PHILADELPHIA − The buildup to NFL draft day for the Eagles has lasted for more than three months, ever since the Eagles' season ended in a wild card playoff loss to Tampa Bay, thereby completing a 1-6 collapse.

As soon as that humbling 32-9 loss, the Eagles began turning their attention to the draft, to making sure that kind of meltdown doesn't happen again.

Sure, a lot of things happened along the way. The Eagles hired new coordinators on offense and defense, then franchise legends Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox got retired, followed by free agency where the Eagles addressed some of their most pressing needs.

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But the Eagles couldn't address all of them, such as at cornerback, a No. 3 wide receiver, and depth along the offensive and defensive lines. That leaves the draft. And really, the Eagles could go in any direction with those picks, especially with their first-round pick (No. 22) and two second-round picks (Nos. 50 and 53).

And, of course, trades could shake that up.

So follow along for observations and analysis as this long-awaited day and night finally arrives.

Cowboys star 'utterly disgusted' by Eagles pick of Quinyon Mitchell

None other than Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons chimed in with his approval of the Eagles pick of Quinyon Mitchell on Thursday. Parsons grew up in Harrisburg as a Philadelphia sports fan.

"I'm honestly utterly disgusted on how lucky the Eagles are," Parsons said on Bleacher Report's show. "I do not know how he fell that far with this run of offensive tackles and quarterbacks. That's the only thing that makes sense. I thought he was a top-15, top-12 talent, and he just fell right into their laps. ... He was definitely one of my more favorite players in this draft. He checked every box."

Eagles get their man at No. 22

The Eagles stayed at No. 22 and had their choice at cornerback as none had been taken before their pick. The Eagles took Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell.

Eagles can stay at No. 22 in dream scenario

With three picks remaining until the Eagles spot at No. 22, both top cornerbacks in Alabama's Terrion Arnold and Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell are available.

The Rams, at No. 19, took edge rusher Jared Verse. But Pittsburgh at No. 20 and Miami at No. 21 could go offensive line. The Steelers could also go for LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas

Dream draft scenario unfolding for Eagles

With six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 pick, the Eagles are set up to get a top player, especially on defense at cornerback or edge, with a trade up.

That's because the top 12 picks were all offensive players. That pushes cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and/or Quinyon Mitchell into the Eagles' range for a trade. They could also go for a good edge rusher, either by trading up or standing pat.

The zaniness began at No. 8 when the Falcons drafted QB Michael Penix. That's the fourth QB to get drafted. He followed the top three of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye going to Chicago, Washington and New England, respectively.

The Vikings moved up to No. 10 for J.J. McCarthy. Bo Nix went No. 12 to Denver.

The other non-QB picks were either wide receivers or offensive linemen.

Eagles start draft not with a pick, but a major signing

The Eagles opened the NFL draft Thursday night not with a pick, but by signing wide receiver A.J. Brown to a three-year extension that will take him through 2029.

ESPN reported that Brown's deal is worth as much as $96 million and begins in 2027 after his current four-year deal worth as much as $100 million expires. Brown's average annual value of $32 million would make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL − for now.

Less than an hour before draft, not many Eagles rumors

There are about 40 minutes before the draft starts, and there aren't many rumors about the Eagles and their first-round pick.

Sure, it has been speculated that they'd like to trade up, but so far, all has been quiet. Much of that is because the Eagles, like everyone else, is waiting to see what happens at the top of the draft with the quarterbacks.

The NFL Network is reporting that the Patriots at No. 3 are standing pat and taking QB Drake Maye. So if the Giants are staying at No. 6, they could go with Michigan's JJ McCarthy, unless the Vikings at No. 11 trade up ahead of them.

At that point, we'll have a better idea if the Eagles are in the running for a trade up.

The salmon suited Terrion Arnold

If the Eagles end up drafting Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, he will approach the podium wearing a salmon-colored suit, according to the website Gentleman's Playbook.

