NFL Draft: ESPN analytics ranks 15 most likely picks for the Eagles at No. 32 overall

[ASFN Admin]

We're just days away from the start of the NFL draft, and the next week will feature mock draft projections, expert predictions, and fans clamoring to guess who their favorite teams will select.

ESPN's Draft Day Predictor tool does a great job of estimating the percent chance prospects will be available at each pick.

Here is a behind-the-scenes peek at how ESPN analytics accomplishes that:

“The underlying model is based on prospect grades from Scouts Inc., expert mock drafts, team needs, and a few other factors. The Predictor considers these factors in proportion to how accurate they have been in the past.”

From the 15th-most likely selection down to the highest percentage of chances, the numbers tell us who could be available when Philadelphia is on the clock.

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Edge Rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku​

Chances taken: 6.5%

The Eagles have to replace edge rusher Josh Sweat, who signed with the Cardinals after getting 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl LIX. Ezeiruaku is a bit undersized (6-3, 248 pounds) but uses his 34-inch arms and elite first-step speed to get around the edge and under the hands of offensive tackles. He was highly productive this past season, with 80 tackles and 16.5 sacks, the second-best mark in the FBS.

CB Maxwell Hairston​

Chances taken: 6.4%

During his time at Kentucky, Hairston played in 32 career games with 20 starts. He logged 89 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. Added 10 pass breakups, six interceptions, and three forced fumbles

OL Grey Zabel​

Chances taken: 5.9%

The Eagles build through the trenches, and Zabel is rising up draft boards and can flourish at three different positions.

DE James Pearce Jr.​

Chances taken: 5.7%

The 6-foot-5, 243-pound Pearce led Tennessee in sacks (7.5), tackles for loss (13), and quarterback hurries (10), while adding a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2024. Pearce earned first-team All-SEC honors and was a semifinalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi, and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards. He also earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2023, when he had 10 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hurries, an interception return for a touchdown and two forced fumbles.

DT Walter Nolen​

Chances taken: 5.3%

Philadelphia lost Milton Williams in free agency and has Jordan Davis entering the final year of his rookie deal with a decision about his fifth-year option looming. Nolen can be a game-wrecker on the interior and is athletic enough to be a viable and versatile pass rusher for the Eagles and Vic Fangio.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound dynamo led the Ole Miss defense in 2024, logging 48 tackles (career-high), two pass deflections (career-high), one fumble recovery, and 6.5 sacks (career-high).

DT Kenneth Grant​

Chances taken: 4.6%

Kiper lists the 6-3 339-pound Grant as the No. 19 overall prospect for the 2025 draft and the No. 4 draft-eligible defensive tackle prospect. A native of Gary, Indiana, Grant formed the nation's best interior defensive line tandem with Mason Graham, who declared for the draft earlier this month and ranks No. 4 on Kiper's Big Board. Grant led Michigan with two fumble recoveries and ranked second on the team with five pass breakups, adding 3.0 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 quarterback hurries. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and third-team AP All-America honors. Grant had four tackles and an assisted tackle for loss in Michigan's 13-10 upset win over archrival Ohio State on Nov. 30.

DT Malaki Starks​

Chances taken: 4.6%

Starks played three seasons for the Bulldogs, recording 197 total tackles, 17 pass deflections, and six interceptions in his collegiate career. In the 2024 season, he had 77 total tackles, four for loss, and one interception. He was an All-American in 2023.

Edge Rusher Mike Green​

Chances taken: 4.3%

Last season, as a redshirt sophomore, Green led the FBS in sacks (17.0), tackles for loss (22.5), sack yardage (144), and tackles by a defensive lineman (84).

His 17 sacks established a new Sun Belt Conference record.

CB Azareyeh Thomas​

Chances taken: 4.2%

At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, the addition of Thomas, a specialist as an outside press-coverage corner, could allow Cooper DeJean to remain in the slot.

OL Josh Conerly Jr.​

Chances taken: 3.9%

Philadelphia loves athletic offensive linemen, and Conerly fits that mold as Lane Johnson's eventual successor. The Seattle native, who started his career as a running back before transitioning to offensive tackle as a sophomore, doesn’t turn 22 until November. In his three seasons at Oregon, Conerly Jr. played 41 games and was a two-year starter. He played 1,881 snaps at left tackle in three seasons and had a 78.0 overall grade from PFF for the 2024 season.

OL Josh Simmons​

Chances taken: 3.8%

Edge Rusher Nic Scourton​

Chances taken: 3.4%

DT Derrick Harmon​

Chances taken: 3.0%

WR Trey Amos​

Chances taken: 2.8%

OL Tyler Booker​

Chances taken: 2.7%

WR Emeka Egbuka​

Chances taken: 2.3%

DB Nick Emmanwori​

Chances taken: 2.2%

WR Luther Burden III​

Chances taken: 2.0%

RB Omarion Hampton​

Chances taken: 2.0%

CB Benjamin Morrison​

Chances taken: 1.9%

CB Shavon Revel Jr.​

Chances taken: 1.8%

CB Jahdae Barron​

Chances taken: 1.5%

OL Donovan Jackson​

Chances taken: 1.4%

WR Matthew Golden​

Chances taken: 1.2%

RB TreVeyon Henderson​

Chances taken: 1.1%

OL Aireontae Ersery​

Chances taken: 1.1%

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Donovan Ezeiruaku is most likely selection for Eagles with 32nd pick

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