Howie Roseman has the best track record of any general manager in football when it comes to hitting on his early-round draft picks.
But what Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles have been doing from Rounds 4 through 7 has been hard not to notice in recent seasons.
Roseman has a new habit of hoarding Day 3 capital, a strategy undoubtedly made possible by Philly’s roster full of drafted and developed players. After making six Day 3 draft picks in 2024, the Eagles traded out of the third round this year and made eight more in 2025. They could go even bigger in 2026 — as Philly is currently projected to have eight more selections in Round 4 and beyond in next year’s draft.
With so many roster spots currently occupied by entrenched stars, especially on offense, the Eagles have been prioritizing low-cost dart throws in the draft. The strategy makes sense with some looming contract extensions in order, like safety Reed Blankenship and defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
The majority of Roseman’s dart throws in the 2024 draft, however, could end up missing the board.
Eagles analyst Josh Davis of the Philly Special Show predicts three more of Roseman’s 2024 draft picks will end up being cut this summer. The team ditched sixth-round interior offensive lineman Dylan McMahon on cut-down day last year, and Davis projects a similar fate for fifth-round WR Ainias Smith, fifth-round guard Trevor Keegan, and sixth-round WR Johnny Wilson this August.
Davis has 2024 practice-squader Danny Gray and 2025 free agent addition Terrace Marshall making Philly’s initial roster at wide receiver following OTAs and minicamp.
“I know, that’s cutting Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith,” he said, “which the odds say that at least one of them will make the roster. Although seeing that Johnny missed some of OTAs and struggled with drops, while others have made lasting impressions — mainly Gray and Marshall — for now I’m going to have to roll with them and then wait to see if Wilson and Smith can improve a little bit more in camp.”
Smith is very much on the outside looking in here, as the Eagles have four presumed “locks” at wide receiver in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson and specialist Avery Williams. Smith probably wouldn’t have made last year’s roster as a rookie, but the team was able to stash him on injured reserve to start the season, and he wound up filling a roster spot due in part to Britain Covey’s Week 3 collarbone injury.
The surprise here would be Wilson, who had a firm grip on Philly’s WR4 spot last season and played a respectable 406 total offensive snaps as a rookie. He has uncommon size for a wide out at 6-foot-7, and he showed serious run-blocking chops on the perimeter last season. The Eagles will continue to feature the run game under new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, so Wilson should have the inside track to a roster spot, unless he’s completely outclassed during training camp.
Really, this commentary from Davis is a reflection on Gray and Marshall this spring. Gray has reportedly been catching everything in sight, drawing praise from Philly’s defensive backs. Quarterback Jalen Hurts gave Marshall a shoutout for the skills the former LSU star has shown in his first practices as an Eagle.
Some healthy competition at the wide receiver position is a good thing, of course. But if both Smith and Wilson get the boot — and Keegan doesn’t start earning himself second-team reps at guard or center — Roseman and the Eagles could be down to two players, running back Will Shipley and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., from their haul of Day 3 selections in 2024.
That's not the hit rate that Roseman's looking for.
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