Far be it for me to judge someone's fashion sense, but let's just say that salmon is a delicacy in any city. And if Arnold does end up playing for the Eagles, let's just say that he'll be judged more for his play than his wardrobe.

How it went haywire for Eagles the last time they had No. 22 pick

It was 10 years ago this weekend when the Eagles went into the draft with the No. 22 overall pick. Back then, Chip Kelly was the Eagles head coach.

Kelly had said the Eagles had six players they wanted to pick. While Kelly didn't identify them, it was clear that two of them were still available with two picks to go before the Eagles picked. New Orleans took the first player, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, at No. 20.

Then Green Bay traded into the No. 21 spot and took safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. The Eagles, unlike Clinton-Dix's first name, were not in a laughing mood. With all six of their targets gone, they traded back four spots to No. 26 and drafted edge rusher Marcus Smith.

It was a disaster. The Eagles gave up on Smith after 3 seasons. Cooks is still playing, with nearly 10,000 receiving yards. Clinton-Dix played seven seasons, mostly as a full-time starter.

Since Roseman re-assumed final say in 2016, the Eagles have stood pat in the first round only once from their original first-round slot.

Why the Seahawks are the likeliest spot for the Eagles to move to

As with any trade, it takes two teams to make a deal. So while it's easy to assume that the Eagles will trade up, there has to be another team willing to trade back.

For the Eagles to get either one of the two top cornerbacks in Terrion Arnold or Quinyon Mitchell, or an offensive lineman like JC Latham, or even a wide receiver like Brian Thomas, they would have to get ahead of certain teams who also might be interested.

Miami, at 21, could be looking O-line. Cincinnati at No. 18 could be looking wide receiver. And Jacksonville at No. 17 could be looking cornerback.

Seattle at No. 16, then, could be a match because the Seahawks don't have a second-round pick and the Eagles have two. So if one of the Eagles top targets is available at No. 16, don't be surprised to see this move.

How likely is a trade back for the Eagles?

There has been so much speculation for the Eagles to move up in the draft. But moving back is also possible. And with Howie Roseman running the Eagles draft, anything is possible.

For that to happen, it would mean that the Eagles either didn't value some of the picks who would be available for a trade up, or that they couldn't make a suitable deal.

In that scenario, it might be worth trading back rather than picking at No. 22. This way, the Eagles could get an extra pick in either Round 2 or Round 3 (they currently don't have a third-round pick) and continue building that way.

But that would only be worthwhile if there's someone the Eagles would be happy with at the end of Round 1 or early Round 2. At cornerback, it could be Ennis Rakestraw or Kool Aid McKinstry. At wide receiver, perhaps Adonai Mitchell. At guard, it could be Graham Barton. Or at edge rusher, it could be Chop Robinson.

This team could determine what Eagles do in first round

Keep an eye on the Minnesota Vikings at No. 11. If they're trading up ahead of the Giants at No. 6, it likely means that four quarterbacks will be taken within the first four or five picks, depending on if Minnesota deals with the Chargers at No. 5, the Cardinals at No. 4 or the Patriots at No. 3.

But that could also set up a chain reaction where two more quarterbacks − Michael Penix and Bo Nix − could go at No. 12 and No. 13 to the Broncos and Raiders, respectively.

If six QBs are taken in the first 13 picks, that will push a top player into the No. 15 to No. 18 range. And this where the Eagles could trade up to get one of them. I listed six players that the Eagles could trade up for.

When is the NFL draft?

The draft begins Thursday night at 8 p.m. with Round 1. It continues Friday, beginning at 7 p.m., with Rounds 2 and 3. It concludes Saturday, beginning at noon, with Rounds 4 through 7.

When do the Eagles pick in the NFL draft?

• Round 1, No. 22

• Round 2, No. 50

• Round 2, No. 53

• Round 4, No. 120

• Round 5, No. 161

• Round 5, No. 171

• Round 5, No. 172

• Round 6, No. 210

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: NFL draft: Micah Parsons 'disgusted' Quinyon Mitchell fell to Eagles