NFL Mock Draft Monday: The (five) stars align

5 for 25?

It’s Monday, there are mock drafts to be had.

Mel Kiper, ESPN - DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

This would be the third time in four years that the Eagles draft a defensive tackle, and GM Howie Roseman has historically favored the trenches on Day 1 of the draft. We just talked about the Chiefs’ offensive line issues, and it was the Eagles’ defensive line that gave it fits at the Super Bowl. Milton Williams had two sacks in that game. Williams also is now in New England on a big free agent deal, so Roseman could go back to the trenches again to find a replacement.

Nolen is very disruptive thanks to explosive traits and strong hands. He had 6.5 sacks and 15 run stops last season. And while he didn’t go to Georgia, Nolen at least keeps the Eagles’ direct line to SEC defensive tackles alive.

It’s a lock the Eagles will draft a DT. Quite possibly in the 1st. Maybe even Walter Nolen, who is a popular pick for them this week.

A former top recruit (#2 in his class behind Travis Hunter), Nolen disappointed at Texas A&M before moving to Ole Miss for the 2024 season. At Oxford he had a good season, but not a strong one. I am not impressed by Nolen, but then this draft is full of good but unimpressive players. I wouldn’t be excited by a Walter Nolen pick, but he fits the high athletic DL profile that the Eagles have drafted, they’re just usually from Georgia. Ole Miss did beat Georgia this year, so close enough.

The Athletic Beat Writers Mock - S Malaki Starks, Georgia

Trade: Vikings trade No. 24 to Eagles for No. 32, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick.

The Eagles explored multiple trade opportunities before the Vikings revealed themselves to be a reasonable bunch. That the Lions published negotiations on social media remains disappointing. What began as an exercise in market evaluation turned into a pretty fair bargain. The Eagles are likely to have three third-round picks in 2026 and had four 2025 fifth-rounders to sweeten any deal. Not bad for an eight-spot leap. Starks is a sensible choice after trading away C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans. The Eagles add a proven playmaker in Starks to a room in which Reed Blankenship is the only established starter. — Brooks Kubena

Yuck. This pick stinks. First of all, the Eagles are not trading up to draft a safety. And they are not trading up to draft a safety who tested so poorly. Relative Athletic Score isn’t everything, but the last time the Eagles drafted a sub 9.0+ RAS player at any point in the first three rounds was Jalen Reagor. Starks graded as a 5.13, which would be the lowest RAS player the Eagles have drafted since Matt Pryor in the 6th round in 2018.

And Starks isn’t what the Eagles need out of a...