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NFL draft: Eagles, Saints shake up 1st round with trade involving 8 picks

sam cooper
College football writer
·3 min read
80

The NFL draft maneuvering has begun.

The Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints agreed to a trade Monday that involves multiple first-round picks, including an exchange of firsts in this year’s draft and another one headed Philadelphia’s way in the 2023 draft.

The full terms of the deal look like this: The Eagles, previously armed with three first-round picks (Nos. 15, 16 and 19), sent picks Nos. 16, 19 and 194 (sixth round) to the Saints for picks Nos. 18, 101 (third round) and 237 (seventh round), plus the Saints’ 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second-rounder.

With the deal, both the Eagles and Saints have two first-round selections in this year’s draft. The Eagles will select at 15 and 18 while the Saints have picks 16 and 19.

Notably for the Eagles, they now have two first-rounders in next year’s draft — a draft that could have significantly more talent at the quarterback position. And if the Saints struggle in their first season since longtime head coach Sean Payton stepped away, that 2023 first-rounder from New Orleans could be a very valuable pick for the Eagles.

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 16: Philadelphia Eagles helmets sit on a cart during the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 16, 2022 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles now have multiple first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 NFL drafts. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Eagles also now have two second-rounders in 2024. Those picks could be useful assets if the franchise wants to make a move to potentially acquire a quarterback in the future. For now, the Eagles seem content to play out the 2022 season with Jalen Hurts for his second season as the team’s starting QB. And if Hurts continues to develop, the Eagles have the draft capital to add talent around him.

On the Saints side of the equation, they now have two first-rounders to work with and three picks in the top 50 of this year’s draft. After going 9-8 last year, the Saints are hoping to retool and get back into contention in the NFC South.

The Saints pursued a trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson but missed out and instead brought back Jameis Winston and signed Andy Dalton. With a strong season, the 2023 pick they sent to the Eagles would be near the bottom of the first round.

Here’s the updated order of the first round of the 2022 NFL draft:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars

  2. Detroit Lions

  3. Houston Texans

  4. New York Jets

  5. New York Giants

  6. Carolina Panthers

  7. New York Giants (from Chicago)

  8. Atlanta Falcons

  9. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)

  10. New York Jets (from Seattle)

  11. Washington Commanders

  12. Minnesota Vikings

  13. Houston Texans (from Cleveland)

  14. Baltimore Ravens

  15. Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami)

  16. New Orleans Saints (from Philadelphia via Indianapolis)

  17. Los Angeles Chargers

  18. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans)

  19. New Orleans Saints (from Philadelphia)

  20. Pittsburgh Steelers

  21. New England Patriots

  22. Green Bay Packers (from Las Vegas)

  23. Arizona Cardinals

  24. Dallas Cowboys

  25. Buffalo Bills

  26. Tennessee Titans

  27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  28. Green Bay Packers

  29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Miami via San Francisco)

  30. Kansas City Chiefs

  31. Cincinnati Bengals

  32. Detroit Lions (from Los Angeles Rams)