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University of Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green.
We can’t predict the future, but it’s not hard to see why the Philadelphia Eagles might not take a quarterback in the first round for the foreseeable future.
To start with, they have a really good quarterback in place, in his prime, with NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts. He’s 27 years old and, theoretically, should still have his best years ahead of him.
Then, as long as general manager Howie Roseman works for the Eagles, there will always be the looming specter of Carson Wentz, who the Eagles drafted No. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL draft then watched, 2 years later, get replaced by a backup quarterback in Nick Foles who led the franchise to its first Super Bowl win.
The new formula for the Eagles seems to be drafting quarterbacks in the later rounds and watching them become assets — 2023 6th round pick Tanner McKee is the prime example. Hurts was a 2nd round pick in 2020.
In 2026, with McKee possibly out the door in a trade, the answer might be adding another quarterback in the NFL draft, with The Athletic’s Zach Berman predicting Philadelphia will use a 4th round pick on University of Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green.
Green Transferred From MWC to SEC
Green, 6-foot-6 and 224 pounds, is a Lewisville, Texas, native who started his college career with 3 seasons at Boise State, where he redshirted in 2021, was MWC Freshman of the Year in 2022 and MWC Championship Game MVP in 2023.
He transferred to the Power Four to play for Arkansas, where he threw for 5,868 yards, 34 touchdowns and 20 interceptions to go with 1,379 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns over the last 2 seasons.
It’s impossible to deny Green’s offensive impact in college — at both schools — with a staggering 12,067 yards of total offense and 94 total touchdowns in 4 seasons as a starter.
“Taylen Green is a raw, toolsy dual-threat quarterback with a high ceiling, thanks to his outstanding arm talent and athleticism, but he needs significant development,” Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “A creative NFL play-caller would be wise to feature some designed QB runs in the offensive game plan with Green in the lineup. He already has experience with QB counter, power, veer, and zone reads. More room to grow can be found as a decision-maker and limiting his “hero ball” tendencies. But Green’s stature and physical abilities are worth dedicating the time to develop.”
Eagles Haven’t Drafted Offensive Players Early
Berman and several other mock drafts predict the Eagles will take an offensive player in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft — specifically 6-foot-7, 360-pound Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.
Picking Proctor or any other offensive player would snap a 4-year streak of taking defensive players with their 1st round pick — and if it’s truly the end we should look back on one of the biggest hot streaks of any team, ever, when it comes to the draft.
hSince 2022, each of Philadelphia’s 8 picks in the first 2 rounds have developed into high level starts; defensive tackle Jordan Davis and center Cam Jurgens in 2022, defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith in 2023, cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in 2024 and linebacker Jihaad Campbell and safety Andrew Mukuba in 2025.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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