players who had critical roles on a Super Bowl-winning team. If not for the four players listed below, the Eagles would not have won Super Bowl 52, making this class the most influential to the Eagles’ success as a franchise.

Fletcher Cox (12th Overall)

Cox has played 11 seasons in Philadelphia, earning six Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro along the way. At his peak, Cox was a top two defensive tackle in the league, dominating the league’s interior offensive linemen. As one of the leaders of the defense, his role in the team’s first Super Bowl cannot be understated, truly making this a home run pick. Maybe he won’t be first ballot, but there’s definitely a spot in Canton for Cox sometime in the future.

Mychal Kendricks (46th Overall)

The older brother of longtime Vikings’ linebacker Eric Kendricks, Mychal Kendricks was a consistent contributor during his six seasons in Philly and played a key role in the team’s Super Bowl run. Paired up with Nigel Bradham, the Eagles’ defense featured a formidable linebacker pair, the best one they’ve had in at least the last decade. Kendricks’ departure following the season was the first domino in the collapse of the Eagles’ linebacker room, a room which hasn’t been the same since.

Kendricks is now better known for his insider trading scandal, which landed him in prison for a day (yes, one singular day), but for the Eagles, his presence was one of the key reasons for the championship. For one of the rare times in the team’s drafting history, they hit twice in a row in the same draft.

Vinny Curry (59th Overall)

While never an elite player, Curry played a big role in Philly’s defense for eight seasons. While he never repeated his 2014 campaign, where he finished with nine sacks, he was a consistent disruptor on the Eagles’ defensive line. Another veteran presence on Philadelphia’s Super Bowl roster, Curry was an important piece in the run.

Nick Foles (88th Overall)

This one doesn’t need to be explained. Without Foles, Philadelphia doesn’t have a Lombardi trophy. His heroic effort throughout the 2018 playoffs was a sight to behold as he played at an otherworldly level, especially in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl.

Foles shouldn’t just be remembered for his Super Bowl run, though (nor the short playoff stint the year after). Before being traded to the Rams after the 2014 season, Foles looked to be the Eagles’ future at the quarterback position, at least when he was available. He, unfortunately, became one of Chip Kelly’s many ego-based roster casualties but ended up finding his way back on the team at the perfect time. Had Philadelphia not drafted Foles, who knows if history would have played out as it did?

Bonus Entry: Dennis Kelly (153rd Overall)

Kelly is better known for his time in Tennessee, where he started for most of five seasons. However, for the three years, he was in Philadelphia, he provided some solid starts and was a valuable piece. Not bad value for a fifth-round pick.

Honorable Mentions

While these drafts are not as complete as the 2012 bunch, they still provided the birds with some elite talent. The top ends are strong in these classes, and they deserve to be recognized for that reason.

2002 Draft Class

This may have been the official pick if this were last year, but as the rules of this article stated, only the last 20 years count, and this one, as of today, is almost 21 years old. However, that doesn’t mean they’re undeserving of some love.

Rarely does Philadelphia have four players who go on to be major contributors in the same draft class, but this is one of them. Cornerback Lito Sheppard, safety Michael Lewis, cornerback Sheldon Brown, and running back Brian Westbrook all had great careers in Philadelphia, with Sheppard and Westbrook each earning two Pro Bowl nods and an all-Pro. In terms of Super Bowl runs this group was the 2012 draft of their time, spearheading the eventual run to the 2004 Super Bowl (as well as an NFC Championship appearance in 2003). Another shout-out goes to defensive end Raheem Brock, the Eagles’ seventh-round pick that year, who never played in Philly but put together a solid career in Indianapolis.

2013 Draft Class

This draft features two Eagles greats, Lane Johnson and Zach Ertz. That alone makes this an all-time class for Philadelphia. As if it even needs to be said, these two players put together incredible careers in the city of brotherly love, with Johnson continuing his legendary stint today.

Also deserving of mention are defensive tackle Bennie Logan and safety Jordan Poyer. Logan primarily acted as a depth piece during his short career in Philly but was a solid player nonetheless as for Poyer, what a miss by Philadelphia. The seventh-round pick was released by the Eagles just six weeks into the 2013 season (again, thank you Chip Kelly), but has since gone on to play some great football in Buffalo. The Bills’ star has earned a Pro Bowl nod and an All-Pro over the past two seasons and represents one of the rare secondary hits for the Eagles. If only he had time to show it in Philly.

2018 Draft Class

The Philadelphia Eagles only had five picks in this draft, four of which came after the first three rounds, and yet this is probably the most consistent draft in the team’s history. Tight end Dallas Goedert, cornerback Avonte Maddox, defensive end Josh Sweat, and tackle Jordan Mailata have all emerged as some of the best players at their positions in the NFL. Shoot, even Matt Pryor, who only played in Philadelphia for two seasons, has seen significant action, although he is undeniably the weakest player in this group. When healthy, this may be the best draft class of any on this list, but even with that being a consistent issue, they deserve mention.

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