INDIANAPOLIS − It's not that the Eagles haven't drafted a cornerback in the first round since 2002, or in the second and third rounds since 2017.

Rather, the Eagles haven't had a cornerback become a Week 1 full-time starter his rookie year since Eric Allen in 1988. Allen had 34 interceptions in seven seasons with the Eagles, making the Pro Bowl five times as an Eagle. He played 14 seasons overall and was a Hall of Fame finalist this season.

The Eagles would love to find someone like that at cornerback in the NFL draft this April. That's because Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has a lot of holes to fill on defense. Even having about $42 million in salary cap space now that they're releasing safety Kevin Byard is not enough to address all of the Eagles' needs.

So a star cornerback like the Bears' Jaylon Johnson or the Chiefs' L'Jarius Sneed (the Chiefs reportedly granted him permission to seek a trade), both of whom could command at least $20 million per year in average annual value, could be out of the Eagles price range.

And if the Eagles are releasing veteran James Bradberry, who had a disappointing season, then they could use their first-round pick (No. 22) overall, or one of their two second-round picks (Nos. 50 and 53) on a starting cornerback.

If they're looking at the first round, someone like Iowa's Cooper DeJean, Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell, Clemson's Nate Wiggins, Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw or Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry could be the pick, provided the Eagles feel one of them would be ready to start Week 1 opposite Darius Slay.

Alabama’s Terrion Arnold will likely be taken well before the Eagles pick.

For the record, Roseman said earlier this week at the NFL scouting combine that Bradberry, who had a disappointing season, "is under contract, part of our plans." But those plans could change, especially after June 1, when Bradberry can be released with a dead-money hit of $4.3 million without adding anything to the salary cap (there would be a $10 million cap charge if Bradberry is released before then).

Yet that strategy of starting a rookie at cornerback would be different from anything Roseman has done since he became general manager in 2010.

"I think when we look back, and (Eagles) coach (Nick Sirianni) and I talk about it a little bit, it's OK to play some young players," Roseman said. "It's OK for them to get experience and kind of see what you have. Based on where some of our guys were, they had the ability to sit back and learn a little bit because of the situations that we were in.

"I think going forward it's going to be harder to do that ... So I think that for us to play our young players, to develop them, I think that's something that Coach and I have talked about to not be afraid of. That's why you draft them. That's why you sign them."

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In the recent past, Roseman has drafted players and allowed them to sit behind veterans for a year before taking over. Edge rusher Nolan Smith, for example, was taken in the first round last year (No. 30 overall) and sat behind Haason Reddick.

In 2022, the Eagles did this with their top three picks in defensive tackle Jordan Davis (first round), center/guard Cam Jurgens (second round) and linebacker Nakobe Dean (third round).

There would be no one for a rookie cornerback to sit behind if Bradberry is released. Sure, the Eagles drafted Kelee Ringo in the fourth round last year while signing Eli Ricks as an undrafted free agent.

Both started some games for the Eagles last season when either Slay or Bradberry were injured. Even if the Eagles believe Ringo and/or Ricks could be the long-term answer, Slay is 33 years old, and the Eagles will need his replacement in a year or so anyway.

As for Mitchell, it just so happens that Slay is someone he has studied for the past few years.

"Over the past few years, I had a lot of production at Toledo," Mitchell said Thursday at the combine. "So the main thing is ball skills. Just watching corners like Trent McDuffie (Chiefs), Darius Slay, Trevon Diggs (Cowboys) and Pat Surtain (Broncos) − those four guys."

It just so happened that all four were starters by Week 2 of their rookie year (Slay was drafted in 2013 by the Lions).

Mitchell, who had 4 interceptions in one game against Northern Illinois in 2022, has good size at 6-feet, 197 pounds. But he played in the Mid-American Conference, not the Big Ten like DeJean, who has faced Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., not to mention Michigan's stable of receivers, among others.

Rakestraw plays in the SEC, as does McKinstry, while Wiggins is in the ACC.

But Mitchell counters with his play during the Senior Bowl practices at the end of January.

"(I showed) that I can hit with the Big Dawgs," he said. "Going into that week, there was a lot of, 'He can’t play in good competition,' and stuff like that. So just going and showcasing and dominating everybody."

DeJean, meanwhile, could end up moving around the secondary. At 6-1, 205, he could play inside at nickel. He said Thursday that some teams he talked to have mentioned safety as well. DeJean is not testing this week after breaking his fibula in November. But he said he's fully cleared by the doctors, and only began running again at full speed last week.

"I think being able to play multiple positions definitely helps me become a better football player in general," he said.

The Eagles could end up needing someone like that at cornerback.

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

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How Eagles can replace James Bradberry in NFL draft, end 36-year drought